Ashtanga Mela

A week of Ashtanga Yoga with David Williams, David Swenson, and Danny Paradise.
David Williams has over forty years of daily yoga practice. He taught David and Danny along with many other foundational yoga teachers. David brought Pattabhi Jois (Guruji, the father of Ashtanga Yoga) and his son Manju Jois to the states introducing yoga to America.
David Swenson started yoga at the age of 16 and is one the most widely known and respected yoga instructors of our day. His book, Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual and his DVD's are responsible for making Ashtanga Yoga accessible to the masses.
Danny Paradise found yoga when his love affair with music and traveling brought him to Hawaii. There he met and studied with David Williams. Danny uses his traveling experiences to fuse Shamanism and yoga. He brought Ashtanga Yoga to many celebrities such as Sting and Madonna making yoga a household word in the west.

All three have traveled and studied extensively in India with Pattabhi Jois and have so many amazing stories. I highly recommend attending anything you may see offered by these living legends.

Here are some standout points from the lips of these living yogis:

• here's a challenge: how much fun can you possibly have in one lifetime?
• continue being fascinated and curious about your practice
• daily practice is crucial 
• yoga is about aging gracefully and free of pain
• how can you make the posture feel the best it can
• what feels good is good, what hurts is hurting you
• you can't make something hurt less by hurting yourself
• you should feel energized after your practice
• energy will heal you
• stay in the "om zone"
• you have a choice of comfort or pain in each pose
• 1mm past pain is tearing- tearing creates scar tissue and uses all of your energy to heal that instead of spreading throughout the body and blocks flexibility
• feeling good is the ultimate high
• most flexible person has no advantage and the least flexible person has no disadvantage
• make the practice a moving meditation using breath and bandhas
• concentration is dualistic, meditation is non-dualistic
• yoga is fun, but walking is really fun- your yoga should not hurt you
• all the yoga teachers in India start the day with coffee- YES :)
• practice 5 days a week and take yoga holidays (full/new moon)
• at least do the daily minimum (3 sun A's, 3 sun B's, 3 finishing poses)
• yoga shows us our weak points and our strong points
• asana practice actually changes the structure of our body
• limited knowledge and great enthusiasm in teachers is dangerous *there are bad teachers out there, be careful
• every moment is an opportunity to make positive change
• yoga is the space between thoughts, no thinking during practice
• ashtanga is not for everyone, it's for anyone...who wants to do it
• be satisfied with your own practice and know it changes daily
• the only way to find out about a place is to go out there and experience it for yourself
• too much awareness in alignment causes injury, not enough awareness in alignment causes injury
• you're ready to teach when you have students
• an educated student is a threat to a bad teacher
• it's not about how many students you have, but about how many masters you create
• yoga is a community service and a lifestyle 
• questions are the quest, nothing rests in the answers 
• practice outside
• you're not scared to die when you know each day you're living your life's purpose
• if you chase it, it runs from you. increase yoga, increase magnetism 
• Shiva takes care of his own. you're the only one who really knows the truth and depth of your practice

"First series, very good. Second series, very very good. Third and fourth series,  ooooh just for demonstration."
"Practice yoga and all is coming" -Guruji

David Williams conversation when he would "interview" new students for his yoga classes in Hawaii:
(insert southern accent)
You're not ready for yoga. This yoga will change your life. Are you ready to give up your life as you know it? Your girlfriend? oooh boy, if she doesn't practice yoga, you may not want to stay with her. You ready for that? You'll end up quitting your job, you're whole life as you know it will change.

 OM
Vande Gurunam Caranaravinde
Sandarsita Svatmasukhava Bodhe
Nisreyase Jangalikayamane
Samsara Halahala Mohasantyai

Abahu Purusakram
Sankhacakrasi Dharinam
Sahasra Sirasam Svetam
Pranamami Patanjalim
OM


-I honor all the teachers that have come before me to pass on this sacred tradition-

Thank you David, David, Danny, Kripalu, and the whole Ashtanga community.
Now go out and have as much FUN as possible!
*~*cheers- namaste- aloha- mahalo*~*