Mysore Yoga Style: Unlocking Body and Mind Potential

Mysore, a vibrant city in southern India with a population of approximately 1.4 million, often serves as a stop for those in transit to Bangalore or as a tourist hub to explore places like the Mysore Palace or its several temples. Yet, for those who linger, Mysore reveals itself as an ancient city that’s easy to navigate, full of trees, colorful gardens, and vibrant markets. Locals are welcoming, food is delicious, and there are many activities for children. Renowned for its rich yoga heritage, Mysore is also a heaven for yoga practitioners.

Mysore: a yoga hub in the south of India

We first learned about Mysore from an acquaintance who is a yoga teacher and practitioner of the Mysore Ashtanga yoga method. As we were planning to visit the south of India, Mysore seemed a convenient option that fit into our travel plans. 

Upon our arrival, we learned more about Mysore’s rich yoga heritage. This city is the birthplace of K. Pattabhi Jois, the father of Ashtanga yoga and one of the most influential yoga gurus of the 20th century. His legacy continued through his grandson Sharath Jois, who sadly passed away in Charlottesville, Virginia while we were in Mysore. His unexpected departure sent shockwaves through the global yoga community, with tributes appearing throughout Mysore. He had trained yoga teachers from around the world, and his classes were instrumental both in boosting international tourism in Mysore and promoting Ashtanga yoga globally.

While the Sharath Yoga Center is likely the most renowned in Mysore, there are numerous other choices for yoga enthusiasts, from beginners to advanced practitioners. Most classes typically require a minimum one-month commitment. However, a growing trend in “yoga holidays” allows students the flexibility to attend for any number of days and pick and choose classes from within a predetermined schedule.

For a relative beginner like me, terms like Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Hatha, or Mysore Style sounded unfamiliar. I won’t dive into technical details here, but if you’re interested in exploring Mysore Style Ashtanga yoga further, I found this article very helpful.

Yoga in my personal journey

Over the years, I’ve attended yoga sessions sporadically in various cities where I’ve lived. My most regular practice was in New York, where we had a yoga studio just a few blocks away. However, this routine was short-lived. The arrival of our daughter coincided with our move to a suburban area in Maryland, where public transportation to a yoga studio wasn’t available. I found myself lacking the time or energy to drive to a class. Instead, I turned to a YouTube teacher for short sessions. While these were helpful, they didn’t provide the consistency and technique my body needed.

Prior to our gap year, I worked an office job, spending several hours a day at my desk. So, when our gap year began, one of my goals was to develop healthier habits. During our first year abroad, we hiked frequently and spent a lot of time outdoors, whether playing, walking, planting, or speed-walking through airports.

Moving a lot during our first year abroad made it challenging to maintain a consistent yoga practice, especially since I was a beginner in need of some guidance. We traveled to cities that were either too small to have a yoga studio, or stayed only briefly with a packed agenda. Arriving in India felt like the perfect opportunity to focus on my physical and spiritual needs

Bharatha yoga: the beginning of a consistent yoga practice

I had wanted to have intensive yoga sessions and establish a solid foundation for practicing independently upon returning home. I initially considered joining a yoga holiday program for a couple of weeks. But once in Mysore I learned about the “Kramatvam” yoga program at the Bharatha Yoga Center. This personalized practice offered specific guidance on breathing, poses and a series of sequences tailored to my level. 

The small group setting with 3 to 4 students allowed the teacher to track my progress and to provide personalized guidance. Each class began and ended with a prayer in Sanskrit, included breathing exercises, joint movements, a sequence of connected poses, and concluded with a 10-minute relaxation or meditation session. As we progressed in the class, we gained more independence. Unlike traditional classes where the teacher leads the entire group, we received a sequence of movements to follow at our own pace. The teacher would make corrections to the poses, and introduced new sequences or poses when each individual was ready to advance.

The main objectives of the class were to connect body and mind through breath, and to maintain proper postures to establish a solid base for personal practice. The relaxation session at the end helps the body to recover. Trusting the process, I observed my progress every day.

Benefits of Mysore Yoga 

I started noticing the benefits of my practice within the first week. These benefits continued throughout my month in Mysore, and I hope they will motivate me to maintain discipline when we return home. While I had heard about these benefits and might have briefly experienced them before, the consistency adds a new whole dimension. 

• Improved concentration. With a lot of phone use my short-term memory had deteriorated. Within one week of practice I noticed a significant improvement. I could listen without distractions and stay focused on tasks like cooking, playing, or simply buying groceries.
• Mental clarity. Along with increased focus, I experienced enhanced problem-solving skills and mindfulness in responding to small or big challenges that we all encounter on a day-to-day basis. 
• Building discipline. Over the years I’ve often found excuses to avoid exercise, mainly because I avoid early wake-ups. In Mysore I felt motivated to get out of bed, and I hope the habit stays with me for a little while after leaving the class setting.
• Embracing healthy habits. Since we arrived in India, we have adopted a mostly vegetarian diet, and have choosen to abstain from alcohol. Although this wasn’t our original intention, we are feeling the beautiful energy around us and feel no need for anything that might alter the perception of this experience. Our bodies aren’t craving it, so our minds are not looking for it. 
• Feeling lightness of the body. Small aches that I used to experience have greatly reduced. I’ve learned the proper postures for daily activities, helping my body with a better balance. If I sense a stiffness in my body, I have the techniques to address it.
• Sense of ‘groundedness.’ Last but not least, all the aforementioned benefits have fostered confidence in my choices. I now have more clarity to understand myself better, and will to change things that need to be adjusted. 

Attending a one-month class as a mom of a young kid

As a mother of an almost four-year old, two key factors allowed me to have a one-month yoga practice in India. First, we were taking a gap year which gave me the time and mental space to focus on my practice. Second, I had the support of my husband, a loving and reliable partner who cares and prioritizes my physical and mental wellbeing, and who was willing to go the extra-mile for me to achieve this goal.

For my classes, I was away from home twice a day, six days a week for a month. During our gap year it has been crucial for James and me to have a structured schedule that lets us share the responsibility of caring for Vienna while also pursuing our personal projects, and this was no exception. It tooks us a week or so to adjust to the routine, and it helped that Mysore is a kid-friendly city, making it easy for us to find activities for Vienna while we focused on our projects. 

Living in India while practicing yoga

I had attended several yoga classes in different places. While being in India might seem overwhelming for some, I found that the cultural immersion and the laid-back vibe of a city like Mysore makes for a perfect environment to disconnect from the worries at home, and focus on the present, which is of great benefit for the practice.

Some yoga centers offer on-site accomodation which is useful for programs with several classes throghout the day. Since we are traveling as a family and needed space, we opted to rent an apartment near Kalidasa road. I commuted by tuk-tuk for each class, which is an easy and inexpensive option to move around. Most foreigners stay in the Gokulam neighborhood, where there is a concentration of yoga shalas.

Mysore is a city where foreigners can enjoy an excellent quality of life if they embrace the experience. The weather in November is warm yet comfortable. By Indian standards, the city is small, making it easy to navigate. Various restaurants cater to diverse tastes, including Western cuisine. The locals are friendly, and the city as a whole is inviting.

I like to compare my yoga practice in India to my learning of the English language in the USA. In both cases, I attended classes sporadically over the years, but the fluency and understanding expanded when I immersed myself in the native environment. My classes in Mysore opened new connections between my mind and my body, facilitating my routine going forward.

And as with learning English, I need to be intentional about my practice when I am back home where fewer people “speak the language.” I need to stay inspired, motivated and plugged in to the community. As for our time in Mysore though, I felt I did everything I could do to further my mind and body potential through yoga.