Ashtanga Yoga = Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga = Power Yoga? - An introduction to an ancient and sweaty Yoga system

Ashtanga Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Dynamic Yoga, Power Yoga, ... - these terms are often used synonymously. SO WHAT IS ASHTANGA YOGA?

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga became a very hip and trendy style of yoga during the past 20 years. But it is also a very old yoga path with a tradition reaching centuries back. Indeed, the practice of Ashtanga Yoga has most probably remained the same for thousands of years in the form that we still follow today.

Perhaps Ashtanga Yoga has recently become so popular because the practice looks very cool and it shapes your body into something even cooler. It is true that 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.

This "dance of the breath with the body" links things that seem to be contrary: Power and ease are united like bride and groom. Vitality and repose come together as one. Endeavour and effortlessness are combined in a harmonious union.

The Ashtanga Yoga Series works like a combination lock. If you do the right moves in the right order, the mind and the body automatically open up. Starting from very simple positions, the core Ashtanga practice consists of six progressively more difficult series. Depending on the individual breathing rhythm, each one requires from 90 minutes to three hours to complete. Thus, the beginner and the advanced practitioner can find a demanding workout suited to his potential and challenging his personal physical and mental limitations.

Ashtanga Yoga is often touted as "a workout that can change your life - if you survive it". Beginners in particular often forget that yoga is about realizing one's true nature and not about getting their feet behind their heads. Caught in this trap, they risk injury. The body will automatically become more flexible and more powerful, but it takes time. In the course of the practice, one will become more and more aware of the true fruits of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, far beyond what mere words can describe. Mental well-being, self-awareness and energetic awakening are just feeble attempts to express the nature of what one can experience.

The name Ashtanga Yoga itself links the practice to a philosophical, inner and meditative tradition. "Ashtanga" means "eight-folded path", referring to an ancient philosophical tract, by the Indian sage Patanjali. As many people understand Patanjali's Yoga Sutra as a guideline for meditation, usiing this term to describe a sweaty, aerobic form of Yoga can leads to a lot of confusion. To avoid this, some people refer to the system as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Power Yoga or Dynamic Yoga.