Mysore style of teaching Ashtanga yoga

June 10 2021 | Asana, Ashtanga yoga

Post-Covid contemplations

What an insightful morning I’ve had! Floating through my Mysore class today, assisting beautiful yoga friends, I felt how deeply gratifying it is to make even a small contribution to your lives, to your wellbeing…

Thank you to my lovely friends-students for giving me the opportunity to express myself through this work…

Covid-bound and not being able to teach what I love so profoundly – Mysore style Ashtanga vinyasa yoga – I realise now, how much Mysore teaching is my nature, my ‘nucleus’. How observing & helping the students to self-guide, focus, self-practise, breathe consciously, move with awareness, giggle and cry, struggle and make peace – how it all fills me with steadfastness and inspiration.

Mysore way of Ashtanga teaching has been my true passion since 2007 and I could never join the mainstream guided classes type of teaching… I won’t tell you, how often many yoga teacher-friends recommended to give up my scrupulous and financially unrewarding Mysore for the easier path of big led classes.

In my particular case, it would equate to self-betrayal… How could I?! … I am all about individual, tailored practice way of teaching… If I’d be a  poet I’d say: ‘I can’t betray my Mysore way ?’.

In a Mysore or teacher-assisted self-practice environment, I often experience as a force greater than me is flowing through my veins… letting my persona, my ego abide to the language of the heart, language of understanding and compassion…

I bow to John Scott, who seeded the passion for Mysore Ashtanga teaching in me more than 13 years ago. Teaching, where each student is a whole unfathomable universe and she or he is the beloved ‘object’ of the teacher’s meditation.

John spent countless hours with each of us, making sure that we learn how to connect to all our senses, to all our movements, to a voice within, to the nature within and without. How to integrate it all together; how to cherish every little step, paying attention to every minute detail. How to take responsibility over the practices, integrating them, transforming ourselves and keeping the classical yoga tradition alive, relevant and life affirming. Forever grateful to John Scott for my journey with him since 2007.

I bow to all my students for letting me be your partner in this very personal, brave and at times vulnerable yoga journey.

I bow to all my colleagues, Mysore Ashtanga teachers, for keeping this method alive. I dare saying, that Mysore style of teaching – so tailored, so personalised to each individual – is the most demanding undertaking for the teacher, but also the most gratifying one for the student, for the teacher and for their joint community.

In Mysore style we teach in small groups, we dedicate a lot of attention to each and every student. We show them how to take ownership over their practice, how to navigate it intelligently. And while doing that we keep an intention of helping practitioners transfer these newly acquired yoga skills into their daily life, so they become better pilots of their life journey.

I deeply feel, that while sharing yoga in the assisted self-practice way, we offer the biggest gift to our practitioners:  the gift of self-awareness, commitment, discipline, self-enquiry; the gift leading towards unveiling one’s life purpose and the essence of all pervading love. Big bow to you all, my sisters- and brothers-in-Mysore-yoga-teaching!

If you still find yourself reading my excited mumble-jumble,  first of all – thank you. And second – come to visit us in Horsham, West Sussex in England.

We are rooted in Patanjali’s 8 Limbs yoga & Ashtanga vinyasa yoga. We welcome all from total beginners to yoga trainees and teachers, offering in-depth courses accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals UK.

I am called Irina Pashkevich Bourdier  and have been a devoted yoga practitioner and explorer since 2000. I’ve done more than 2500 hours of teacher trainings and I got some good karma to be directly taught for many years by John Scot, Gregor Maehle, Shimon Ben-Avi and Swami Nityamuktananda. My teaching experience started in 2008 and now I am recognised/accredited as a Teachers’ trainer and Senior yoga teacher. Come join us! We’ll wait for you and then we’ll delve and dwell in yoga together.

With love, smiles and yoga,
Irina Pashkevich Bourdier