Arie Monroe
- Jan 27, 2019
- 2 min read

My Ashtanga Yoga Aspirations

So I been on my fitness journey for about 2.5 years. One year vegan with a little bit of slip ups. and when I first started my main goal was to just be able to be consistent. This summer I went back to doing something I always loved. Ashtanga Yoga. Back in 2003 I started Ashtanga at a yoga school called Maya Yoga in KCMO. I did it about 3 months once a week. At the time I was also doing the Atkins diet and I lost like 40 pounds. I thought the weight loss had to do with doing the Atkins diet, but now after returning to it, I don't believe it did.

This summer after starting Ashtanga on a regular bases i saw my body change a great deal in only a months time. I had already been vegan for a year and was not seeing a lot of fat loss or physical changes. But then I started yoga again about once a week plus some short sessions during the week. My hip pain went a way. I felt less stress and I just felt better over all. Even when trying to do Atkins in the past it didn't work. I couldn't lose anything. but i am wondering if the key ingredient wasn't just the diet and the long work out sessions. But actually incorporating one serious 1.5 hour yoga session of Ashtanga per week.

I guess i will see over the next 6 months just how this practice will evolve and benefit my body. My goal is to be able to do the beginner series and get into poses the way I use to, but with time maybe I can be even more.

One thing my fitness journey has taught me is that health really is the accumulation of good habits over time. Consistency is important. Working a little bit everyday. A little harder every week and taking lots of pictures to see the progress. I did a video of my sun salutations. I think I will do one a month to see how they change.