What is Ashtanga Yoga?
These days Ashtanga Yoga is seen as a type of yoga decended from Sri T. Krishnamacharya and developed by Sri Pattabhi Jois, born July, 1915.
It was first mentioned by Patanjali in the yoga sutras over the second and third chapters.
When Sri Pattabhi Jois was 12 years old he was inspired by a yoga demonstration at his school in Hassan given from Sri T. Krishnamacharya.
in 1931 Sri T. Krishnamacharya received an invitation to teach at the Sanskrit College in Mysore. Unfortunatley Krishnamacharya's strictness and harsh teaching style caused many students to take a serious dislike to learning from him and the classes dwindled. The Maharaja of Mysore was very fond of Krishnamacharya and was in need if his teachings as his diabetic illness was helped by the practice of yoga. He offered Krishnamacharya the palace's gymnastics hall as his own personal yoga school.
Krishnamacharya's students were primarily active young boys so holding yoga postures for long periods of time almost imposible for their fast paced scattered minds. It was from this problem the youth had in focusing that Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga was developed. making it also idea for the minds of westeners.
Ashtanga Yoga used faster paced flows of yoga postures woven in and out of Sun Salutations. The movements were linked with the breath (vinyasa yoga).
Krishnamacharya then created the yoga sequences into
Primary series called Yoga Chikitsa
For beginners
Intermediate series called Nadi Shodana
Once the beginner series was mastered.
Advanced series called sthira bhaga for the most advanced yoga practitioners.
|
