Vinyasa

Vinyasa means union between breath and movement. Every movement is lead by an inhalation or exhalation. The time you move, is the time you breathe. Your body follows this natural rhythm.

In the tradition of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga every Yoga-Posture (=Asana) is entered and left in an certain defined order of Vinyasa movements - counted through from standing to standing. So every Asana has an defined number of Vinyasa movements to enter and to leave it. (This Numbers are named in the Asana-Vinyasa-Guide on this web page.)
So Ashtanga Yoga becomes a very precise practice. Always doing the same movements with two good reasons: Yogis believe that there is an energy field penetrating everything. Every action done influences this energy field. So you can imagine how powerful the energetic impingement through the ancient Ashtanga Yoga practice is. Thousands of Yogis doing the same movements every day for some thousand years! - You can feel this energetic field you enter with your Yoga practice. A field strong enough to carry you on and on from vinyasa to vinyasa right through your practice.

During the practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga not all of the Vinyasa movements from and back to the standing position are done. - They are just counted this way - But between all positions, and even between the different sides of one position there are some certain Vinyasa movements. Normally up and back to the downward facing dog position. (For detail just have a look to the Asana-Vinyasa-Guide on this web page the Vinyasa movements done are printed in bold letters, the ones just for counting are narrow lettered.)
As you see, there are lots of Vinyasa movements in the Ashtanga Yoga practice and only short periods of static during the Asanas (= Yoga positions). People coming from other Yoga styles sometimes fell strange with this. They may think: "Why are there all this Vinyasas between the Asanas?" But this feeling is based on a misunderstanding. In Ashtanga Yoga we don't do Vinyasas between Asanas, but Asanas between Vinyasas. The Asanas are pauses between the steady flow of Vinyasa.
Lots of heat is created through this Vinyasa movements. The Ashtanga Yogi sees the human body like glass. If you want to bend glass while it is cold, it will break. But if you get glass hot enough it will bend easily. The same it is with the human body. If you want to do Yoga positions with no heat, you might hurt yourself.

Sometimes in the counting system of Ashtanga Yoga there are two following Vinyasas both lead by an inhalation. Or one Vinyasa which has an too long movement for only one inhalation or exhalation. That often leads to confusion. So notice: Every Vinyasa has one inhalation or exhalation to LEAD the position but sometimes some more breathing to do it. Those additional breathings are as well part of the traditional system. (In the Asana-Vinyasa-Guide they are printed in brackets.)

Ashtanga Yoga is a very simple system, so all the Vinyasas to enter and leave an Asana (from standing to standing) are not named but just counted through. So the mind has no names to worry about. Every number indicates an new Vinyasa, an new movement in union with an inhalation or exhalation. The counting traditionally is performed in the holy language of Sanscrit:

EKAM 	          =   1
DVE               =   2
TRINI             =   3
CATVARI	          =   4
PANCHA	          =   5
SAT               =   6
SAPTA 	          =   7
ASTAU	          =   8
NAVA	          =   9
DASA	          =  10
EKADASA	          =  11
DVADASA	          =  12
TRAYODASA         =  13
CHATURDASA        =  14
PANCADASA         =  15
SODASA	          =  16
SAPTADASA         =  17
ASTADASA          =  18
EKONAVIMSATIH     =  19
VIMSATHI          =  20
EKAVIMSATIH       =  21
DVAVIMSATIH       =  22
TRAYOVIMSATIH	  =  23
CATURVIMSATIH	  =  24
PANCAVIMSATIH	  =  25
SOVIMSTIH         =  26
SAPTAVIMSATIH     =  27
ASTAVIMSATIH	  =  28