Ashtanga Yoga – A path to connect with the nature
Ashtanga Yoga is a powerful style of yoga, commonly promoted by K. Pattabhi Jois throughout the late 20th century, as an alternative to traditional, “old-school” yoga. He claimed to have learned the system from his teacher, Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who was also a great master in the ancient art of Ashtanga Yoga. The style is highly energetic, revolving around steady, purposeful breathing. Students are encouraged to move freely and sense their connection with the earth as it vibrates with the breath.
How to master Ashtanga Yoga?
When you first engage in ashtanga yoga, you will be given a series of asanas, or positions, to perform. The asanas are not technically difficult, but they do require a great deal of dedication to master. It is through these asanas that the sequences are revealed and taught. In order to properly perform any asana, proper breathing is required. If you haven’t already tried inhaling and exhaling deeply at the beginning of each asana, then this is the best time to do so.
For this reason, it is best to start out with a series of asanas that allow you to practice breathing techniques, prior to trying out ashtanga yoga exercises. Begin by taking a deep inhale before you bend your knees. Next, exhale as you raise your hips toward your chest and finalize the sand by repeating the breath. Repeat these techniques as many times as you are comfortable.
In order to master ashtanga yoga, you should start out with only three to four poses. As you become more comfortable, you can add additional poses as your skill level increases. You will find that the more poses you practice, the easier the transitions will be between different asanas. In addition, you will find that you do not have to completely change your routine, if you do not want to. You can simply take a few asanas, modify them, and keep practicing.
Another beneficial aspect of ashtanga yoga is that you can progress from one level to another very quickly. Instead of spending several months learning how to do one pose perfectly, you will be able to move on to the next in a matter of weeks. As you move through each primary series, you will gain further skill and confidence. This confidence will help you when you begin learning more difficult poses, as you will feel as though you can proceed with minimal instruction.
Gather motivation and start off with this wonderful yoga practice
If you really want to get your ideal shape, you need to do ashtanga yoga consistently. Even if you are a seasoned yogi, you may not be able to spend every single day as you would like if you are attending a class once or twice a week. Therefore, it is extremely important that you stick with your routine and schedule and complete the entire series as prescribed.
In order to progress from one ashtanga yoga pose to the next, you must master each asana first. This may sound easy but if you do not understand the instructions well enough, you will not be able to progress to the next level. Therefore, if you really want to advance to the next level, you must master all five asanas. Again, this might take some time but as you master each pose, you will find that it becomes easier to perform the series as well.
The ashtanga yoga practice consists of the Yogic disciplines of yamas (restraints), niyamas (observances), asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), samadhi (meditative absorption) and pratyahara (retracting senses). As mentioned above, it also includes the aspect of pratyahara (retracting senses). All these aspects must be understood as it is part of the path to enlightenment. Therefore, the practitioner must learn to discipline themselves. They should be able to learn to relax and let go of their mental anxieties in order to experience samadhi or samadhis niyama.
