Living the Practice: Ashtanga Yoga with David Robson

“The depth of the practice can’t be seen in asana. Somebody that can do a backbend and grab onto their ankles isn’t going to be further ahead in their practice than somebody who has trouble forward bending. That doesn’t make a difference- that’s not what the practice is about.”

David Robson is a respected figure in Toronto’s yoga community. Aside from leading one of the world’s largest Mysore programs at the Ashtanga Yoga Centre of Toronto (AYCT), and being one of just nine authorized Mysore teachers in Canada, David also lives and breathes the meaning of his practice with authenticity and veracity. In this video, David discusses the background of Ashtanga Yoga and the meaning that it holds for him both as a teacher and practitioner.

David on the Meaning of Being a Teacher 

David describes the experience of being a teacher as an interesting one, and that he simply became a teacher because his teacher told him he could do it. From this simple yet life-changing statement, David, along with his team members, have created an extremely strong and passionate program. David believes that their strong Mysore program developed from the simple fact that they are all practitioners doing the same thing every morning, which speaks to its authenticity. For instance, we see David’s demonstrated dedication and passion to this program as he awakens to do his personal yoga practice at 3:00 a.m. David dedicates himself to his practice at this hour every morning, which he believes is a crucial component to being a teacher. He relates the experience of being a teacher to that of a parent, wherein you can’t expect your children to do something that you’re not willing to do, which can be quite common of a teacher-student relationship in the yoga community. David jokingly states that what makes him a teacher is that he gets up earlier than everyone else; “I do my practice first, and then I’m there to help (the students) go through their practice.” 

Accordingly, David’s family is completely dedicated to this lifestyle. Not only do they run the studio together, but his family arises at 5:00 a.m. to go to their studio and to inspire others through yoga. To this, David’s wife, Stan, says, (Especially the getting up early)...”it definitely shapes who you are as you have to make choices in the rest of your life that will affect it.” The passion for yoga and cultivation of intent is also present in his daughter, Mercedes: “I wouldn’t have started doing yoga if it weren’t for my father. I like the consistency of it and how it grounds you.” This familial connection to yoga and to this lifestyle is grounded in thousands of years of tradition, which was also evident in the practice and lifestyle of the late Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) and his family.

Mysore Roots and Tradition 

At AYCT, practitioners and students are committed to Mysore style and tradition. Mysore, sometimes referred to as "Ashtanga city", is a city in India and was also the home to the world famous Ashtanga yoga teacher, Pattabhi Jois (Guruji). Guruji had a captivating life, which consisted of providing his students and yoga practitioners with commitment, consistency, and integrity through their practice. Evidently, this practice lives on through many of Guruji's students, as well as his family members. After seven decades of continuous teaching, Guruji left the institute to his daughter, R. Saraswathi and his grandson, Sharath. While Saraswathi (Guruji's daughter) remains a consistent presence at the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute, Sharath Jois is Guruji's only student who has studied and continues to practice the complete six series of the Ashtanga yoga system.

When Sharath Jois first embarked on his yoga study at the age of 19, he would arise at 3:30 every morning to practice and subsequently assist his grandfather and guru at his shala in the city of Mysore. Today, similar to David's lifestyle, Sharath Jois awakens at 1:00 a.m. to complete his practice before his students arrive at the Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute. 

Mysore style allows the students to practice in the same room, without practicing the series “together.” To summarize, in Mysore yoga, you practice the yoga series as the teacher gave it to you, which may be in a different stage of the series than the student practicing beside you. This focus on the individual practice is an integral component of Ashtanga yoga and allows each student to develop his/her individual practice both on and off the mat. This style also allows for a one on one relationship between the instructor and each student, which can be traced back to Guruji's relationship with his students. This close student-teacher alliance is also experienced by AYCT students.

It’s very much a student-teacher relationship, but sometimes your feelings and emotions come up when you’re in vulnerable positions. It’s very easy to be yourself with David. He’s very loving and doesn’t judge- it’s hard to find people where you can just be yourself.” -Anna Chao, student, AYCT.

Intention and Focus: On and Off the Mat

Applying the Tradition to Practice and Lifestyle

“We try to build the concentration muscles so that we can concentrate off of the mat, as well.”

As previously mentioned, David’s integration of the history of Ashtanga Yoga and of Mysore stems from Guruji's teachings and dedication to the practice. David particularly integrates the importance of Dharana, or concentration, into his practice and lifestyle, which is the 6th limb in Ashtanga yoga. He refers to concentration as a muscle, as we’re always applying it to our experience and building it. David’s analogy between building a table and building ourselves confirms that yoga is not about the poses that you’re doing, but has particular focus on the attention that you apply to your practice. This analogy corresponds closely with one of Guruji's famous quotes, "Yoga is 99 percent practice and 1 percent theory."

David shares the following analogy that represents the importance of practice, “if you were building a table every morning and were going to build it for the next 10 years, at first, you’re not going to be very good at building it; but over time, you’ll get better. In Ashtanga, you’re building the same table from day 1 that you’re building 10 years down the road. It’s not about what we’re building- it’s about doing it and applying your attention to what it is that you’re doing.

For David, applying this concentration to what he does means being able to take a step back from everything that is going on, and to allow his attention to broaden. This is the focus he builds throughout his practice and applies to his life. 

“Because of the energy that he gives in the (practice) room, he has to be really focused about the energy that he gives in other parts of his life, which makes him very focused about giving energy into his family life.” -Stan Byrne, Davids wife.

What David finds striking is the abundance of wisdom that has been passed down for thousands of years through this tradition. On a personal level, he finds an immense amount of value in following the true practice as closely as he can trace it's roots. In terms of what the practice ultimately brings, David says he is still learning. “I’m still on the path. I can’t tell you where you get to, because I’m not there yet.”