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people peeling their mats off the floor and rushing to the door washes over the few
students that remain on their backs. Within less than five minute only a handful of
students remain and they too are shooed away by the entrance of a volunteer pushing a
mop and bucket ready to prepare for the following class. The situation in the men‟s
changing room is quite different from the experience of the female students. There are
only two showers for the men but seeing as there are never that many men in the classes
they won‟t be waiting too long. For the ladies however, there are three showers serving a
lot of women. I was told that tensions sometimes rise when dealing with the queue for the
shower and if you take too long in the shower you may become the victim of some verbal
abuse. Such was the case, as it was reported to me, for two young female students who
were taking their time, chatting and trading hair products, who were scolded by an
enraged woman awaiting her turn for the shower.
The majority of the classes are well attended and the studio seems to have a
young student base. On the whole, Moksha‟s popularity is based on the fact that they
offer a very contemporary style. The classes are fairly dynamic and postures are held
only for an average of thirty seconds. Apart from Moksha style yoga, the studio also
offers one Ashtanga class per week and a few Power Flow classes, which place more
emphasis on muscular training. The classes are all either an hour or an hour and a half.
The convenience of the schedule is hard to beat; everyday classes follow one after the
other from 7am till 10:30pm. Students come in, sweat for an hour with other almost
naked students, shower and then run off to continue their day. This is illustrated by the
fact that the relaxation is right at end of the class, and most students head for the showers
immediately: Moksha Yoga is a busy studio for busy people.
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Sattva Yoga Shala (Ashtanga Yoga)
Unlike Moksha Yoga, Ashtanga-Vinyasa Yoga (commonly known as Ashtanga
Yoga) claims a long history rooted in ancient Indian practices. This dynamic and physical
style was founded by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009) of Karnataka state, in Southern
India. Although it is difficult to pinpoint the exact moment when the Ashtanga Yoga we
find today was crafted, two dates are of significance. First, in 1948 Jois founded in his
Mysore home the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute “with the aim of experimenting with
the curative aspect of yoga” (Jois, xviii). An extension, including a practice hall, was only
added to the house in 1964 (Jois, xviii). The second is 1962, which saw the Indian
publication of Jois‟ treatise Yoga Mala, written in the Indian language of Kannada. This
is the only book published by Jois and outlines the philosophy and practice of Ashtanga
Yoga. The organization of the book reflects Jois‟ focus on practice. The book contains a
short introduction which defines and describes yoga. Most of the book is a detailed
account of the sequence and postures of Ashtanga Yoga.
Jois‟ use of the term “ashtanga” refers to the eight-fold yoga system of Patanjali.
The use of term suggests a connection between Jois‟ asana (posture) based yoga practice
and the ancient the yoga system of India. This is in many ways a continuation of Jois‟
master‟s mission of reviving the practice of asanas in the light of the Patanjali tradition.
T. Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) trained Jois while the latter was studying at the
Maharaja‟s Sanskrit College in Mysore. Krishnamacharya was an orthodox scholar and
champion for the revival cause of yogasanas (postures). His particular style of teaching
was said to be based on the mysterious text Yoga Karunta. The text, taught to
Krishnamacharya during his seven years in Nepal by his master there, has never been
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seen, read or translated. Even Jois has sometimes expressed doubt about its existence.
Krishnamacharya makes no reference to it in his two books Yoga Makaranda (1935) and
Yogasanalagu (1941), nor has it been transcribed by any of his students (Singleton 2010,
p.184). The official story is that the text was composed by the mythical sage Vamana,
and then taught by Rammohan Bhramacari to Krishnamacharya, who then transmitted the
method to Jois. Jois has maintained the claim that all the details regarding postures,
sequence, vinyasas and counting are provided in the Yoga Karunta (Jois 2002, p. xvii). It
should be noted that Krishnamacharya did not use the term “Ashtanga” to describe the
style taught to Jois. The name “was applied to the system only after the arrival of the first
American students... Prior to this, Jois had simply referred to his teaching as “asana””
(Singleton 2010, p.186).
Montreal has two Ashtanga studios and the one in which I did my field work was
founded by direct disciples of Pattabhi Jois. The studio is called Sattva Yoga Shala
(“purity yoga hall”) and was established around 2003. The founding couple, AT1 and his
wife, first met Jois in Mysore in 1979; since then they have made several return trips and
kept in contact with Jois until his death in 2009. The studio consists of two equally large
halls. Upon entering the studio, students find a large square hall with a high ceiling. This
hall is an all-purpose room that functions as reception, boutique and lounge (there is a
coffee table with books and two couches). The boutique offers a selection of books on
various yogic subjects. The walls are decorated with modern paintings of Hindu deities
made by one of the teachers. AT1 allows the artist/teacher to showcase his artwork in the
studio and the paintings are available for purchase. Above the reception desk there is a
framed portrait of Pattabhi Jois. The changing rooms are located on the floor above and
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