👋 John Berlinsky

"Take refuge in your practice" is the answer an old friend of mine would give to the endless questions I would ask him about yoga. He would repeat that over and over, "take refuge in your practice" regardless of what the question was.

When I think about yoga, I often return to that concept: practice as offering a refuge. It might be a refuge from the complexity of the external world, or the intricacies of our own internal landscape. I began practicing Ashtanga in the '90's and was quickly taken with the depth, challenge, and continuously evolving nature of it. Traditional Ashtanga is the root vinyasa practice. It's design offers an experience of balance and counterbalance, a pranayama practice in motion and, at its essence, a moving meditation. It is truly a practice of releasing Samskara: unwinding the conditioned patterns of movement, thought, emotion, and spirit that we often find ourselves bound in.

Mysore Style Ashtanga is individually instructed, as opposed to the familiar group led class. In Mysore class, everyone practices at their own pace as the teacher moves around the room working with each person. This gives the opportunity to address specific needs, offer variations, and create a level of practice that's appropriate for the individual. For those new to Mysore practice, you don't need to know the asana sequences or be at any specific level. You will be shown what to do for your entire practice and slowly build it over time. This individualized instruction is an inclusive and unique experience for each person, while being supported by the collective energy of the room.

I'm authorized by the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute of Mysore, India where I've made 5 extended trips over the years. I've been teaching over 20 years and continue to study many forms of yoga, philosophy, Sanskrit, and the movement and understanding of the physical body. The gift of teaching for me is supporting each person's experience of practice, and facilitating the depth, transformation, and healing power that yoga has to offer.