Ashtanga Yoga: From Practice to Purpose

Sep 20

Most of us seek spiritual meaning in our lives. We may not realize this at first, but at some point as we go through life, the need becomes indisputable. What may not be so obvious is how to fulfill the longings of the spirit.

What can we do?

There are many ways to find glimpses of our souls. Magical moments that stand out and define our lives. But yoga is one of the clearer paths that we can follow.

Yoga gives us techniques by which we can awaken or uncover our spirituality. We are spiritual beings but there are perceptual blocks to our realization of this truth.

Yoga is a way of removing the obstacles to our perceiving our true essence. Yoga brings radical transformation. Concentrating on the breath as we move through postures focuses the mind and channels our energy. With consistent practice, purifying from the inside out, our purpose becomes self-evident.

The Ashtanga yoga practice can be intense. Through it you may encounter your deepest fears and be pushed to the limits of physical and mental endurance. You will come face to face with being absolutely present.

I guarantee you will surpass your preconceptions of what you are capable of.

You will find that practicing Ashtanga yoga brings good health, strength, flexibility, and energy. You will notice that you maintain equanimity in dealing with life’s adversities. The spiritual benefits will come as well—through practice over time.

Through practice, the mind is progressively purified and refined.

We become capable of understanding more subtle truths. We find that what we are seeking is internal and that we can’t find happiness through searching outside of ourselves because it’s just not there to find.

From practice, everything follows. From practice, the non essential falls away. From practice, we can eventually experience the true Self. We will experience our connection to the Universe; we will find our purpose in life.

Practice with Didi

Didi von Deck

When Didi von Deck first started Ashtanga yoga, three weeks after her third child was born, she recognized that Ashtanga is not like any yoga she had ever done before.

After her first class, she found herself trying to get more yoga into her life. Despite the challenges of raising her family and her busy orthopedic practice, she eventually started a daily practice under Kate O’Donnell and she has studied with David Swenson, Nancy Gilgoff, David Williams, and Richard Freeman. She completed both 200 and 300 hour teacher trainings with Rolf Gates in order to further her understanding of how yoga works its magic. She travels to India frequently to study Ashtanga yoga with the Jois family, and is authorized by Saraswathi. While in India, she continues her studies of Sanskrit, chanting, and yoga philosophy, and she takes time to work with the Odanadi Seva Trust, an organization that works to rescue, rehabilitate, reintegrate and empower trafficked and sexually exploited women and children (Yoga Stops Traffick).