yoga

20

december 2018 / january 2019

yogajournal.com.sg

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Mysuru

Mysuru (Mysore), India

It is believed that yoga and its

meditative practice have been

around for 5,000 years. But while

Mysore is considered the home

of Ashtanga yoga (the traditional

style your go-to vinyasa class can

be traced back to), it wasn’t always

part of the city’s identity. Back when

India was under British rule, the

practice of yoga, along with other

Hindu customs, were unpopular,

even with the locals. Only in the

1930s did the Maharaja of Mysore

make a point of reviving ancient

traditions, such as yoga, and appoint

Krishnamacharya, now known

as the “Father of Modern Yoga,”

to cultivate the notion that yoga

promotes health. Krishnamacharya

began studying ancient texts at the

Mysore Palace library and discovered

Ashtanga, which he went on to

adapt to include the gymnastic-like

poses the style is now known for. The majority of his students

were young men including his wife’s brother, B.K.S. Iyengar,

and K. Pattabhi Jois, guru to many of today’s Ashtangis.

“To travel to Mysore is a seeker’s journey that sets your practice

on the firm ground of the tradition,” says Kino MacGregor, who

studied with Jois at the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute

and wrote The Power of Ashtanga Yoga. “There is something

that is hard to describe, a feeling, a sense of transcendence,

something deeply profound that happens in Mysore. It is

like each day peels a layer of yourself and opens your heart

up to more surrender, more authenticity.” In addition to

immersing yourself in yoga, she suggests trying a thali platter at

Dasaprakash in Gandhi Square, visiting the swami at Chamundi

Hill and its stunning Temple just outside Mysore, gaining a

better understanding of Ayurveda with Dr. Anil Kumar, who

teaches at Dexit Health Clinic & Research Center, and making a

point to pet and feed a cow or two.

TRAVEL

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