Ashtanga

I definitely find Ashtanga to be a difficult practice. I am a type A personality that likes to be challenged, but I would still shy away from Ashtanga as a practice, especially at this point in time. I feel as though Ashtanga should be a secondary practice. You should start with a practice like Iyengar first, where you will be taught how to do each asana correctly, and where as a beginner you can gradually progress to the more difficult asanas. In Ashtanga you delve into difficult positions right away, and many of the binds it would probably take me years before I was even able to come close to doing them. I also felt that they didn't have enough progression built in to deal with individuals who have never practiced yoga before. There isn't a move that beginners can do in place of the more difficult one to help them progress to the difficult one. One thing I will say about Ashtanga is it definitely heats up your body quickly. I was actually able to get deeper into my downward dog and forward folds than I usually can because my muscles were warmed up quickly. Ashtanaga has a much faster pace to it than I thought it would have as well, it almost feels like your are rushing through the practice. In summation, Ashtanga isn't for the first time yogan, its a practice that needs to be worked up to. Once you get to the level of Ashtanga, it can take you beyond what you thought physically possible.