Plus, halfway through class, I’d feel tired; the practice lasts for about 90 minutes, which is lo…

Plus, halfway through class, I’d feel tired; the practice lasts for about 90 minutes, which is longer than any non-heated yoga classes and a long time to practice a sequence of challenging poses.

Despite—or maybe because of—how physically demanding Ashtanga practice can be, I’ve come to love it. I’m drawn to its graceful fluidity and the use of the Tristhana method, which combines asanas, Ujjayi pranayama (breath), and drishti (focused gaze). When I synchronize each movement with deep breathing, I find myself immersed in a moving meditation. When I hold a pose for five breaths or longer, gazing at one single point keeps my mind focused. “When you practice the Primary Series, first you’ll feel the changes on the physical level,” 78-year-old R. Saraswathi Jois, daughter of the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, an Indian teacher who popularized the Ashtanga practice and started the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in 1948, tells SELF. “But when you incorporate proper breathing and gazing, your mind becomes sharper, more controlled, and focused.”

The traditional way to practice Ashtanga is Mysore-style, where a group practices together with each person going at their own pace and an instructor assisting people as they go, rather than leading the class through a sequence. But during the pandemic, I’ve practiced alone in my apartment. This consistent practice is what I need to achieve both physical and mental progress.

Pursuing the practice can be daunting especially because living in