Josh is a Mysore Style Yoga practitioner, author,
studio-owner, and life-long student.

With an extensive background in IT, marketing, and business development, Josh is an experienced commercial negotiator. He has provided services to numerous sectors while actively participating in local business advocacy and support organisations. Since expanding his scope to pursue yoga, Josh has travelled to India many times, managed and founded yoga studios, along with workshops and weekend retreats.

Josh is the head teacher and owner of Ashtanga Yoga Newcastle, which is the longest-running studio in Newcastle NSW. AYN delivers classes based on the progressive Mysore style method, where people of all ages and capacities can practice side-by-side. Mysore style is perfectly suited to beginners, those middle aged or older, or anyone with a bodily niggle or two to contend with, allowing everyone to participate and reclaim their confidence in a supportive group environment.

“I was nervous when I joined due to the reputation of Ashtanga being so serious, but I need not have been concerned. This is a friendly, welcoming space to grow your practice no matter what level you’re at. It is a space to reflect inwards and step back briefly from our often hectic external lives.” – Kirsten

More than ever, the urgent requirement of yoga and spirituality is a reconciliation and path forward on matters such as cultural appropriation, commercialism and materialism, the preservation of legitimate knowledge, and the imperative to increase awareness of the non-dual state amongst mankind, so that joy and harmony may be enjoyed by all beings.

Josh is the author of The Spirit of the Matter, an adventurous look at the progressive Mysore style yoga method and its relationship with Westernised yoga. In the book Josh talks about how yoga was traditionally taught in India, and how we can better integrate the intentions of the great yogis of the past into our daily practice. The book includes a blend of modern research on interoception and fascial remodeling, as well as tales from the mother land.

The book also features a modern translation of an 8th century text called Yoga Tārāvalī. This text has only been translated and published once before, and is currently out of print. Now, however, you can see and read one of the most important and succinct sets of truths covering the unified cosmos and infinite intelligence. All of this uplifting and empowering information is presented clearly so that you can implement it in your daily life, rather than leaving it as “night-stand philosophy”.

Esteemed author Gregor Maehle says: “Josh Pryor’s The Spirit of the Matter is a refreshing new contribution to Ashtanga Yoga. It sheds novel light on the Mysore-style format and explains its manifold advantages. The book clears many common misunderstandings that may prevent beginners from trying out this most efficient class format. Pryor’s approach is guided by reason and a spirit of exploration rather than dogma. The Spirit of the Matter also for the first time makes available a useable translation of the Yoga Taravali. Congratulations!”