Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga Therapy

Your Mindful Wellness Practice with Christina Martini

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. Ashtanga Yoga Therapy is a mindful, structured approach to movement, breath, and awareness. My intention is to help you connect deeply with your body, mind, and life, while supporting healing, wellness, and overall vitality—one breath and one posture at a time.

What You Can Expect

• Breath and Movement Together: Every inhale and exhale nourishes and guides your body.

• Mindful Alignment: Postures are done with awareness, supporting safety, mobility, and balance.

• Therapeutic Benefits: Gentle, progressive practice designed to support your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

• Your Own Pace: Move in a way that honors your body and its unique needs—there’s no comparison here, only presence.

Core Principles

• Breath as Life: Let your breath energize, calm, and release tension.

• Awareness and Presence: Notice what your body is telling you. Observe alignment, energy, and sensations with gentle attention.

• Patience and Self-Respect: Respect your limits, honor your effort, and approach each posture with care.

• Integration: Every posture, pause, and breath is a chance to strengthen holistic health and mindful presence.

Benefits of Practice

• Builds strength, flexibility, and balance

• Enhances body awareness, posture, and coordination

• Supports mental clarity, emotional resilience, and calm focus

• Encourages overall health, wellness, and vitality

• Promotes self-care and presence in everyday life

Your practice is your own. Whether your approach is spiritual, secular, or purely for wellness, every moment on the mat is an opportunity to breathe, move, restore, and fully experience life.

The Role of the Teacher

• I guide appropriately and respectfully

• I offer verbal or hands-on alignment when needed

• I maintain presence, steady rhythm, and mindful attention

• I support each student in finding their own pace and flow

The Role of the Practitioner

• Listen to your body, move with your breath

• Practice at your own pace and honor your limits

• Notice effort, ease, and awareness in each posture

• Cultivate curiosity, learning, and self-care

• Focus on enhancing health, wellness, and well-being through mindful practice

Mysore Self-Practice Guide

Your Personal, Self-Paced Healing Practice

Mysore is a self-led practice within a guided framework, allowing you to move at your own pace while receiving individual instruction as needed. It is designed for personal growth, awareness, and therapeutic benefit, with breath as your guide and mindfulness as your compass.

How Mysore is Taught

• Students practice individually, each moving at their own pace.

• The teacher observes, assists, and provides cues or adjustments quietly, respecting each student’s pace.

• Postures are introduced gradually, with new postures added one at a time, based on readiness and alignment.

• Students are encouraged to focus on breath, awareness, and internal rhythm rather than comparison.

• Support is offered verbally or with gentle hands-on guidance only if requested or needed.

How Mysore is Done

1. Arrival & Centering

   • Begin by settling quietly; observe your body, mind, and breath.

   • Set a personal intention: “May my practice bring awareness, health, and balance.”

2. Breath Awareness

   • Ujjayi breath (victorious breath) connects movement and awareness.

   • Breath dictates the pace; inhale to expand, exhale to release.

3. Practice Flow

   • Sun Salutations A & B: Move slowly, mindfully, with breath guiding each posture.

   • Standing Postures: Focus on grounding, stability, and alignment.

   • Seated Postures: Practice with attention to spinal alignment, joint health, and mindfulness.

   • Backbends & Inversions: Approach carefully; move with breath first, ease second.

4. Teacher Guidance

   • Observe your alignment, range of motion, and breath.

   • Teacher will offer individualized adjustments or feedback quietly, only as needed.

   • Progress is personal; new postures are introduced gradually over time.

5. Closing & Savasana

   • Rest fully at the end of practice.

   • Reflect: “I am present, aware, and whole. Each breath is a gift, each posture a step toward wellness.”

Led Primary Series Guide

Guiding the Class with Breath as the Gift of Life

Led classes provide teacher-guided group practice, moving together with the guidance of rhythm, breath, and mindful awareness. Unlike Mysore, the class flows in unison, with the teacher cues, demonstrates, and offers adjustments as needed. This structure supports students in alignment, safety, and progression, while still honoring individual needs.

How Led Classes Are Taught

• The teacher guides each posture, breath, and transition step by step.

• Students are encouraged to follow at their own pace, taking rest as needed.

• Modifications are offered for different levels, abilities, or pre-existing conditions.

• Breath is emphasized as the primary guide, keeping movement fluid and mindful.

• Teacher may offer verbal or gentle physical adjustments to support alignment and safety.

How Led Classes Are Done

1. Opening & Centering

   • Begin with quiet breath observation and centering.

   • Set a personal intention: “May my practice today cultivate awareness, balance, and well-being.”

2. Breath and Movement

   • Ujjayi breath guides every posture; inhale to expand, exhale to release.

   • Teacher cues transitions, helping students link breath with movement.

3. Practice Flow

   • Sun Salutations A & B: Teacher guides pace; students move mindfully.

   • Standing Series: Focus on grounding, posture, alignment, and breath.

   • Seated Series: Mindful movement, joint care, and spinal awareness.

   • Backbends & Inversions: Teacher cues the postures slowly; safety and breath are prioritized.

4. Teacher Support

   • Observes student alignment and pace.

   • Offers modifications, adjustments, or cues as needed for safe practice.

   • Encourages students to honor their limits while cultivating awareness and presence.

5. Closing & Savasana

   • Rest fully in guided relaxation.