After a series of intense gym workouts left us unable to bend or move like we used to, we decided to seek out something a bit friendlier to the muscles and joints, yet still challenging.
We found the workout we were looking for at Old Town Yoga in Fort Collins, where we practiced a modified form of Ashtanga yoga, which focuses on synchronizing breath and postures while increasing concentration through meditation. And we are glad that we did because we were rejuvenated and able to move in ways we could only imagine just hours before.
Who it’s for: The afternoon modified Ashtanga class is for people interested in building on their yoga experience and it moves at a fast clip, so it’s not for beginners. At 75 minutes, the class isn’t long enough to encompass all Ashtanga sequences, so the instructor modifies them based on the skill level of the participants.
What it’s like: Because the class is held during lunch hour and some of the participants are coming from jobs or running errands, the first task is clearing the mind and preparing the body for the workout ahead with meditation and making “om” sounds that resonate throughout the studio.
To assist in the meditation process, instructor Carol J. McDaniel guides her students through sun salutations, surya namaskara; a sequence that includes a mini push-up in chaturanga dandasana; and lengthening the body in one of the more well-known yoga positions, downward-facing dog.
“Because this is the first downward dog of the day, feel free to walk your dog,” McDaniel says to her students, as she encourages them to stretch their calves and work out the built-up tension.
Once students have loosened up, they transition into standing asanas, which include postures that open the body with a slight twist while reaching one hand on the ground and the other toward the ceiling in utthita trikonasana, or extended triangle pose. Another posture, which requires a bit more flexibility, is prasarita padottanasana, where students spread their legs in a straddle position while hinging at the waist in a forward bend and stretching to touch their heads to the ground.
As the class draws to a close, students advance into more difficult positions that require a bit more flexibility, such as the sequence in which they move from a backbend into a seated position where the head rests on the knees while the hands clasp the feet. They then move to salamba sarvangasana as they lie on their backs while bringing their feet toward the sky in a shoulder stand, and finally into halasana, or plow, where the legs bend completely over the head and the hands move away from the body.
After working through a couple of handstands, McDaniel instructs her students to relax their bodies by having them lie on their mats, eyes closed and bodies completely relaxed in savasana, known as the “corpse pose.” After a few minutes of reflecting on the classroom experience, McDaniel awakens her students and sends them on their way.
Advice: Arrive early, especially if you are new to the class, so you can introduce yourself to the instructor and meet the other students.
If you don’t have your own mat and blanket, you can borrow them from the studio.
The morning after: Ashtanga class helped me regain some flexibility I thought I had lost in recent workouts. And I wasn’t sore.
Details: Ashtanga classes at Old Town Yoga, 237 1/2 Jefferson St. in Fort Collins, are held at 8 a.m. Sundays and 12:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Information: 970-222-2777 or .
