Yoga is practiced all over the world today. There are several asanas, poses, and types of yoga that people perform. Out of many yoga forms, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga are carried out vividly.
Don’t we get confused between Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga?
In the end, we all want to cleanse ourselves from mind, body, and soul. Gaining true self-knowledge and taking care of our health are crucial. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is one practice to achieve these goals.
What is Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga?
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is part of the asana section. It is a part of Hatha Yoga. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga demands higher energy, concentration, and focus. People who perform this asana realize the kind of internal heat it generates in the body. It is eight-limb yoga. It is said to remove all negativity and purify the mind and soul. This form of yoga follows a six-part series of asanas. However, one has to be careful in practice as you have to follow the sequence, such as Yoga Chikitsa, Nadi Shodhana, followed by Sthira Bhaga. It is best to do it with your yoga guru to get the asanas right.
History and Origin of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga saw its traditional roots in the ancient text written by Vamana Rishi. The text is known as Yoga Korunta. Over time, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, a form of yoga, was widely spread by Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois. Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois received knowledge from Sri T. Krishnamacharya in the later years of the 1920s. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is considered the origin of most vinyasa practices. It is popularly practiced in Western countries. Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga gets its name from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which are the foundational principles of yoga.
Difference between Ashtanga and Vinyasa
People ought to get confused when it comes to Ashtanga and Vinyasa forms of yoga. In Ashtanga Yoga, you perform the same sequence of postures each time. Vinyasa is more liberal and allows you the liberty of freestyle posing.
Ashtanga poses comprise primary series like forwarding bends. It is followed by a secondary series of backbends. The Advances series focuses on arm support and arm balancing. The poses’ complexity increases as one becomes more pro-active in the earlier sequence. With Vinyasa, it is a teacher-driven pose. It offers a challenging peak pose.
5 Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Poses To Start
1. Chaturangadand Asana (four-limbed staff pose)
- Start with the plank position.
- Hands under your shoulders.
- Straight legs higher from ground level with toes facing inwards.
- Bend elbows on exhaling till shoulders are in a straight line with that of elbows.
- Inhale/ exhale to remain in balance and repeat.
2. Urdha Mukhasvanasana (upward dog pose)
- Lie on your belly, keeping your feet hip-distance apart.
- Hands near lower ribs.
- Keep your legs straight down, pressing the toenails to engage Mula Bandha.
- Rotate inner thighs towards the ceiling but outer ankles to the midline
- Hold five breaths, release, and repeat.
3. Adho Mukhasvanasana (downward dog pose)
- Keep your hips above your knees and your shoulders above your wrists.
- Bring hands to shoulders and spread the fingers.
- Roll the upper arms away, and the forearms spiral inward.
- Press your hands and lift your hips.
- You can bend your knees.
- Release the pose after five breaths.
4. Suptakurmasana (sleeping tortoise pose)
- Sit with your hands behind you.
- Cross the ankles.
- Hold your head on the ground with your heels.
- While exhaling, try reaching the arms behind you.
- Enfold it around the legs and keep the hands tight.
- Pull the feet tight, hold a breath for five seconds, and release.
5. Urdhvadhanurasana (upward bow)
- Lie on the floor.
- Bend knees with feet hip-width apart.
- Keep hands towards the head with fingers pointing to the shoulders and elbows pointing up.
- Press your feet to the floor as you inhale and lift your hips upwards towards the ceiling.
- Hold for five breaths and release.
What are the six series of Ashtanga yoga?
There are Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga poses in 6 series that is-
- The primary series of ashtanga Vinayasa consists of Yoga Chikitsa. It is Yoga for health.
- The intermediate series comprises Nadishodhana. It is also called the nerve purifier.
- The advanced series has Sthira Bhaga. It is further divided into Advanced A, B, C, and D. It is for centring of strength.
Benefits of Ashtanga Yoga
There are so many benefits to doing Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. Below are some of the of the primary benefits of doing Ashtanga yoga in daily life.
1. Improves Flexibility
Just like any other yoga asana, Ashtanga yoga gradually builds flexibility in your muscles. However, being a physically demanding yoga regime, you put your body into strenuous postures and push it to stretch. As a result, your flexibility improves efficiently and quickly.
2. Increases Strength
Considered to be one of the most challenging forms of yoga, when you practice Ashtanga yoga, you hold the weight of your body on your leg or hands. As a result, it builds endurance and strengthens your core. Additionally, an increase in strength and flexibility makes you less susceptible to injuries.
3. Reduces Body Fat
The energetic Asthanga Yoga practice session usually lasts for about 90 minutes, during which you sweat a lot. Daily practice helps in burning fat, and you get leaner. Increasing physical strength while practicing Ashtanga Yoga builds muscles and makes your body toned.
4. Relieves from Stress and Anxiety
Once you have memorized the sequence in the primary series, you don’t have to focus on maintaining the pose as it comes naturally. As a result, you can relax and achieve a meditative state that relieves you of stress and anxiety.
5. Lowers Blood Pressure
By controlling your breathing and developing a breathing technique, you train your heart to pump blood effectively to all extremities. Extending your exhalations and inhalations strengthens the blood vessels, improves the heart’s function, and reduces blood pressure.
6. Increases Mental Focus
As you attain a meditative state, you stop dwelling in the past and begin to live and enjoy the present. By taking time off from the rush of your mundane life and overthinking, you get more focused and creative. By instilling a better sense of rhythm, Ashtanga Yoga improves balance, coordination, and focus.
7. Improves Cardiovascular Fitness
Since breathing control is the centerpiece of Ashtanga Yoga, it is an excellent cardio workout exercise. As you practice and shift postures swiftly and continuously, it increases your heart rate and helps you to stay fit and get in shape.
8. Accentuates Mental Healing
Ashtanga Yoga makes you aware of your breathing as you move your body and coordinate it with your breath. During this course, by isolating your mind from external factors, you remove any negative influence. By attaining inner union and self-realization, you feel calm, liberated, and stable.
Tips for Beginners
Being physically challenging, Ashtanga Yoga can be intimidating in the beginning. It is natural for beginners to get disheartened or demotivated and even quit halfway. Here is some advice for budding yoga practitioners:
- Start small and gradually build up.
- It is okay to fail in the beginning.
- Surrender yourself to the process.
- Watch tutorials.
- Focus on controlling the breathing.
- Do not compare with others.
Wrapping up
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga offers numerous advantages. People perform this eight-limbed path of Yoga for the cessation of personal pain, liberation, and self-knowledge. It calms you and you have entire control over your body movements. It enhances the concentration level. This form of Yoga helps to strengthen the muscles.
This Yoga greatly improves heart health and helps you stay fit.
Practicing leads to a positive mindset and a stress-free life. An instructor skilled in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga will guide your poses accurately. Incorporate it into your routine, and you’ll achieve your goals.
