Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is based on Ashtanga Yoga philosophy which has been around for thousands of years. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga was first mentioned in Yoga Korunta and has been passed down through the lineage of teachers to Sri Krishna Macharia and than to current guru of Ashtanga, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. The system has six series, but most practitioners work on the first (Primary) and second (Intermediate) series.

Linking Ujjayi breath with Bandhas (muscular “locks”), movement, concentration of sight and the flow of Vinyasa makes Ashtanga a dynamic meditation.

Building blocks of Ashtanga:

  • Vinyasa – specific sets of movements with exact timing and numbers of inhalations and exhalations which connect individual asanas and give the practice continuous flow.
  • Dristi – directions toward which sight is focused during the practice of each asana and step o Vinyasa. These include the tip of the nose, mid-eyebrow, toes,hand, navel, upward, left or right in distance.
  • Bandhas - Mula bandha – “root lock”, which activates the muscles mainly in pelvic floor and perineum.
  • Uddiyana bandha – the activation of the muscles of the lower abdomen (below the navel).
  • Ujjayi breath – the slight constriction in the glottis and partially closing the epiglottis , which helps us to regulate and lengthen the breath. The epiglottis, or the lid on throat, isclosed when we swallow and opened when we breathe. The air flowing through this smaller opening makes a gentle hissing sound that we can listen to during the entire practice.
  • Tristana – the interconnection of the three main blocks of Ashtanga. Synchronization of breath/movementbandhas and drishti. Tristana can be achieved by repetitions, so only through regular practice can this become natural and translate into a light graceful flow.

The Primary Series is built to gradually open and strengthen our physical body and rid it of toxins and other accumulated impurities. The focus is on linking a steady breath with movement and concentration. The breath is the bridge between the body and the mind, so the growing awareness of the body during practice slowly increases the ability to control and channel our mind.

Vinyasa is the link between the individual asanas, whichgives the practice fluidity and balance. We stay in each asana for given number of breaths and work on lengthening the breath and also making inhalation and exhalation equal. During practice, the muscles are strengthened and stretched internal organs and glands are stimulated, and the bone density is increased. The heat created by the practice helps burnoff accumulated physical and emotional toxins and impurities.

The whole Ashtanga Vinyasa sequence is comparable to a day from sunrise to sunset. We start with a warm-up, gradually adding deeper and more challenging movements until we reach the climax . Finally, we make our way onto the more subtle and harmonizing part of the practice and complete relaxation at the end.