Masterclass 01 · August 23, 2026

The Mind of
the Practitioner

Name: The Mind of the Practitioner: Why Some Days Feel Effortless and Others Feel Impossible
Start: 2026-08-23T08:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-08-23T12:30:00-04:00
Location: The Yoga Shala

Why Some Days Feel Effortless and Others Feel Impossible

A complete morning of Mysore practice, thoughtful discussion, personal reflection, and a deeper exploration of the mind we bring to the mat.

Reserve Your Place Explore the Course

Students practicing Ashtanga Yoga at The Yoga Shala

Part One

Mysore with Krista

8:00–10:00 AM

Part Two

The Mind of the Practitioner

10:30 AM–12:30 PM

Complete Course

$85

Mysore + Masterclass

The ever-changing practice

Every practitioner has experienced it.

Nothing changed...
except everything.

One day your practice feels light, focused, and almost effortless. The next day the very same postures feel heavy, frustrating, or completely unfamiliar.

This masterclass explores one of the most overlooked aspects of Ashtanga Yoga: the mind we bring to our practice. Together, we'll investigate how fear, expectations, comparison, confidence, stress, and trust quietly influence the way we move, breathe, and experience every posture.

The reality is that practice is never static. It changes as our bodies change, our lives change, and our minds change. Learning to understand those fluctuations—rather than resist them—is one of the most important skills we can develop as practitioners.

Rather than trying to “fix” difficult days, we'll learn how to better understand them—and discover how curiosity often becomes a far more powerful teacher than perfection.

One complete morning

Practice first.
Then explore what practice reveals.

This course brings together two connected experiences: a traditional Mysore practice with Krista followed by an interactive masterclass exploring the mental patterns that influence what happens on the mat.

Students practicing Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga at The Yoga Shala

01

Mysore with Krista

8:00–10:00 AM

In Mysore style, each student is taught individually within the shared classroom setting. You practice the portion of the Ashtanga sequence you have learned, at a pace appropriate for your body and experience, while Krista moves throughout the room offering personal instruction.

The Ashtanga method synchronizes breath with a progressive series of postures. Students are able to develop at their own pace and according to their individual needs rather than trying to match the speed or practice of anyone beside them.

Ashtanga Yoga teaching and discussion at The Yoga Shala

02

The Mind of the Practitioner

10:30 AM–12:30 PM

Following practice, we'll gather to investigate the thoughts, expectations, fears, and emotional responses that can make the same practice feel completely different from one day to the next.

This interactive session creates space for guided discussion, personal reflection, optional journaling, questions, and practical examples drawn directly from the morning's Mysore experience.

!

Mysore practice and the masterclass are offered together as one complete course. Registration includes both sessions; they cannot be purchased separately.

Individual Ashtanga Yoga instruction at The Yoga Shala

What we'll explore

The mind is part of every posture.

Together we'll examine the mental habits that affect the way we breathe, move, respond to challenge, and interpret our experience of practice.

Why practice naturally changes from day to day

Why progress is rarely linear

Understanding fear without allowing it to control practice

Fear of falling, pain, injury, inversions, and progression

Learning to distinguish intuition from fear

Comparison, attachment, and unrealistic expectations

What happens to the breath when we feel stressed or afraid

Trusting the process instead of chasing perfect practices

Practicing with curiosity instead of judgment

What to expect

An interactive conversation—not simply a lecture.

The goal isn't to provide simple answers, but to begin seeing our practice—and ourselves—with greater clarity.

01

Guided Discussion

Thoughtful teaching and conversation about the ideas and patterns that influence practice.

02

Personal Reflection

Space to examine your own experiences, responses, expectations, and habits of mind.

03

Optional Journaling

An opportunity to put your observations into words and recognize recurring themes more clearly.

04

Questions & Conversation

Practical examples and discussion drawn from the morning's Mysore practice and your own questions.

You'll leave with

A healthier relationship with the natural ups and downs of practice.

Instead of trying to eliminate fear or force confidence, you'll learn how to recognize the mental habits that shape your practice and respond to them with greater awareness.

Whether you're working through an injury, approaching a challenging posture, navigating self-doubt, or simply wondering why your practice feels different from one day to the next, you'll leave with practical tools for developing a healthier relationship with fear, expectation, and the ever-changing nature of practice.

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Join Krista for practice, reflection, and a deeper understanding of the practitioner behind the practice.

Space is limited so that the Mysore room remains personal and the masterclass leaves room for meaningful conversation, reflection, and individual questions.

$85 Complete course registration

Date Sunday, August 23, 2026

Mysore 8:00–10:00 AM

Break 10:00–10:30 AM

Masterclass 10:30 AM–12:30 PM

Location The Yoga Shala · Maitland

Register for the Course

Registration includes both Mysore practice and the masterclass. The sessions must be purchased together.

The Yoga Shala is a body movement studio with a specialized approach, customizing each client's class experience, based on their goals and needs. Our goal is to foster a lighthearted, non-dogmatic, warm and encouraging environment.