Ashtanga (Vinyasa) Yoga

Ashtanga ( Vinyasa ) Yoga is an Indian hatha yoga system in the tradition of T. Krishnamacharya, which for Western students mainly asana (postures ) and pranayama ( breath control ) includes. Meditation was taught only very rarely to Western students. It is now taught, for example, by members of the family of Krishna Pattabhi Jois in Ashtanga Yoga Nilaya ( school in Mysore, India) or Manju Pattabhi Jois ( in Encinitas, California, USA) and one of the most important and most sophisticated, but also difficult systems of Hatha Yoga. This method of Ashtanga Yoga means, among other things, to synchronize the breath with six ( in an older, some still widely used counting: four, in the Krishna Pattabhi Jois originally taught systematics: three) specified series of dynamically executed yoga poses. Classes are usually only the first series, " Roga Chikitsa " (Sanskrit for " disease treatment " ), or even just part of it. Many modern hatha yoga styles (all " dynamic ", " Power", " Vinyasa ", "flow", etc. styles) are derived from this yoga.

This school of hatha yoga is not to be confused with the more philosophical system of Raja Yoga, which is based mainly on the "Yoga Sutras " by Patanjali and also for the term " Ashtanga Yoga" will be used. Strictly speaking, the Hatha Yoga system understands ( with the two members asana and pranayama) as a part of the system of philosophy (the eight limbs Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi ).

The famous Indian students are Manju Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangaswamy (the son or the grandson of Krishna Pattabhi Jois ). Among the most famous Western students include David Williams, Nancy Gilgoff, David Swenson, Tim Miller, John Scott, Richard Freeman and Lino Miele.

History

It is not known how old the system is and how long it has been passed down orally. According to the Sanskrit and Yoga scholars Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, the oldest written source of the manuscript "Yoga Korunta " is for this Ashtanga Yoga System ( Sanskrit for "Yoga Groups" ) by Vamana Rishi, who described it on palm leaves centuries ago should have. Krishnamacharya found claims to be a copy of the manuscript in the library of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta). He taught from 1927 Krishna Pattabhi Jois and others in this yoga. From 1937 KP Jois taught yoga at the Sanskrit College this even in Mysore. In 1948 he founded the " Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute " at his home in Mysore. In 1964 he had his first Western students ( André van Lysebeth ). In 1973 he started for the first time, a Westerner (David Williams ) into the complete system. Only in the 1990s it was known by celebrities like Madonna and Sting. Today in most western countries, including Germany, well-trained teachers for it.

Sources and Literature

  • K. Pattabhi Jois: Yoga Mala. North Point Press, New York 2002
  • David Swenson: Ashtanga Yoga The Practice Manual. Ashtanga Yoga Productions, Houston 2008
  • Lino Miele Ashtanga Yoga, Under the guidance of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Angelo Miele, Roma 1994
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