What is Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga? Created by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India, Ashtanga is a vigorous form of Hatha yoga. Flowing movement (vinyasa), deep (Ujjayi) breathing, gazing point (Drishti), and static muscle contractions (Bandhas) are combined to create inner heat that purifies the body, improves blood and lymph circulation, lowers blood pressure, improves clarity, and promotes relaxation. ‘Ashtanga’ is the combination of 2 Sanskrit words: ‘Ashto’ means eight, and ‘Ang’ means limb. Thus Ashtanga means 8 Limbs, referring to the 8 limbs of Integral Yoga. The Ashtanga asana practice is structured as several sequences of postures called series. There are 4 commonly practiced series (Primary, Intermediate, Advanced-A, and Advanced-B). There are said to be 2 additional advanced series. The series are studied sequentially, each adding strength, balance, and flexibility requirements on the previous ones. Each series is practiced in the following manner:
The primary series is called Yoga Chikitsa (meaning yoga therapy). Its purpose is to strengthen and heal the body & mind, and to remove obstructions to the prana flow through the body. The primary series is the most commonly practiced one. The Intermediate series is called Nadi Shodana (meaning nerve cleansing). It focuses on spinal flexion & extension asanas, affecting suppleness of the spine, which is the main conduit for the nervous system. Advanced-A focuses on arm balances and upper body strength. Advanced-B focuses primarily on advanced hip-opening postures. Ashtanga yoga practice begins and ends with short chants in Sanskrit. Guruji added the ending chant after 9/11/2001. Guruji first shared Ashtanga Yoga with westerners when David Williams visited Mysore in the early 1970s. Early students such as Richard Freeman, Nancy Gilgoff, Tim Miller, and David Swenson have become world-renowned teachers in their own right, and played a major role in bringing this Indian science to the mainstream western world. Still, many Ashtanga practitioners embark on an annual pilgrimage to Mysore to study with Guruji, his grandson, Sharath, and his daughter, Saraswathi. But what is it really about? (Or, Surely there is more to it than boot camp in Sanskrit?) Ashtanga is a unique & powerful tool that allows one to build the discipline and patience necessary to overcome delusion and discover our true nature. The repetitive and challenging nature of the asana practice is not accidental, and is intended to force one to either walk away or discover what it means to be present. Every time you do a posture you do it for the first time. Even if you’ve done it 1500 times before. Every breath you take is new and unique. So unless you are able to find the novelty in each manifestation of a posture, you will soon become bored and move on to the next sport-de-jour. Cultivating the ability to bring our focus to the present activity (the asana) completely is a skill that soon begins to manifest in other aspects of our lives. By staying present, we avoid the trapping of the mind and its fascination with time-travel. The mind loves to travel back in time lamenting past sorrows, and forward in time imagining great dangers or fantasies. By staying present we restrict the mind’s time traveling adventures, and thus greatly reduce our lot of suffering. Proper use of the breath is central to the Ashtanga practice. The breath is the sun of your practice, the source of energy and heat. Heat is necessary to enable proper exercise of the muscles without injury. Heat can be achieved by setting the thermostat in the studio to the desired temperature, but ultimately we seek to create internal heat, tapas. The deep Ujjayi breathing also becomes the object of meditation and focal point of awareness. Learning to move with the breath creates a flow of energy, a moving meditation. A key element to cultivating an Ashtanga practice is keeping the mind engaged and focused on the body’s movement. The progressively more challenging postures are not intended to prepare the practitioner for an alternative career with Cirque de Soleil. Rather, they are designed to create harmony and cooperation between the mind and body. As the mind becomes more aware of subtle & energetic aspects of yoga postures, it becomes aware of subtle energetic aspects of the body in general. This collaboration fosters a healthy interplay between the mind and body. One also becomes aware of the ability to diffuse certain mental states such as anger and fear through body activity (breathing, movement, or stillness). It is the subtle learning of being present in the practice that teaches us to be present in life. The discipline and focus we cultivate in our practice flows into every facet of our lives. The resourcefulness we cultivate in discovering the mechanics of a new challenging posture is that same resourcefulness that enables us to approach life’s challenges and obstacles with serenity. A daily Ashtanga practice throughout one’s life keeps the physical body youthful, strong, and supple. From a medical perspective yoga practice slows many of the aging processes in the body. But of course the gradual decline of aging is unavoidable, and so the practice shifts naturally towards emphasis of the higher limbs. The mix of asana and meditation gradually shifts as the body weakens but the mind is more subdued. Even while we are young and strong, the futility of building up a body that is but a fleeting form of energy cannot be lost on the serious practitioner. The body we work so hard to sculpt & mold will diminish into dust in no time. So what? We do it anyway, without attachment. This is yet another lesson of the practice. Sri Swami Satchidananda used a wonderful metaphor. You clean a soiled garment by mixing it with soap. The dirt and soap combine, and then are both washed away. We don’t keep the soap; It goes with the dirt. Yoga practice is the same way. The practice is a tool that enables us to reach a higher state of consciousness, of knowing God, of knowing ourselves. But it’s just a tool, just the means to an end. Once you are standing at the feet of God or Self Realization or Enlightenment, the tool is no longer needed. Now that I can put both legs behind my head and balance a teacup on my face, what’s next? NOTHING is more appealing to the trappings of the mind than the beautiful Ashtanga Vinyasa practice. Why, you can learn to make your body float and hover almost like a bird. The ability of the mind to shape and mold the body into practically and form is very appealing, it is the ultimate control. Unfortunately, this is a trapping. A student must gradually learn to balance the sense of accomplishment that comes from mastering the postures with a growing appreciation for what is beyond the postures. I find it somewhat ironic, that the world’s most accomplished Ashtanga Vinyasa practitioners say that it is not about the postures. If so, how did they become such masters of the practice? Perhaps it is not irony. Perhaps you truly have to master the postures to know what is beyond them. Or perhaps not. Perhaps if the practice is approached with the proper state of mind, the physical accomplishments are always kept in check and in context. Just as mastering advanced asana is not a sign of victory, not mastering them is not a sign of defeat. Progress should always be viewed in relation to the individual body’s abilities. There is no reason to expect a 50 year-old woman to have the same physical practice as a 20 year-old man. Competition can initially serve the useful purpose of improving motivation, but it should soon give way to a sense of community and sharing. Is Ashtanga right for me or are other systems more appropriate? Only you can answer this question, and you will only know by trying. While Ashtanga generally attracts individuals who enjoy vigorous physical activity, this is not always the case. Many beginners appreciate the rigid structure of the practice; as it doesn’t leave much to worry about. Whether or not you enjoy the practice will also likely depend on whether you are attracted to your instructor’s personality, method of teaching, the energy they emanate, and whether you feel kinship towards fellow students. Some students are immediately drawn to Ashtanga, and are quick to adapt the demanding 6 days per week schedule. This can be a powerful & life transforming experience. Others give it a try and decide that it is not for them. It is important to remember that the physical strength required to master the practice grows slowly with time. While you may feel physically elated or turned off after the first practice, the true magic takes much longer to manifest. Ashtanga is a slow steady path of hard work; the roots are bitter, but the fruit is very sweet. It is strongly recommended that beginners to Ashtanga in particular and yoga in general study with an experienced teacher. A good instructor will explain posture mechanics, skeletal alignment, breathing techniques, and provide the reference philosophy within which the practice is embedded. It is very important that your Ashtanga instructor also be a devoted Ashtanga practitioner, because the subtleties of the system cannot be understood or properly conveyed to students without practice. Guruji’s benchmark is that one should practice a series at least 1000 times before teaching it. A senior teacher once said, “Before you’ve practiced the theory is useless, after you’ve practiced the theory is obvious.” Or, as Guruji is fond of saying, “Practice and all is coming.” And if Ashtanga is not right for you, likely another style is. There are many yoga styles and brands; in fact, there are more yoga brands than ice cream flavors at Baskin Robins. The different styles of yoga are generally based on the same sources, and many emanate from the teachings of Krisnamacharya. One can liken the different styles of yoga to an orchard with many varieties of fruit trees. All these trees bear fruit, and all reach to the sun for life. All are inherently good, and none is better than the others. Newcomers to yoga are encouraged to approach it without expectations or preconceptions. Don’t label yourself. Don’t confine yourself to a single style. Explore. Try different teachers. Ask questions. Don’t get distracted by stuff (buying props, videos, books, garments). Yoga is not about what you can buy. It’s not about what you can see. It’s not about impressing others. It’s so much more than all that. It can be a source of magic in your life; Don’t reduce it to stuff. |
"Ahhhh Samadhi. Yoga is Samadhi. God is One. Yoga is One. Philosophy is One.
That's All”. K.P. Jois
That's All”. K.P. Jois
Brief Introduction
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
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