Alignment of posture in Ashtanga is more important than egoistically grasping after the next pose.

When I was in Singapore, I learned Ashtanga primary series from beginner to led class. Eventually I practiced Ashtanga in Mysore style. I'm not the competitive type. I never look around but just concentrate on own practice.

After relocating to Adelaide, I did self practice at home. The transition from attending classes to self practice was so hard at the beginning. I couldn't get the sense of motivation at all while practicing alone. In addition, I had to adjust myself to cold winter weather. At first, I did only Surya Namaskara A and B. A few months later, I added the standing sequence. Then continued adding asanas from primary series …

At the same time, I started to read books and articles and watch videos related to Ashtanga. It all makes sense to me now because during the class, the instructor sometimes mentions something like activates your thighs, open up your chest …

I also found out that my alignment was incorrect. For instance, my left hamstring is tighter than the right side. I did not pay attention to keep my both leg active to maintain a level hip and straight long back before twisting for the pose of Parivritta Trikonasana. Due to tight left hamstring and hip, I could not complete the pose with correct alignment. Thus I used a block to give me the height to maintain my levelled hip and long straight back. Instantly I could feel the twist on my upper back. My breath was smoother too.

Since then I approach my practice differently by understanding the purpose of the asana before hand, knowing the part of body hinder me for getting into the pose, modify the pose to maintain the correct alignment if necessary.