Sarah on Scene: Insights from a miami training with Kino MacGregor
Our own Sarah Crake went to Miami earlier this month to attend Kino MacGregor’s 5-day Assisting School. She put together this thoughtful piece on her visit, filled with helpful links and sweet insights. Read on for practical tips, personal reflections, and a deeper look into the experience of learning from one of the leading figures in Ashtanga Yoga.
Discovering Ashtanga Yoga
Kino MacGregor was one of the first people to introduce me to Ashtanga Yoga. I discovered her lessons on YouTube while working as an apprentice at the National Theater Institute (NTI) in Waterford, CT. Every month I chose a new "30 Day Challenge" to follow. Kino's sequences stood out to me—they were fundamental, yet challenging, building on each other in a familiar way. I soon realized that the yoga I had been practicing all along at NTI was rooted in Ashtanga!
Deepening My Practice with Kino
Five years into my formal Ashtanga practice and just beginning to understudy and assist at Mysore Yoga Philadelphia, I thought it was time to take a trip. In the first week of June, I spent four days under the watchful eyes of Kino and her assistants in Mysore, dedicating 15 hours to learning adjustment theory, etiquette, and hands-on applications. Under Kino’s guidance, I developed reflections that will stay with me on my yoga journey:
Five Principal Takeaways
You Da Boss
As a practitioner, you are in charge of your practice. The assistant or teacher is there to support, not perform the practice for you. Even at KPJAYI/SYC, the Ashtanga headquarters in India, students may declare "self-doing today" to work on a posture or sequence independently, and this choice is always respected.
Responsibility of the Teacher/Assistant
It is the teacher's responsibility to foster a secure environment and build a culture of trust and consent, which is always revocable. Being present in someone's practice involves observing, asking questions, and avoiding assumptions. Let the student try first, then offer support, and always feel empowered to say "I'm not available for that" if an adjustment is beyond your scope.
Purpose of Physical Adjustments
Physical adjustments are useful because verbal instructions can be misinterpreted. For instance, "Lead with the heart" is a beautiful phrase but may mean something different to each person, whereas "Lift the sternum" is precise. Adjustments help execute the asana correctly, correct unhealthy alignment, or prevent injury. In strengthening poses, allowing students to "find the work" on their own can teach valuable lessons beyond the physical aspect.
Rest & Reflect
Do take rest days and spend time reflecting on your relationship to Moon Days, Mysore (the place), the legacy of Patthabi Jois (both good and bad), and menstruation breaks. Sort out the connection for yourself. I admired how Kino not once forced her own journey to be anyone else's.
Building a Sitting Practice
Incorporate five minutes of sitting or meditating into your practice after rest to build the habit of a sitting practice. Hold an awareness of how often or how many times you move. (I lost count during our midweek Moon Day Meditation!)
Kino MacGregor: Humble and Relatable
Beyond my reflections, I felt a real connection with Kino. She is a generous, lively, funny, and devoted teacher and practitioner. Despite the Mysore room being packed with 80-100 people every morning, by day three, she was calling us by name, even though most of us had forgotten our name tags. Kino understood that many of us were there to see "HER," yet she positioned herself as just another person in the room, another person on the path. Her humility and ability to put others at ease are what draw many students to her.
Practical Tips for Your Miami Trip
If you decide to go: Miami was HOT. Parking at the Shala is easy (and free on certain streets), but Ubering can be pricey. Find a place with laundry or be prepared to hand-wash after every practice! The beaches are gorgeous. I also took classes with Paige Morency (Third Series Exploration, part two in the fall ONLINE! TBD) and Alan Biasi (Yin! Here's his playlist!). Or, skip the airfare and visit Kino at Philadelphia Ashtanga Yoga this October!
See you on the mat!
-Crake
