Ashtanga Yoga, in Shanghai
The practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga...
Why Ashtanga?
Ashtanga, is the gateway into the practice of vinyasa. Through its deep connection to breath, and the precise arrangement of poses within the series, ashtanga offers its practitioners a unique window into the beauty of vinyasa. And by practicing this specific sequence of poses, each movement linked to a specific breath, those practitioners get the chance, over time, to really feel and understand the intricacies of what is going on through this movement, to experience the changes it creates from day to day, and, eventually, to understand why it is structured the way it is.
The great thing about Ashtanga is that it is a specific sequence. Working with and through the same poses every day, you will get a deep understanding of both the poses and the vinyasa connecting them. And you will start to see the changes that they make to your body as you go a little further, a little deeper, every day. Other practices, working on completely different asanas from one day to the next, give a broad view of practice, but a superficial one, mastering none of it.
It’s this philosophy, which I saw at play when watching Ashtanga practitioners progress compared to those practicing “flow” or “power” yoga, that inspired me to work on the focused sequences we have here for our flow classes. All of the “innovations” that I’ve attempted to make to our “flow” practice here at Red Door Yoga began by looking back at Ashtanga, the traditional practice from which flow originally derives, and seeing what had been forgotten. So, for those who want a deep, in depth understanding of the practice of Vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga, in my opinion, is the place to begin.
Understand the old to gain fresh insight into the new...
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga has cloudy, controversial origins. But wherever it began, it was brought to life in its modern form by two men: Krishnamacharia and his student, Sri K Pattabhi Jois.
Krishnamacharia is the father of modern yoga, at least as practiced outside of India. Popularizing the physical practice of yoga, in part through demonstrations given by his students, he is the teacher to many of the modern masters: the legendary BKS Iyengar, Desikachar, Pattabhi Jois, the list is long and prodigious.
Each of Krishnamacharia’s students was given a practice specific to himself. So, while Iyengar, whose health was constantly suffering during his youth, was given a slow practice focused heavily on perfecting every subtle intricacy of each posture, Jois learned a much more athletic, fluid, style.
That style is Ashtanga Yoga. A specific sequence of postures, linked with specific inhalation and exhalation, it is fluid, fast paced, and complete. It begins with Primary Series, a practice that typically takes a couple of years to finish, and from there moves on to more and more advanced asana, enough to fill a lifetime of practice.
Jois was often quoted as saying “99% practice, 1% theory”, and this philosophy showed through in his teaching style. Students were encouraged to just get down and do the work, on a daily basis, which, from the perspective of Ashtanga, is the only way to develop an understanding of both the physical practice, and its more subtle aspects.
Here at Red Door Yoga, we share this idea. While it’s important to understand what you’re doing, there’s no better way to develop that understanding than to just get down on the mat and do the work, practicing. It’s there that you’ll see the effects, and only through commitment to practice. Once you’ve practiced for some time, and begun to feel what you’re doing, then you can start to look at it deeper and understand it further.
To see what Pattabhi Jois has to say about this practice, click here.
Ashtanga Yoga Sequence Charts: