Mysore-style is suitable for everyone—from complete beginners who have never practiced yoga, to advanced practitioners working through the higher series. Because it’s individualized, students receive exactly the support they need, no matter their level.

Mysore-style is the traditional way of practicing Ashtanga yoga, developed by Pattabhi Jois in the city of Mysore, in southern India—hence the name. This method reflects how yoga was traditionally taught: one-on-one, with students receiving individual guidance from the teacher, even when practicing alongside others in the same room.

In a Mysore-style class, each student progresses at their own pace, with the constant support and adjustments of the teacher. The practice is tailored to each individual’s needs, abilities, and level of experience. The teacher works with each student personally through the set sequence of postures, providing instruction and modifications as needed.

While this method requires more patience and a higher level of personal responsibility, it also offers a deeper, more intimate experience of the practice. It enhances the student’s awareness of breath, movement (vinyasa), and gaze (drishti), and encourages greater sensitivity to the inner state—whether quiet or agitated.

Unlike led yoga classes, a Mysore-style class has an open practice window, typically lasting about three hours each morning. Students may arrive and leave at any time during this window. The length and intensity of each practice vary from day to day, depending on how the student feels and what they need, ranging anywhere from 30 minutes to over two hours.