IT is the breath that stirs the body into motion, each breath in harmony with a series of asanas (postures).
As the rhythm of the breath and body alerts the mind and soul, the body produces intense internal heat that detoxifies muscles and organs. Circulation is improved, the body becomes light and strong, the mind finally learns to relax.
This is ashtanga vinyasa yoga. “Ashtanga vinyasa yoga is the most artistic form of all yogas, the most fluid that it’s like a dance.”
Developed by Sri K. Pattabbi Jois, founder of Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India, ashtanga vinyasa yoga is one of several styles of yoga. One of ashtanga’s offshoots is called power yoga, a term more familiar to gym rats than yogis.
The difference between power yoga and ashtanga vinyasa is akin to eating fast food and fine-dining. “There are eight limbs taught in ashtanga vinyasa which every yogi will try to achieve in his/her lifetime. The gym version will, at best, teach only two of those eight limbs.”
And that’s probably because of the time element: Gym schedules are always pressed for time, and often aim to deliver that “burn” and “crunch” sensation.
In a yoga studio, classes can easily go as long as an hour and a half, with benefits that go way beyond the physical. A newbie to ashtanga vinyasa, in fact, will first have to spend a good 20 minutes learning how to breathe the ashtanga way. “Ashtanga vinyasa yoga is a way of being. You become aware of your body, how your frame of mind affects the way you stretch or hold a pose. It’s like learning a new language.”
Artistic expression
It is the artistic expression in ashtanga vinyasa yoga and the dance-like movement.
Vinyasa, the art of breathing, helps keep the mind focused on the moment. Breathing is calm and steady, through the nose, and audible. Step into an ashtanga vinyasa class and the stark contrast to other forms of yoga is immediately apparent—students are breathing, and breathing loud.
