Yoga

Ashtanga Vinyasa style yoga

Siobhan with Pattabhi Jois 2004Ashtanga Yoga is an ancient system of Yoga that was taught by Vamana Rishi in the Yoga Korunta. This text was imparted to Sri T. Krishnamacharya in the early 1900's by his Guru Rama Mohan Brahmachari, and was later passed down to Pattabhi Jois (right with Siobhan in 2004) during the duration of his studies with Krishnamacharya, beginning in 1927.

The following are aspects that Pattabhi Jois emphasizes as the main components of Ashtanga Yoga.

Vinyasa: Vinyasa means breathing and movement system. For each movement, there is one breath. For example, in Surya Namskar (sun salutations) there are nine vinyasas. The first vinyasa is inhaling while raising your arms over your head, and putting your hands together; the second is exhaling while bending forward, placing your hands next to your feet, etc. In this way all asanas are assigned a certain number of vinyasas.

The purpose of vinyasa is for internal cleansing. Breathing and moving together while performing asanas makes the blood hot, or as Pattabhi Jois says, boils the blood. Thick blood is unhealthy and causes disease in the body. The heat created from yoga cleans the blood and makes it thin, so that it may circulate freely. The combination of the asanas (postures) with movement and breath make the blood circulate freely around all the joints, taking away body pains. When there is a lack of circulation, pain occurs. The heated blood also moves through all the internal organs removing impurities and disease, which are brought out of the body by the sweat that occurs during practice.

Sweat is an important by product of vinyasa, because it is only through sweat that disease leaves the body and purification occurs. In the same way that gold is melted in a pot to remove its impurities, by the virtue of the impurities rising to the surface as the gold boils, and the impurity then being removed, yoga boils the blood and brings all our toxins to the surface, which are removed through sweat. If the method of vinyasa is followed, the body becomes healthy and strong, and pure like gold. We become more alive,youthful and happier. The body feels liberated from the practice and it always leaves you wanting more. The beauty of Ashtanga is that there is indeed always more to take from this practice if you take it on board and embrace, focus and surrender to its natural ability to lift us onto a higher plane.