Our Traditional Mysore Programme runs 6 days per week in alignment with the teachings of the Jois family in Mysore, India, at the KPJAY Institute. In observation of this rich tradition, we take no morning practice on the days of the Full and New moon or on Saturdays.

All BYS evening drop-in classes and courses are designed as a gateway to the morning Mysore Programme.

Morning Mysore Monthly Unlimited Practice Pass includes:

Monday - Thursday morning self practice is conducted with the guidance of at least one teacher through every week of the year.

Full Led Primary Series classes are on Sundays at 10:15am, and on Fridays at 06:30 sharp.

All 6 days of morning practice are included in our Monthly Practice Membership which is priced at £100. You can select this option for payment when you Sign Up for your first class. As our registration process is fully based on the online self-signup process, we ask that all students kindly embrace this system from their very first day of practice and continue to sign themselves into their classes prior to arrival.

5 and 10 blocks are also acceptable for signing up to morning Mysore style classes.

Bristo Yoga School is a place for all levels of experience. If you are a Beginner, we recommend signing up for a guided Intensive week with teacher, Karen Breneman. These Immersion weeks are held roughly once per month and give beginners a chance to connect with a teacher in a focused group within the larger practice room. Whatever your previous experience, you are welcome to join our morning practice group. As this is a traditional morning Mysore Style programme, there are a few observances to follow. These simple rules help guide our community and galvanise the diversity of backgrounds, resulting in a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere for all.

Please observe the following:

1. Book and pay for your classes first. Click here to go to the Sign Up page.
2. Arrive showered and clean, ready for practice. You are in close proximity to your teacher and fellow practitioners! A neutral, clean body is necessary to preserve the atmosphere for all.
3. Bring no water, phones, or other belongings into the main practice area; please do not drink during your practice.
4. Conduct your practice until Back-bending in the front and middle rows; after your forward bend, move your mat to the back rows for Finishing.
5. Please listen to the teacher and follow instructions respectfully. She/he is there to guide you, as well as the group as a whole. Stop your practice where instructed and with time you'll progress as the teacher gets to know your practice. All is coming!
6. That said, it also important to note that we prize the concept of Santosha in our Shala. Santosha (skt. ????? sa?to?a, "contentment, satisfaction") is one of the niyamas of Yoga as listed by Patanjali. We are generally a friendly group. When you come into our space, we ask nothing more from you than you would ask from a guest to your home- smile, bring peace, and respect yourself/others.
7. Observe quietude before, during, and after practice until you leave the Shala. Give yourself and others the respect inherent in gentle, quiet, non-confrontation movement.
8. Leave your space clean. David Swenson says: "A Yogi is someone who leaves the space better than how they found it."
9. Observe Ladies' holidays, Moon Days, and all days of rest.
10. Please arrive early enough to finish no later than 09:30.

Our local Ashtanga Vinyasa practice group is joined to the international community of Mysore Style practitioners and we regularly host very experienced teachers from across the globe. In 2011/12 our Shala welcomed Angela Jamison of Ashtanga Ann Arbor; Satu Rommi, Luke Jordan & Sonja Radvila, and Jill Manning- all Level I or II Authorised Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga teachers.

Practitioners are strongly encouraged to attend daily.

Ashtanga Yoga Edinburgh is coordinated by Karen Breneman with the help of Susan Reynolds, Tim Hatcher, and several other dedicated students. We humbly dedicate this programme to our teachers, and the teachers of our teachers. Karen is a student of R. Sharath Jois and is currently practicing in Mysore for the third time since her first visit in 2003.

More About Mysore Style Yoga Practice

99% Practice, 1% Theory

Senior practitioner, Tim Miller, writes a down-to-earth blog and updates regularly with inspiring posts. View it here: Tuesdays with Timji

Here is a wonderful text written by certified teacher, Alexander Medin, about Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute.

Students of the Ashtanga Vinyasa method will learn a specific method of controlled breathing, which brings about a calming effect on the mind. The breathing comes naturally with practice and is the basis for progressing further into the Primary Series after the beginner has learned the initial basics in the Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutations).

Ashtanga Vinyasa is a vigorous form of Yoga and requires dedication from both the student and the teacher in order for the beauty of the asanas to take shape within the vinyasa counting method. The "vinyasa" is the order in which the asanas are performed in coordination with the breathing count. This measured breathing is like a metronome, keeping the "time" of the practice. In dedicating oneself to daily practice, other lifestyle observances are required, and in this way a more balanced and healthy lifestyle is achieved. Through continuous practice and self-study, practitioners of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga will develop a special relationship with their main teacher and a link to other teachers who are also dedicated to this method.

Students are advised that they are expected to gradually learn the sequence. For the beginner seeking specific beginner-level instruction, you can register for a one-week Mysore Intensive with Karen Breneman, which are held once per month. BYS also offers evening Drop-in Beginners Courses and classes. For those who are interested in making a commitment to learning Yoga as a life philosophy & practice, early morning Mysore style self-practice is where they can personally connect with a dedicated teacher who will encourage each individual to gradually progress in the traditional method.