About Kaivalya

I've maintained a home yoga practice (dabbling in the occasional class) for 25 years. For 13 years, I was a full-time yoga teacher. Now I practise law.

This blog documents my exploration of the Ashtanga Primary Series, which I started in June of 2007, challenging myself to practice the Primary Series for 365 days in 2007 and 2008.

With that goal completed,  I challenged myself to practice yoga every. single. day. with flexibility to try different styles, teachers and formats (DVD, audio classes, online classes, home practice, live classes). I completed this goal on December 31, 2009.

I kept my 'yoga streak' going for another year, but in January of 2011 I decided to take a day off. I still practice almost every day, with a day off here and there.

For five months in 2010, I moved my practice to a yoga shala and practised Mysore-style (traditional Astanga self-practice with the assistance of two authorised teachers). I returned to my home practice late that summer. During a visit to the Darby's shala in Montreal in late August 2010, I was given the first 8 postures of the Intermediate Series. It was a huge adjustment, but I benefitted greatly from the more challenging practice of backbends.

In 2011, I started practising with a local teacher again at a non-traditional Mysore programme in my neighbourhood ('Shala Local'). I split my practice to Intermediate Series while I was there and I was practising the full series by the end of the year.

Then I disappeared. And then my life kind of imploded and

Currently, I practice at home. Mostly classical Hatha but I dabble in Astanga a couple times a week. I still meditate every day because it keeps me sane. I marvel at how long I've been at this. But I guess yoga never leaves you, even when you wander...

Trying to get in touch? Try Gmail: I'm 'reluctantashtangi' I really *do* enjoy hearing from people. If you're nice, I'll write back!

Namaste...