Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
What Does It Mean and Where Does It Come From?
When I mention I practice Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, people sometimes stare in confusion. But Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is actually where many vinyasa and power poses originated.
Ashtanga Vinyasa is based in the lineage of South Asian teacher, Tirumalai Krisnamacharya. It was brought to the United States in the late 1970’s by teachers David Williams and Nancy Gilgoff. While asana or postural practice is a key feature of the practice, it is not the only piece.
Tirumalai Krishnamacharya
Ashtanga is a Sanskrit word for the eight-limbed path of liberation from The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Vinyasa means to place with intention. Yoga means to unite. The goal of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is to liberate ourselves from suffering through union with the divine and take action so others may do the same.
Krisnamacharya developed this practice by combining his Sanskrit scholarship with practical yoga experience from his teacher in present-day Tibet. He brought this practice to Southern India and instructed well-known teachers like T. K. V. Desikachar, B.K.S. Iyengar, and K. Pattahbi Jois. While Krishnamacharya’s teaching was rigorous, it has been noted by Iyengar and Desikachar that his teaching style changed over time and was adapted as he came in contact with different students. However, asana was not the only piece. Chanting, Sanskrit and sacred text study, pranayama, and meditation were also part of this spiritual practice.
His student, Pattabhi Jois, used what he learned from Krisnamacharya and his own Sanksrit scholarship to create a codified series of asanas known as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. The first series of poses is called Yoga Chikitsa, or yoga therapy. The poses in this series, while challenging, were tailored to the abilities of the individual and the focus was not on performance, but connection with the breath, the gaze (drishti), and the energy channels of the body (bandhas).
Often, people think Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a militant sequence of poses with "correct" and "incorrect" methods that requires contortionism. This is fair based on how the practice is represented in some spaces. However, the asana practice is really about connecting to the divine through the body.
Personally, I do not practice asana six days a week. Instead, I practice as much as I feel able with intention, so I can save energy for chanting, meditation, and pranayama. Its also important to note Pattbhi Jois’ son, Manju, states that there was never a requirement to do all poses. He says while discipline was key, there was a light-hearted playful nature to the practice. My own experience practicing with R. Saraswati Jois, in India, David Swenson in the U.S., and my research into the origins of the lineage also remind me the practice is not just asana. Study of sacred text, pranayama, meditation, and living your yoga are equally as important.
This is the intention I set in the Ashtanga Vinyasa class at Hola Yoga. The physical poses are a large part of practice, but they are used to connect with our spiritual vessel, our body, rather than “shapeshift.”
Class begins with Sanskrit chanting to honor the roots of yoga and pranayama to connect with our breath. Then, we start asana practice with Sun Salutations to warm the body. Once warm, we move through select poses from the primary series focusing on particular aspects of yoga, holding each pose for five breaths so there is enough time to feel steadiness and ease. The practice closes with longer-held asana (ten breaths) and a final chant to seal the practice as a discipline to help all people everywhere be happy and free. Throughout the class, I offer options for how people can participate (or not) in chanting, breathing, and variations of poses. This is your practice, and while I invite you to explore, you are ultimately the most knowledgeable about your body.
I have practiced Ashtanga for over five years and while the practice remains the same, each day I learn something different. I feel more calm, compassionate, and content. I hope this method empowers students with the same skills, so they may apply them in the room and in their daily lives. I will hold space for this practice to unfold.