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I would advise that you keep working on the pistol squat in particular and you might also notice good effects from just squatting when possible throughout your day.

Even if binding is possible in Mari C and D, if there's not enough strength for a pistol squat, the pose will lack in dynamism and be rather tamasic and lackluster. The Marichyasana family are, essentially, squatting positions and not seated positions. Make sure you "gather" your weight into the bent leg, and aren't sitting back on your pelvis. The sitting bone on the side of the bent knee ought to be completely non-weight bearing. I'd say 70%+ of your bodyweight should be on that bent leg.

Virasana—I assume you mean the "popular" or Iyengar version, and not the Ashtanga version—is a good thing to do in general, though it does not involve femoral rotation. (The Ashtanga version does demand quite significant internal rotation.)

I wonder, though, if we are not on a bit of a tangent, and not seeing the forest for the trees. Indulge me, if you will...I'm a little confused as to why you think you are experiencing problems that Ashtanga alone cannot fix. (Though there certainly are things that Ashtanga alone can't fix.) Learning how to work through various movement patterns while developing healthy range of motion and strength is precisely a strong point of Ashtanga when done well.

When you find yourself feeling stuck, that is precisely the time and the incentive to discover the interconnected nature of the Ashtanga sequencing. The earlier poses will help teach the later poses, and vice versa. Now that you've found a sticky area, you can practice the surya namaskara and standing poses and first few seated poses with a new perspective and dive deeper. How do they inform the problem or obstacle you are perceiving? Having been practicing for 2 years, you're in an "experienced beginner" stage and there is a lot more to discover in every pose. I am working on 5th series and there are still new layers for me to learn and discover in the surya namaskara and foundational poses and earlier series.

As my teachers were constantly reminding me at every turn, "use your legs!" I don't think I really even began learning how to use my legs properly for the first 4 years of practice. We can hear an instruction without knowing how to embody it.

Through no fault of the practitioner, it is easy to coast through a lot of early poses, especially if you don't have an experienced guide to encourage the challenging, subtle actions that can potentially be harnessed. I mean coasting not to say that you or anyone else isn't trying and working hard, but rather that the full potential of the pose is not being exploited. Ashtanga is extremely complicated, and like any other complicated field of study, requires many years of intensive dedication. We can't skip ahead to that stage, but I think it is important to remember that this is a long-term practice. Another reminder that I hear playing in my head from my teachers, "think of your practice in geological time." So what if this is a problem for you for 6 months or a year? That's only a blip on the timeline of the practice viewed as a whole.

It seems to me that you're approaching this question from a reductionist angle, which is common to western thinking, of trying to find a particular actor to point to. E.g., that this is due to your psoas, or whatever else. To some degree, that may be true. But for the purposes of Yoga, every movement and every moment is not only a whole-body movement that is irreducible, but a whole-being experience. To create the clean, defined edges of musculature that you find in an anatomy illustration, a scalpel and elbow-grease is required. There are no such definitions and arbitrary boundaries in a living body. Anatomical understanding can be very helpful and even essential—and I am always eager to jump into the realm of anatomy and biomechanics—remember that it is easy to start chasing individual details around rather than seeing how, together, they help illustrate the whole. Thinking of the psoas, for example, as a separate actor from the rest of the body is a mental compartmentalization that makes it easier to learn the basics for an anatomy student, but eventually proves insufficient... and which, like all other reductionist conceptualizations, must be transcended in the practice of Yoga.

Maybe you would be willing to try stepping back and getting a fresh perspective. My teachers recently came out with a book, The Art of Vinyasa, which you might find helpful.

My website also has moderately detailed analysis and hopefully helpful instruction of the poses of primary series.

I hope that helps. And I hope you don't take the latter part of my comment as dismissing your concerns, I know full well what it feels like to have something in your body that is painful or stuck and how frustrating that can be.

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Title | Abdomen vs Full Ashtanga Breath
Description | Demonstration and explanation of the difference between abdominal breathing and ashtanga breathing
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Title | Beginner Yoga Breathing with Kino
Description | If you’re looking for yoga videos that will show you the perfect way for you to start your yoga journey then Kino MacGregor’s yoga channel is perfect for you! Whether you are new to yoga or an advanced yoga student you will find a full yoga library with all the yoga postures that you need to develop a complete yoga practice. Yoga is more than just a physical practice yoga is a lifestyle that includes living a peaceful life. Living the yoga lifestyle is about yoga practice, inner peace, yoga diet...
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Title | Ashtanga Yoga: Free Breathing with David Garrigues
Description | Here is an excerpt from David Garrigues 2012 In-depth study. On day four a student asked the question about the different qualities of breathing (soft, loud) and here is David's response.
Length | 0:04:45


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Title | Are you breathing too loud or too soft in your asana practice? with David Garrigues
Description | http://www.davidgarrigues.com Download A Guide to Ujjayi Breathing at Vimeo On Demand https://vimeo.com/ondemand/17936 Students often ask me, "Am I breathing too loud, heavy?" or "Am I breathing too soft, quiet?" My answer is that the breathing should be natural. Sri K Pattabhis Jois said the breath should be medium or free. When you are confused or frustrated about your breath it is best to align the sound of your ujjayi breathing with the directional movements of prana and apana vayus. L...
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Title | Synergy of Breath and Bandhas in Ashtanga Yoga with Kino
Description | If you’re looking for yoga videos that will show you the perfect way for you to start your yoga journey then Kino MacGregor’s yoga channel is perfect for you! Whether you are new to yoga or an advanced yoga student you will find a full yoga library with all the yoga postures that you need to develop a complete yoga practice. Yoga is more than just a physical practice yoga is a lifestyle that includes living a peaceful life. Living the yoga lifestyle is about yoga practice, inner peace, yoga diet...
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Title | Yogic Breathing Exercises - Ujjayi Pranayama with Kino
Description | If you’re looking for yoga videos that will show you the perfect way for you to start your yoga journey then Kino MacGregor’s yoga channel is perfect for you! Whether you are new to yoga or an advanced yoga student you will find a full yoga library with all the yoga postures that you need to develop a complete yoga practice. Yoga is more than just a physical practice yoga is a lifestyle that includes living a peaceful life. Living the yoga lifestyle is about yoga practice, inner peace, yoga diet...
Length | 0:02:17


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Title | David Swenson - Ujjayi breathing and bandhas.
Description | SAMPLE EXCERPT ONLY. PURCHASE DVD HERE: http://www.ashtanga.net/ http://www.amazon.com/Ashtanga-Yoga-Practice--First-Series-Swenson/dp/1891252143/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1336491186&sr=8-3
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Title | How to Breath in Ashtanga Yoga
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Title | Ashtanga Yoga - Interview with John Scott on Mysore Practice, Breath, Flexibility, Menstruation
Description | Join Stu Girling as he interviews John Scott at Palm Grove, in Ashwem beach Goa. Watch the demo mentioned in the interview here https://youtu.be/DXpqkh-Gc9w Some of the questions covered in the interview are: 1:23 Starting with Meditation before Suryanamaskars 9:25 The Three dimensional breath 11:53 Meaning of Free breathing 13:30 - Maintaining the rhythm of breath through practice 16:21 What breath count is considered too long 21:34 The three dimension breath explained 26:45 Free breathin...
Length | 0:45:17






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You can always go to the horse's mouth and pick up a copy of this:
Yoga Mala: The Original Teachings of Ashtanga Yoga Master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

It's not a book on yoga theory - it's a technical guide on how to execute all of the poses in the primary series. Even within this stripped down, secular context, the primary series layers are fascinating to me, and meaning and understanding within the poses are constantly evolving. You will read and re-read this book.

You'll notice with experienced and knowledgeable teachers, their verbal queues will reiterate some of technical aspects written in the book, but never all, because the text is pretty exacting in detail. Some of the specifications are hard AF to me, and require super human ability (transition of 9th vinyasa in upavishta konasana). I'll probably never be able to do some of that but it sure is fun trying to figure it out .

In my experience, given the differing ranges of ability with practitioners, the expectations of students by the teacher may vary (ie - not all students are conditioned enough to do vinyasas on each side of every seated postures, or the exercise of pick up asana as a stepping stone to jumping back from seated). This is done to make the practice accessible to a broader audience.

You'll deepen your practice by doing it at home.

I use the time at the studio in guided classes to get help and encouragement, reinforce the attention to detail (ritual, and consistency, and pace), and enjoy the company of other ashtangis.

I'm not in any hurry to get through the primary series, but once you burn through it, just know there are 5 more series to go.

I’m a beginner myself, only just over one year. If you don’t have access to a teacher, there are some really good tutorials that helped me:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gFg4o5Zg75k&list=PLpfKu0U8zxt5OEvjSidi4_srjLcwvDhQd&index=2&t=0s
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-Va_P61H9IY
Purple Valley overall has loads of great tutorials.

Also, David Guarrigues: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-Va_P61H9IY - Mark Darby demo shows beginner adjustments https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2MghjERHHG8 - David Swenson short forms are a good when you are a bit short of time (or strength 😊) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf4mjtnSA40 (this one is 30 min - there’s a longer one too).

On that note I found David Swenson practice manual really useful https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ashtanga-Yoga-Practice-David-Swenson/dp/1891252089/ as well as Gregor Mahele’s one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ashtanga-Yoga-Philosophy-Gregor-Maehle/dp/1577316061

It gets easier with time. Modify as needed. I still can’t do the 2 revolved ones you mention without modifying :) the important thing is the breath. Enjoy!

I hear you. I like to explore philosophy with a number of teachers in the lineage; one of my favorite weekend workshops was with Harmony Slater. She’s a joy and a wealth of knowledge.

I am lucky that I get to practice with Eddie. I may be a bit biased, but I really don’t know of any other books that so succinctly ties it all together at the right level of information blending both Eastern and Western schools of thought.

Book recos:

Here is my favorite translation of the Bhagavad Gita.

I also really like this interpretation of the Yamas and Niyamas.

And my favorite Yoga Sutras.

The closest I can think of in terms of modern day explanations is the Yamas and Niyamas book by Deborah Adele. It really is a nice, practical read.

David Swenson's Practice Manual is an excellent reference. I too came to Ashtanga with an established practice and struggled whether it was best to stay at a specific posture, to modify, or to skip and move on in the series (See Post). The even more difficult question was deciding if because I was able to do a posture, I should.

The lesson I learned was to stop setting expectations and competing with myself, to listen to my body and give myself permission to modify or not do a posture from day to day or minute to minute. It would have been so much easier if I'd had a teacher to lead me through the series, but the body is the greatest teacher. We gain all the benefits of yoga regardless of the postures we do or the modifications we make.

I try to get in a full practice whenever I can, but when that is not possible I use one of the short forms in David Swenson's Ashtanga Yoga book (linked below). I figure that some yoga is better than no yoga and the book includes 15, 30 and 45 minute version of the primary series. The rest of the book has fantastic insight into each pose of the beginner and intermediate series too. Good luck with your marathons!

http://www.amazon.com/Ashtanga-Yoga-Practice-David-Swenson/dp/1891252089/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396026720&sr=1-1&keywords=ashtanga+yoga+the+practice+manual+by+david+swenson

So far I've found my hugger mugger rug to be really good. It's all cotton like the others are suggesting.

You can use a small towel...but personally I think it's important to work the strength and flexibility up to do those stretches with the least amount of reliance on hands pulling together as possible.

One teacher you should absolutely check out is Richard Freeman, who studied with both Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois. I find him to be much more alignment focused than most Ashtanga teachers. His DVD is incredibly detailed and helpful.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of Guruji It's a great read and provides a wealth of information about the practice, including highlighting the difference between the way in which Indians are taught vs. Westerners. A big key is because oftentimes Western students have less active/physically demanding jobs so they can practice more strenuously, whereas Indian practitioners often have more physically demanding jobs and try not to over exert before a long working day.

this may get you started, lino miele has also written a book on the advanced series.. i would also deep dive through grimmly's blog as he taught himself the advanced series without a teacher, and figure out the materials he used. idk who you are however, but practicing beyond second or third without a teacher wouldn't be particularly advisable.

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edit: and why would you even want to do something like mulabandhasana, but mark robberds also shows much of third and some fourth

I wanna also throw in that this book is amazing too!

John Scott and Lino Miele are the original two 'western' teachers who learned the vinyasa count and documented it in the first book. All the poses are learned in Sanskrit. All the ancient yogic texts are written in Sanskrit (hatha yoga pradipika, sutras, etc). Pattabhi and his wife were Sanskrit scholars, as Mysore has a Sanskrit college there are a lot of people who work with Sanskrit in this city. And I'm guessing it evolved naturally when he started teaching to students who knew English to keep them in the practice without breaking the concentration. I wonder how he taught Indian students before the westerners came... Did he use english counts with them too?

I hang it all in the bathroom with a window open so it will air dry. Then I chuck it in a hamper. Then once a week I use Nathan sport wash ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000M4IVXM/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_dE8CzbWDNHHS9 -- sorry, on mobile) to do a load of yoga clothes only.

If I don't let the clothes air dry before I hamper them, they get so dank that doing laundry doesn't make them smell good again. They gotta be dry before going in the hamper.

In a pinch sometimes I sink-wash a set of yoga clothes just to get by if I am out of clean laundry but it's not laundry day yet somehow. I've also had to sink wash yoga mat towels a couple times this summer since I only own 3.

The Language of Yoga - Nicolai Bachman

(book includes audio on CD)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591792819/

There is this book about how the organ systems are effected by the ashtanga practice. I am a bit biased since I wrote it, but I backed all the information in it with scientific research from pubmed.com

If you could squeeze in some extra time in the evening (even while watching YouTube, Netflix etc.). Do Virasana, Baddha Konasana, and a low squat. As much time as you can spare - even just 30-60 seconds each(during commercials etc), You can also start with squat 2 minutes, Virasana (sit on a block if you need) 5-10 minutes, baddha konasana 10-20 minutes. Chairs were not too popular among the people who created yoga. Floor sitting will make a lot of yoga much easier. I use these. Timers.

A compilation of info related to Krishnamacharya's and links his digital work is available here:
http://krishanamcharysaoriginalashtanga.blogspot.com/2016/02/a-krishnamacharya-reading-list-with-pdf.html

There are links to the abridged excerpts from Yoga Rahasya broken down into the 4 chapters.

A slightly more reasonably priced english version:
https://www.amazon.com/Nathamunis-Yoga-Rahasya-T-Krishnamacharya/dp/B008015MOU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1509673538&sr=8-2&keywords=yoga+rahasya

I second u/All_Is_Coming as well, seeing as this is your first death be patient with yourself. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to process grief. If you're worried about it, you sound very normal to me. You may find that your yoga practice may drive you to tears in an emotional sense, it happens to me a lot actually. I assume this is pretty normal. Remember, we store our emotions in our bodies so when we use our bodies we release those feelings.


I recently read "Overcoming Trauma through Yoga" and found a lot of really useful information in there. Maybe you'll find it useful, too.