My Practice Is My Sanctuary: Why Ashtanga Yoga Heals More Deeply Than Americanized Yoga

Not all yoga heals the same way.
While contemporary, Americanized yoga often focuses on fitness, flexibility, and performance, Ashtanga Yoga is a living, breathing meditation — a path of discipline, devotion, and self-discovery.

It’s not trendy or flashy. It’s not about playlists, colorful lights, or teacher-led choreography.
It’s about returning to your mat every day — learning to breathe through discomfort, anchor the mind in the present, and cultivate resilience from within.

That’s why I call my practice my sanctuary.
It’s where I meet myself again and again — raw, real, and healing.

When I began practicing yoga, I tried everything.
Hot yoga. Power yoga. Restorative flows.
Each had its purpose, but something was missing.

I was looking for more than a workout — I was seeking transformation.
After years of struggling with anxiety, addiction, and the long-term effects of trauma, I discovered Ashtanga Yoga — and it completely changed my life.

But I’ll be honest — Ashtanga isn’t always easy.
It has a reputation for being rigid, demanding, even “military” in tone. And unfortunately, some teachers take that discipline to extremes, creating an environment that feels unwelcoming or unsafe. I experienced this myself for more years than I’d like to admit.

Yet that approach isn’t the true heart of the practice.
Ashtanga Yoga, in its traditional form, is a method of liberation — not domination.
It’s about healing, not hierarchy.
And when taught with compassion and sensitivity, it becomes one of the most trauma-informed, empowering forms of yoga there is.

Understanding Trauma-Informed Yoga (TIY)

The four key themes of trauma-informed yoga are:

1. Experiencing the present moment

2. Making choices

3. Taking effective action

4. Creating rhythms

These principles naturally arise within the structure of traditional Ashtanga Yoga, especially when practiced in its self-led (Mysore-style) format.

In Mysore-style practice, you move at your own pace — guided by your breath, your body, and your awareness — while the teacher observes and supports quietly.
This approach restores agency and safety, allowing students to develop body awareness and self-trust — key aspects of trauma recovery.

Three Reasons Ashtanga Heals Deeper Than Contemporary Yoga

1. Ashtanga is Self-Led, Not Teacher-Led

In contemporary classes, students often rely on constant external instruction — flow sequences, music, verbal cues.
In Ashtanga, you’re encouraged to memorize your practice over time, internalizing it until it becomes your moving meditation.
This turns the experience inward — activating mindfulness, interoception (awareness of inner sensations), and autonomy.
It’s your breath, your body, your rhythm.

2. It’s Built on Tristhana — The Foundation of Presence

Tristhana means the union of three focal points:

• Breath (Pranayama) — steady, conscious, rhythmic

• Posture (Asana) & Energy Locks (Bandhas) — strength and flexibility balanced through discipline

• Gaze (Drishti) — directing your attention towards a gazing point

Together with Bandhas (energetic locks) and Mudra (intentional gestures), these elements regulate your nervous system, build focus, and create a state of embodied meditation.
In trauma recovery, this helps the mind re-learn safety and the body re-establish trust.

3. Ashtanga Honors Devotion, Discipline, and Depth

Unlike Americanized yoga, which often prioritizes accessibility and trend, Ashtanga asks for commitment — not perfection.
It teaches that healing isn’t avoiding pain, but learning to stay with it.
The repetition, structure, and discipline create resilience, while devotion softens the edges into grace.

A true Ashtanga teacher embodies these principles:
They have a daily sadhana, read wisdom texts, and have done their own inner healing to guide others from a place of compassion and experience — not control.
They celebrate their students’ growth rather than gatekeep it.

Why Ashtanga Is My Sanctuary

Ashtanga gives you a structure strong enough to hold your chaos.
It teaches you that you are capable of more than you believe, and that peace doesn’t come from escaping discomfort — it comes from meeting it with grace.

This is why Ashtanga Yoga has become my sanctuary — and why I believe it’s one of the most powerful paths for women healing from trauma or on the path of recovery.

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If this message resonates with you — if you’re ready to go deeper into your healing and understand how yoga can truly transform your mind, body, and relationships — I’d love to stay connected.

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Your practice can become your sanctuary too.

By Mandi Gardner