A Different Kind of Small Beginning
Trying Mysore for the first time
Samantha Sheppard
Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone
Today felt like a big day for me.
I tried Ashtanga Mysore style for the first time — a completely new style of yoga, in a new space, with people I’d never met. I was curious, but also uncertain. If I’m honest, part of me this morning thought, I’m not too sure I’ll go.
But I did.
A Different Kind of Practice
After a short pranayama practice, everyone simply... moved into their own flow - no sense of performing, no outside pressure to do anything or keep up, just people quietly practicing — inwardly focused, in their own space.
As I rolled out my mat, it felt grounding - like creating a small space that was entirely my own. This is one of the parts I most enjoy about yoga, coming 'home' to my mat - like it's an old consistent friend, ready to receive what I need from it (or let go of what I do not need) each day. A huge amount of reassurance and comfort can be found on the mat each day..
Settling Into Stillness
Hanna Lazar
At first, my mind was busy — thinking about what I was “meant” to be doing or feeling. We talk in yoga about the kleshas or afflictions of the mind - and every single one of them (excluding fear of death!) showed up in one way or another as I settled on my mat.
However, in the quiet of the studio, as I started to move, something shifted. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was supportive. And slowly, I relaxed into the practice.
Mysore follows a set sequence, building progressively over time. I started today on the preparatory sequence, guided gently by the teacher as I moved through it. It is a long journey, the Mysore one - led by how each sadakha or student progresses, and is totally driven by our own input (whatever that may be).
Small Shifts, Big Impact
Junseong Lee
What stood out from today weren’t big moments, but subtle ones.
- Small adjustments in familiar poses — like refining my alignment in Utkatasana, or being able to move to lift my toes in Garudasana despite old ankle injuries (the more advanced double bind still evades me though!).
- Concepts I am familiar with being given new meaning - like focussing on vayus to give me more expansion and lift in Trikonasana.
- A changed space, and appreciation of a difference perspective in practice.
Nothing dramatic, but each one meaningful in a profound small way..
Back to Basics
What surprised me most however was how it felt to return to the foundations of yoga practice. After a few years of practice, I didn’t expect “basics” to feel expansive — but they did.
(There is a lesson there about ego as well, which I'll mull over in my morning pages tomorrow!)
But back to today. In today's practice, there was space to refine, to notice more, and to challenge myself in quieter ways. It wasn’t about doing more. It was about doing things differently.
The rest of the day followed the same thread — some time journaling in a coffee shop, another class, and working on my own teaching sequence. It felt like a full day of practice, in different forms.
What I’m Taking With Me
Now, at the end of the day, I feel tired — but in a good way.
If I’m taking lessons from today, they are:
- Put yourself in different situations
- Don’t let your own head get in the way
- Approach new experiences with curiosity and humility
- And bring the discipline you’ve already built.
A Small Beginning
Sixteen Miles Out
I think I’ll go back to the class in a few weeks. I'm still sitting with how this new form of practice might fit into my current practice, but there’s something in it I want to explore.
And that’s the point, really - trying something new, noticing what it brings up, seeing where it might lead.
This is just one small beginning — there are more to come. If this resonated, you might like some of my other reflections on building a practice that feels sustainable and your own.