Is Yoga a bunch of fluff? If there is one form of Yoga that does away with this stereotype, then it is Ashtanga Yoga. It does not get any more dynamic than this. This yoga practice gets one in top shape, energetic and full of vitality. With Ashtanga Yoga, you twist and fold your body in all sorts of shapes. In flow style there are some 72 ãsanas (body postures) and that is some serious sweating. By way of the medium of vinyasa and correct, deep breath control, you combine the exercises with each other and finally the body warms up and drives away all toxins. With the efforts of the bandha’s you can intensify each posture and when your yoga instructor says ‘drishti’ you focus your gaze. Do you feel it?

The various techniques taken together make for a refined yoga method and this is not just a temporary fix. Do you want to grow in your practice? Then Ashtanga demands a diligent, and even ultimately a daily practice. Also, as this is a fixed sequence, which makes the whole process a proper meditation, Ashtanga continues to challenge you with primary, intermediate an advanced series and pranayama. Whoever begins Ashtanga Yoga, steps into a life-long adventure.

In daily Ashtanga Yoga Mysore Style classes, you will practice the series in the traditional way and receive personal guidance in seriously developing an independent yoga practice. Would you like to start as a beginner in the Mysore Ashtanga? Then come at the earliest at 7:30 a.m.
In the group classes you practice half (half) or full (full) primary series, and the basic classes pave the way to that.

Mysore style is a walk-in class, admission is free between designated class times. We just expect everyone to be finished by the stated end time. As a newcomer you may count about 45 minutes for your yoga session, you will arrive at 7:30 a.m. sharp. Afterwards, you arrive at your own time, walk in at your leisure and just roll out your mat. We start guiding you immediately and individually. For beginners, besides the basic group classes, this is the best place to start with Ashtanga yoga, where you learn the basics in the right dose and at an appropriate pace. Advanced students are further assisted in their practice. It is like a private class in group, with attention to each individual.
Mysore style is the traditional way to learn yoga and once you get used to it, it becomes a lifestyle. This form has become famous thanks to the Jois family from the city of Mysore in India (hence the name!) At Antwerp Yoga you will learn this authentic method under the supervision of recognized (authorized) teachers and their experienced assistants. Come with regularity, because practice makes perfect!

In this short, but very complete group lesson, we always return to the basics. We teach you step by step the beginning of the primary series, beginning with the Sun Salutations and first fundamental postures. The finishing postures are also explained in their most accessible versions so that every session is a fully balanced yoga practice. Attention is always given to correct breathing, proper posture and focus points (drishti). Thus it is not only the ideal class for newcomers, but also for those who are beginning again and need a little push.

We go through more or less half of the first series in Ashtanga, consisting of two types of Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar A and B), the complete set of standing postures and the beginning of the seated postures series. With each iteration of the series, we perhaps shall reach the boat pose and then we do the complete finishing series, but without pressure or haste. The emphasis in this class lies in the proper technique and the learning of modifications for the more complex postures. Thus, you safely work towards your challenges without overstepping your limits. If you have been doing this for some time, then this class is a steppingstone toward the full primary. In the meantime, you can further expand the sequence with adjustments that you learn here as you go to the Mysore style classes.

The guided class of the complete primary series is also called a ‘led class’ by those in the know. The tangible wisdom of T. Krishnamacarya and the method of the Jois family are found in a crystalised form here. Adepts who practice daily in the Mysore style, refine in this weekly group lesson their expertise in the vinyasa system. The two learning forms could not be more different, though they form the two pillars that support Ashtanga Yoga. In this class the teacher provides the rhythm for the synchronizing of your breath with each transition and calls out the postures in Sanskrit. In the absence of other, surplus instructions, there exists a space in which the elements of the practice (ãsana, breath, dristhi) can be fully assimilated. Your effort becomes rather effortless, and you transition into a stream of energy. Through some serious sweating you increase your endurance and open the door to meditation. Through a regular (once a week) following of this external tempo you prevent complacency in your daily self-practice. Listen well to your instructor, because there are specific guidelines for the various levels that must be respected.

Ashtanga Yoga is ideal if you like physical exertion. It provides you with a strong, supple and healthy body, inner calm and peace, and makes you more self-aware. Whoever feels fit, can come join in at any moment regardless of the class. The primary series is in principle for everyone, but a number of exercises are quite difficult. As such, we offer the assisted self-practice (Mysore style) and basic group lessons. In both types of classes, you learn to lay a strong foundation in a reasonable tempo and with a great deal of attention for the proper execution of the posture. The choice is simple. As an early bird, you can pop into the Mysore class. If you would rather come in after your daily routine, then there are group lessons to choose from. Either way, in Ashtanga you follow the tempo of your breath and you do all of the ãsana’s at your level. Although it is a highly intense yoga style, it is not competitive. We ask that you listen to your own body.