In Mysore-style classes a teacher taught each individual student a short portion of the practice. When a student showed steadiness in the whole of the primary series, then the teacher might begin adding the postures from the intermediate series, one pose at a time. As the student showed steadiness in the assigned section of the series and committed it to memory, the teacher added a little more to their sequence until they had memorized the whole of the primary series. Due to the repetition of many forward bends in primary series, we are also lengthening the tissues all along the back line of the body in this sequence. Referring back to the definition of yoga from the Bhagavad Gita, the practice of yoga is acting skillfully so that we don’t get caught up in manifestations of the kleshas! And you might have noticed that we kept referring to Ashtanga Yoga. When we begin an Ashtanga practice, regardless of which series of postures we’re going to do, we start with sun salutations. They challenge us to maintain our focus continuously throughout the practice because there is no place where we take a break, so to speak, once we begin our practice for the day.

They also begin to lengthen tissues around our pelvis. In this series, we work toward freedom of movement at the pelvis. The name of the primary series is yoga chikitsa, which loosely means "yoga therapy." This sequence works to establish the foundation of both movement and stability that everything else (like intermediate series as well as potentially learning pranayama practices or taking on a seated meditation practice) will rest on top of and develop from. The main philosophical intention as I see it in Ashtanga yoga is to use the tools of breath and movement to establish a base of awareness that we can build more subtle practices on. Then we can check back in with our breath as we move into standing and seated postures during our practice. The primary series emphasizes forwarding folds, while the intermediate series highlights back bending. When we complete our sun salutations we next arrive at a series of standing asanas. There are eleven postures that together make up the fundamental standing asanas. According to Sharath Jois, the purpose of vinyasas is to purify the blood, which is supposedly otherwise heated and contaminated by the practice of asanas.

Part of the culture of Ashtanga that has been passed along from the early Western students, and from Pattabhi and Sharath Jois, is the encouragement to practice consistently. I am interested in finding a way to be a part of the solution, helping to share my love of the practice and my new learning with those who are suffering. These were small classes, taught in a one-room-schoolhouse style of learning. So, during those visits, Pattabhi Jois taught the first "led primary series" classes. Ashtanga is a rigorous, challenging, and fast-paced yoga practice, first developed by Sri K Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009) in 1932. Pattabhi Jois based his teachings on an ancient yogic text. Each asana in the Ashtanga yoga session uses a focal point called Drishti. New York: North Point Press. From a kinesiological point of view, this makes sense. From the perspective of subtle anatomy, the first three chakras are found in the area of the pelvis, so it makes sense to start there. More important, though, is the invisible content, which consists of three fundamental techniques.

They offer us an opportunity to explore different ways of approaching and refining fundamental patterns, like leaning into the hands or engaging core muscles, for example. Ashtanga yoga consists of five fundamental principles essential for a successful Asana practice. In a Mysore-style ashtanga class, you’ll receive all the benefits of a one-to-one class in a group environment. Ashtanga yoga benefits not only strength, but also mobility and flexibility! Nancy Gilgoff, an early student, describes many differences in the way she was taught ashtanga to the way it is taught now. It’s easier to increase flexibility first and maintain the postures emphasizing lengthening while adding postures that emphasize strengthening, than going the other way around. When Pattabhi Jois visited the United States after the first Western Ashtanga students had themselves taught many more people, there were larger crowds interested in attending his classes. Free 5 Day Ashtanga Challenge. While this can make a commitment to Ashtanga seem daunting, it does not make the Ashtanga practice hard, only time-consuming. Pushing yourself to practice at a time you’re not comfortable with will only make your practice less effective, What is ashtanga yoga and you will be less likely to experience the benefits of Ashtanga yoga on the body.