What is Ashtanga Yoga?

           Ashtanga yoga, nicknamed "Power Yoga" by some, is characterized by a set series of yoga postures linked together in a continuous flow. The sequence is designed to intensify internal heat so much that all impurities are burned from body. The set series of poses, careful attention to the breath, and focus on internal locks that guide the flow of prana through the body distinguishes ashtanga from its yoga cousins. Although it has a reputation as being a demanding discipline, every pose can be modified so that ashtanga can be practiced by anyone.

    Unknown to the world a few decades ago, ashtanga yoga is now a widely popular from of yoga. Sometimes it's called "ashtanga vinyasa yoga", ashtanga referring to the eight-limbed path, and vinyasa to the way in which the postures are connected with a flowing movement.

    The vinyasa is one element which distinguishes ashtanga from other hatha practices. Another crucial element is the breath -- an audible breath made by slightly contracting the glottis of the throat. Ujjayi means "victorious
stretching of the inner prana". Opening the ears to the sound of the breath helps keep a continuous flow of breath with the vinyasa and produces spontaneous mediation.

    "Bandhas", or energetic locks, are also engaged with the breath. This aspect of the practice is subtle, and takes years to master. The bandhas work with the ujjayi and the vinyasa to produce heat in the body. The heat serves to burn away toxins and allows a practitioner to move deeply into the postures.

    The first sequence of poses learned in Ashtanga -- called the primary series or yoga chikitsa -- is designed to correctly align the body and to rehabilitate injuries.  The series is an exact sequence in which pose is followed by counter pose. The series begins with two forms of surya namaskara (sun salutations), and continues with standing and then seated poses, all of which are connected with vinyasas. The first series concludes with a sequence of finishing poses, including shoulderstand, headstand, and lotus pose.

    Once students master the primary series, which can take years, they can tackle the second and third series. These two are designed to cleanse and heal the nervous system even more deeply than the first series. In all, there are six separate sequences of poses in ashtanga yoga. Only a few yogis have mastered them all.

    Ashtanga yoga has a somewhat magical history. Sri K Pattabhi Jois, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and yogi, is the contemporary father of this system. As a young student, Jois and his teacher Krishnamacharya discovered a mysterious bundle of leaves in the archives of the National Calcutta Library. This fragile manuscript was the Yoga Korunta, and the writings on the leaves described a detailed system. From the archaic style of the Sanskrit, the teachings were thought to be 5,000 years old. With the blessings of his teacher, Jois took this system as his practice, and named it ashtanga yoga, believing it to be the original form of yoga as Pantanjali intended it to be practiced.

    This practice might still be unknown to us in the West if not for a persistent American seeker, Norman Allen. One day on a beach in Goa, India, Allen witnessed a young man practicing the strong yoga dance of ashtanga. When asked where he had learned this kind of yoga, he replied, "From my father, Pattabhi Jois." Allen went immediately to Mysore, India, to learn from Jois. The teacher, however, didn't want to instruct an American, for he was not a Brahman. Not easily dissuaded, Allen literally camped out on Jois' doorstep for weeks. Finally, the master agreed to take Allen on as a student. After intensive study, Allen returned to the West, bringing the Ashtanga discipline with him.

     I am deeply grateful for these fortuitous events and visionary teachers who brought Ashtanga to our time!  This practice is intense, joyous and healing, and can work quickly to bring the practitioner into a state of grace.
 
 

Ashtanga yoga is 99% practice
Here are some ideas to help inspire yours!


Give your practice a focus each day.  Here are some ideas to get you started:
 

Of course you want to do all of these things all of the time, but giving your practice a
focus each day is a way to get there; to refine your practice.  Also, it helps to prevent
dealing in negatives, or focusing on discomfort.

Dedicate your practice to God.  Beginning the practice with the traditional invocation
helps to place your practice within the larger context, and to honor the lineage which has
brought these teachings to us.

Dedicate the practice to a teacher, a saint or deity or to the miraculousness of the
universe.

When rolling out the mat in your practice space, place a folded blanket and an eye pillow
near by.  This reminds you of where you are going.
 

Create a four-week plan.  If you can keep a regular practice going four weeks, you have a
good chance of sustaining it.  Aim for three or four practices a week.  If this is too much
in the beginning, try even one practice the first week, two the second, and so forth.

Even a few minutes of practicing is better than no practice.

Find a yoga buddy. Encourage each other.

Learn about restorative yoga; this is an excellent compliment to ashtanga and can be used
for those times when you are not physically able to do a vigorous practice.  Judith
Lasater’s Relax and Renew is detailed guide to this delicious art.

Obstacles to Practicing
In the Yoga Sutras (1.30), Patanjali lists the nine impediments to practice as:

Recognizing these timeless hindrances in oneself is the first step to overcoming them.

Best wishes for joyful practicing!

Namaste,