Ashtanga Yoga or Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga or Power Yoga or Sweaty Yoga:
Is Ashtanga Yoga or Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga or Power Yoga or Sweaty Yoga (Bikram Yoga) same?
Yes. All are same.
Ashtanga Yoga is that which has eight limbs or eight parts. 'Ashtanga' is a samskrita word which is made of two words - 'ashta' (eight) and 'anga' (limbs). Yoga is a system or path which can be used for excellence of one's being. This system or path is trodden by the people who want to reach at the aim of life - "Complete merging with the Infinite Consciousness or Divine Mind or GOD or Nirvana (no-thing-ness)". Some scientists of Yoga found one path as enough to reach at the aim, some detected two, some three, four, five, six, seven and some discovered eight. The eightfold path of Yoga is called Ashtanga Yoga. In the Yoga world, two types of Ashtanga Yoga are popular, one discovered by Gautam Buddha बुद्ध; and other by Sage Patanjali.
ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA:
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In 18th century a refined form of Sage Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga was introduced by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) at Mysore, and later it got popular by Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga. T. Krishnamacharya was an influential Indian Yoga teacher, healer and scholar. His students include many of today's most influential teachers: B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, the late Indra Devi, Srivatsa Ramaswami, and Krishnamacharya's own sons T.K. Srinivasan, T.K.V. Desikachar and T.K. Sribhashyam.
Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois developed a new form of Ashtanga Yoga named Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, which has become very popular in the west. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a physically demanding, more aerobic version of Yoga. Nevertheless, its goal is far from merely developing a sexy physique. Ashtanga Yoga simply takes a more vigorous approach on Asana (= posture) and Pranayama (= breath control), which are both basic aspects of nearly all Yoga traditions. In particular, every Asana is linked to the next one by a specific way of breathing (=Ujjayi Pranayama) and moving (= Vinyasa). The result is a gracefully flowing, animated sequence.
Index:
Ashtanga Yoga of Buddha
Ashtanga Yoga of Sage
Patanjali
Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga
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Right belief (samyag-dristi, sammā-ditthi) - Realizing the Four Noble Truths viz. - i. the Suffering, ii. the Origin of Suffering, iii. the Extinction of Suffering and iv. the Path that leads to the Extinction of Suffering.
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Right mindedness (samyak-samkalpa, sammā-samkappa) - The immovable conviction. Or, the commitment to mental and ethical growth in moderation.
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Right speech (samyag-vāc, sammā-vācā) - Lie not, but be truthful. Speak the truth with discretion, fearlessly and in a loving heart. Waste not the time with gossip, but speak to the purpose or keep silence.
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Right actions (samyak-karmānta, sammā-kammanta) - Wholesome action, avoiding action that would do harm.
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Right livelihood (samyag-ājīva, sammā-ājīva) - One's job does not harm in any way oneself or others; directly or indirectly (weapon maker, drug dealer, etc.).
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Right effort (samyag-vyāyāma, sammā-vāyāma) - One makes an honest effort to improve oneself.
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Right concentration (samyak-smriti, sammā-sati) - Mental ability to see things for what they are with clear consciousness.
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Right meditation (samyak-samādhi, sammā-samādhi) - State where one reaches enlightenment and the ego has disappeared.
Ashtanga Yoga of Sage Patanjali:
- Yama (Moral Conducts or Self Controls)
- Ahimsa (non-violence)
- Satya (truthfulness)
- Asteya (non-stealing)
- Brahmacharya (celibacy)
- Aparigraha (non-cravings)
- Niyama (Observances)
- Saucha (cleansing or purification)
- Santosh (contentment)
- Tapa (austerity)
- Swadhyaya (self study)
- Iswara Pranidhan (Surrender to Dharma)
- Asana (Postures),
- Pranayam (Breathing Techniques),
- Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses from external objects)
- Dharana (Concentration)
- Dhyana (Meditation) and
- Samadhi (Complete merging of one's finite consciousness with Infinite Consciousness)
Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga (MSAY):
The Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga method lets each student have an individualized practice which is developed and overseen by the teacher. Postures are learned one by one, and as they are mastered, the student gradually builds up a personal practice. This is the way yoga was taught by Sri K Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, South India which is why it has become known as "Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga" teaching - its rather like receiving a private class in a group setting with all levels practicing at their own pace, but at the same time.
MSAY has 3 aspects which are emphasized as the main components of Ashtanga Yoga. These are as under:
1. Vinayasa - Vinyasa
means breathing and movement system. For each movement, there is one
breath. For example, in Surya Namskar there are nine vinyasas. The first
vinyasa is inhaling while raising your arms over your head, and putting
your hands together; the second is exhaling while bending forward, placing
your hands next to your feet, etc. In this way all asanas are assigned a
certain number of vinyasas.
The purpose of vinyasa is for internal cleansing. Breathing and moving
together while performing asanas makes the blood hot, or as Pattabhi Jois
says, boils the blood. Thick blood is dirty and causes disease in the
body. The heat created from yoga cleans the blood and makes it thin, so
that it may circulate freely. The combination of the asanas with movement
and breath make the blood circulate freely around all the joints, taking
away body pains. When there is a lack of circulation, pain occurs. The
heated blood also moves through all the internal organs removing
impurities and disease, which are brought out of the body by the sweat
that occurs during practice.
Sweat is an important by product of vinyasa, because it is only through
sweat that disease leaves the body and purification occurs. In the same
way that gold is melted in a pot to remove its impurities, by the virtue
of the dirt rising to the surface as the gold boils, and the dirt then
being removed, yoga boils the blood and brings all our toxins to the
surface, which are removed through sweat. If the method of vinyasa is
followed, the body becomes healthy and strong, and pure like gold.
After the body is purified, it is possible to purify the nervous system,
and then the sense organs. These first steps are very difficult and
require many years of practice. The sense organs are always looking
outside, and the body is always giving into laziness. However, through
determination and diligent practice, these can be controlled. After this
is accomplished, mind control comes automatically. Vinyasa creates the
foundation for this to occur.
2. Tri-sthana (three places) - This
means the three places of attention or action: posture, breathing system
and looking place. These three are very important for yoga practice, and
cover three levels of purification: the body, nervous system and mind.
They are always performed in conjunction with each other.
Asanas purify, strengthen and give flexibility to the body.Breathing is
rechaka and puraka, that means inhale and exhale. Both the inhale and
exhale should be steady and even, the length of the inhale should be the
same length as the exhale. Breathing in this manner purifies the nervous
system. Dristhi is the place where you look while in the asana. There are
nine dristhis: the nose, between the eyebrows, navel, thumb, hands, feet,
up, right side and left side. Dristhi purifies and stabilizes the
functioning of the mind.
For cleaning the body internally two factors are necessary, air and fire.
The place of fire in our bodies is four inches below the navel. This is
the standing place of our life force. In order for fire to burn, air is
necessary, hence the necessity of the breath. If you stoke a fire with a
blower, evenness is required so that the flame is not smothered out, or
blown out of control.
The same method stands for the breath. Long even breaths will strengthen
our internal fire, increasing heat in the body which in turn heats the
blood for physical purification, and burns away impurities in the nervous
system as well. Long even breathing increases the internal fire and
strengthens the nervous system in a controlled manner and at an even pace.
When this fire is strengthened, our digestion, health and life span all
increase. Uneven inhalation and exhalation, or breathing too rapidly, will
imbalance the beating of the heart, throwing off both the physical body
and autonomic nervous system.
An important component of the breathing system is mula and uddiyana bandha.
These are the anal and lower abdominal locks which seal in energy, give
lightness, strength and health to the body, and help to build a strong
internal fire. Without bandhas, breathing will not be correct, and the
asanas will give no benefit. When mula bandha is perfect, mind control is
automatic.
3. The six poisons - A
vital aspect of internal purification that Pattabhi Jois teaches relates
to the six poisons that surround the spiritual heart. In the yoga shastra
it is said that God dwells in our heart in the form of light, but this
light is covered by six poisons; kama (lust), krodha (anger), moha (delusion), lobha (greed), matsarya (envy), and
mada (pride). When yoga
practice is sustained with great diligence and dedication over a long
period of time, the heat generated from it burns away these poisons, and
the light of our inner nature shines forth.
The beauty of Mysore Style is that you have a practice which is
individually tailored to your needs, a routine you practice at your own
speed in your own internal mental space. It has a very meditative quality
and is adjusted according to age, state of health and flexibility. The
instructors are available to help with the postures by means of hands-on
adjustments and reminding you of the sequencing should you forget. In this
way students are able to go deeper into the postures and are able to learn
to do things they never thought possible.
A Mysore practice is developed slowly over days, weeks and years so that
the student is able to memorize the sequencing and the body is gradually
able to adapt to the postures. This is the traditional way of learning
yoga, one on one from teacher to student - large group classes are mostly
a modern western phenomenon.
We suggest that students who are new to Ashtanga Yoga or new to the Mysore
Style approach to teaching should come and observe the way a class works
and talk to the teacher about an appropriate time to get started. There is
no need to make an appointment - just turn up whenever a Mysore class is
scheduled. Daily practice is recommended, though in some cases three times
a week may be sufficient. There are also beginner classes on the schedule,
but these are not a pre-requisite to joining the Mysore Program.
There are no drop ins to Mysore classes except for students with an
established daily mysore practice of Ashtanga Yoga. Students who want to
establish a regular ashtanga practice buy monthly membership for these
classes.
View the course as under:
