Skelly over at “The Only Ashtangi in the Village,” wants to put together a booklet of female perspectives and personal experiences with ashtanga yoga. I think this has the potential to be quite enlightening and hilarious! Here’s her call for submissions:
I was thinking this afternoon about the female perspective of Ashtanga and it is in many ways quite different, yet very rarely discussed except on the blogosphere. What I would love to do is put together a booklet with insights from female practictioners, they do not have to be gems of wisdom although that would be good too and can be as irreverant/rude (within reason) as you want. I think it would be amazing to have something that shared insights on Ashtanga and dating (how to lose a date when you have an early practice) ashtanga and pregancy (not easy) breastfeeding (shoulder stand becomes suffocating pose) your most embarrasing varting story, mine was with John Scott who just said mula bandha mula bandha, I had given birth to no 3 two months before and was sure I had left my mula bandha in the hospital……and so on. If any one would like to contribute any funny stories or tips email me on northumberlandyoga at gmail dot com you can have your name included or do be listed in the booklet as anon. If you think any one you know would be interested in contributing email this to them, thankyou xxxx
I think there is so much to be said about the adult woman’s experience of a practice that was, after all, originally developed for teenage Indian boys (possibly hyperactive, hyperflexible ones!). I wonder if the yogis of the past imagined the thoughts that run through a woman’s mind when in shoulderstand: Oh my God, is my belly really that big? Why are my boobs hanging down around my neck? Or the discomfort of sitting with your heel under your perineum in Janusirsana B when you’ve had a couple of kids and a couple of episiotomies?
If you have anything to contribute, please email Skelly at the address above!
