Ashtanga yoga explained

Ashtanga yoga, also known as Yoga 8 Limbs, is a highly intense and athletic version of Hatha yoga that consists of six series or levels of postures that are performed in a precise order. It is based on vinyasa yoga, which is characterized by fluid movements between postures and a focus on energy and breath. It is a physically rigorous discipline that also cultivates cerebral clarity and inner peace (wiki).

Ashtanga yoga is Patanjali’s classification of classical yoga, as detailed in his Yoga Sutras.

He divides Ashtanga yogayoga into steps: yamas (abstinences), niyamas (observances), asanas (postures), pranayamas (breathing), pratyaharas (withdrawal), dharanas (concentration), dhyanas (meditation), and samadhis (absorption).

From outside to inside, the 8 limbs of yoga are organized in a circle. Postures, which are important in modern yoga as a workout, are just one leg of Patanjali’s design; all he asks is that they be stable and enjoyable.

The primary goal is kaivalya, or the separation of Purusha, the witness-conscious, from prakriti, the cognitive apparatus, and the disentanglement of Purusha from its confused defilements (Kaivalya, the ultimate goal of ashtanga yoga, means “solitude,” “detachment,” or “isolation,” and is a vrddhi-derivation from kevala, which means “alone, isolated.”).

Ashtanga yoga originates

K. Pattabhi Jois was an Indian yoga instructor who created Ashtanga vinyasa yoga, a flowing form of yoga. In 1948, Jois established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India.

Pattabhi Jois was one of a small handful of Indians who were instrumental in establishing modern yoga as a form of exercise in the twentieth century, along with B. K. S. Iyengar, another Krishnamacharya trainee in Mysore. Jois sexually abused some of his yoga students by grabbing them improperly during adjustments. Sharath Jois has publicly apologized for his grandfather’s “inappropriate changes.”

Ashtanga yoga benefits

Ashtanga has numerous health benefits. Here we will discuss at least 10 advantages of practicing Ashtanga yoga on a daily basis.

Increases flexibility

Like most yoga methods, ashtanga will gradually develop your flexibility over time. While it’s important to listen to your body and go slowly, studies suggest that after a few weeks of training, flexibility increases. You can’t even put your toes together? If you work consistently and thoughtfully, we’re confident you’ll be able to complete Ashtanga Yoga in a month.

Enhances Coordination

Ashtanga Yoga is an excellent body-adjustment technique. Concentration, balance, and coordination are all improved as a result of using it. A rapid and intense asana series improves your sense of rhythm and increases your awareness of your body’s movement and flow.

Enhancement of Strength

Ashtanga yoga’s main sequence consists of sixty vinyasas, which help to strengthen the core and the entire body. Several postures demand you to balance on one leg while supporting your complete body weight on your hands, which helps tone your body while increasing core and total body strength.

It aids in muscle toning.

Because these motions develop muscles all around your body, you can achieve all of this increased strength. Yoga does indeed help you get abs! You’ll notice a change in your arms, shoulders, abs, and calves if you start doing it regularly.

Stabilization of Emotions

Asanas have the power to detoxify both your emotions and your muscles and joints. By practicing Ashtanga, you will develop a balance between your feelings and emotions. Emotional asanas will help you cope with emotionally difficult situations. It will help with pain and suppressed emotion processing and resolution. Your organs and entire body will perform more efficiently when you balance your emotions, and you will notice how intimately your body and mind are linked.

Fitness for the Heart

If you’ve ever finished a whole primary set in Ashtanga, you’ll know how much you sweat. Vinyasas in between postures help to maintain your heart rate steady throughout the session.

The activity not only improves strength and flexibility, but it also strengthens your cardiovascular system and lowers blood pressure.

The glottis in the back of your throat is slightly pressed together when you breathe in and out through your nose, creating the sound of the ocean. To attain long, deep, quiet breaths, lengthen your inhalations and exhalations. According to numerous studies, this breathing technique lowers blood pressure over time.

Relieves Back Pain

The Ashtanga Primary Series poses stretch and strengthen the lower back muscles. Because you’re doing the same postures every time you go onto the mat, keeping those muscles stretched (and strengthened) will help you avoid lower back pain.

Ashtanga Yoga Benefits Weight Control

Do you know what happens when cardio and muscle building are combined? You slim down! If you commit to a daily Ashtanga practice, you will notice less fat on your arms and stomach, thus, this is the yoga style for you if you want to drop a few pounds.

Mental Illness Reduction

Some people find it tedious to repeat the same positions every day, and they lose interest. Because your mind can shift to your breathing, you don’t have to concentrate on where to position your foot or hand in the memory sequence. This will turn your practice into a movement meditation, allowing you to relax and unwind.

Spiritual Wellness

Repetition of the same positions in the same order has a purpose, and the benefits aren’t just physical. Activate your spiritual self. The first four limbs clean your exterior and teach you how to interact with it. The four limbs that follow focus on withdrawal, cleanliness, and your relationship with your mind, and will help you work through issues until you attain mental clarity and a greater understanding of yourself. By practicing postures, concentration spots, and breathing, you will be able to unlock the limitless potential of your inner self.

I hope this post has clarified why including Ashtanga Yoga in your everyday workout routine is so beneficial and important. Try it out and let us know whether Ashtanga helped you with any of the above-mentioned issues!

Ashtanga Yoga For Beginners

Beginners can practice Ashtanga yoga. Beginner yoga sessions or lessons are available at most yoga studios. These are fantastic opportunities for Ashtanga yoga beginners to learn the fundamentals of the practice, including proper breathing and several Ashtanga yoga forms.

I vividly recall my very first Ashtanga yoga class. As a complete novice to yoga, I had no idea what to expect. There were about ten of us in the session, and the teacher calmly and steadily counted each breath and guided us through half of the primary series.

That was a life-changing experience for me. About halfway through the lesson, I realized I’d found what I was looking for. A physically demanding class with a slow and steady cadence that kept my thoughts at bay and my mind clear.

I’m still enamored with the practice ten years later; I travel to Mysore every year to study with my guru Sharath Jois, and I run a yoga studio where I teach this life-changing practice.

Yoga 8 limbs

The ‘Ashtanga Yoga System’ or ‘8 Limbs of Yoga’ (the term ‘ashta’ means ‘eight’ and ‘anga’ means ‘limb’) is an eight-fold route leading to freedom, according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

Here are the ashtanga yoga 8 steps

1. YAMA – Restraints, moral disciplines, or moral vows
2. NIYAMA – Positive obligations or observances
3. ASANA – Posture
4. PRANAYAMA – Breathing Techniques
5. PRATYAHARA – Sense withdrawal
6. DHARANA – Concentrated Concentration
7. DHYANA – Meditative Absorption
8. SAMADHI – Bliss or Enlightenment

Most important Ashtanga poses to try

These are positions from the Ashtanga main series, which make up the whole 90-minute flow.

While practicing, flow from one pose to the next, exhaling as you bend into each and holding each for five full breaths.

If you’re just getting started, apply the following adjustments to make the postures easier:.

Ashtanga sequence list

The limbs of Ashtanga yoga include Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. The practice is divided into six series that build on top of each other, similar to Ashtanga’s eight limbs. The three series are Primary, Secondary, and Advanced.

To sum up,

If you’re considering diving deeper into your yoga practice, a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh can help you gain more knowledge and experience in Ashtanga Yoga. Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic and rewarding way to improve focus, fitness, and general health. The Mysore group class technique is ideal for beginners, offering a gradual and personalized introduction to the practice. By learning the predetermined routine of Ashtanga Yoga, you can even practice at home or on your own.