The techniques of Ashtanga yoga were handed down over centuries through a series of gurus and their followers until the teachings reached K. Pattabhi Jois, who developed what he learned in 1948 into the practice of Ashtanga yoga we know today. He continues to instruct yoga enthusiasts and others at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, in Mysore, India. Literally, the phrase “Ashtanga yoga” means “eight-limbed yoga,” and refers to the eight tenets or spiritual practices involved in Ashtanga yoga. These are; moral codes, self-purification and study, posture, breath control, sense control, concentration, meditation, and contemplation. As with most types of yoga, Ashtanga – using its eight-limbed system – aspires to control or hone the mind and its capabilities through doing the same with the body. That is where the postures of Ashtanga yoga come into play.
In Ashtanga, a series of advanced yoga postures are performed, one flowing seamlessly into another. This makes for a much more intense workout than non-yoga enthusiasts might believe, as each twist of the body is held to the last point of endurance and then immediately followed by another, another, and another. The sweating of impurities is a frequent and welcome side effect of this strenuous series of continual movements. Each movement of an individual pose is ideally accompanied and powered by a single breath, making for a highly detailed and concentrated routine.
The purpose of such closely coupled breath and movement is, according to Pattabhi Jois, designed to increase blood circulation. He teaches that poor circulation is an invitation to pain and disease: breathing concentration, along with a simultaneous concentration of physical movement and stamina, theoretically increases the blood flow to specific areas of the body; while the fluid motion of the continuous posture routine sends the blood endlessly circulating throughout these different areas, like a tide.
In addition to the physical postures and breathing technique, the “looking place” – where one rests ones eyes during the yoga routine – is integral to the Ashtanga practice. Pattabhi Jois teaches his followers that, in this way, three important facets of the human body are honed, simultaneously, to their maximum degree of health: these facets are the physical body, muscles that are strengthened through posing; the internal body, the circulation other internal systems strengthened through breathing exercises; and the mind, which is calmed and taught concentration and release through maintaining relaxed, constant vision on a specific “looking place”. This changes, depending on the pose and one’s surrounding environment.
The Ashtanga routine itself generally consists of five phases: an opening prayer, to clear the mind and ready oneself for instruction; fundamental “asanas”, or poses, which stretch the body in ways easily recognizable to even beginning yoga enthusiasts; primary asanas, which increase the intensity and flexibility of the performer; finishing asanas, which consist of broader stretches intended to relax a hard-working body; and a closing prayer of appreciation and goodwill. Integrating a broadening of the mind with a broadening of respiration and physical strength, Ashtanga provides a unique, threefold relaxing intensity to anyone seeking physical fitness, stress reduction, or a few challenging additions to their regular yoga routine.
By Rachel Campbell