Today, the true purpose of yoga – to learn about oneself and find inner peace – is often lost amongst its many physical benefits. Thankfully, ashtanga yoga still exists and is all about bringing the practice back to its routes.
Here we’ll provide a basic introduction to the practice. Starting with a rundown of some of the key ashtanga yoga poses, before moving onto the benefits. Our aim is to help you see why in a world of exercise-centric yoga, ashtanga still has a lot of value.
What is Ashtanga Yoga?
Ashtanga yoga translates from Sanskrit, as ‘the eight limbs of yoga.’ The eight limbs were outlined in a text called the ‘Yoga Sutras’ by Patanjali, which was essentially a handbook for yogis that explained the purpose of practice and the principles they should strive to live by.
Although one of the eight limbs outlines the importance of the postures (or asanas) practiced in yoga, the remaining seven focus on spiritual and emotional discipline. These disciplines are fundamental to the practice of Ashtanga yoga, which is often deemed more traditional than some of the more westernized yoga styles practiced today.
A Brief History of Ashtanga Yoga
The practice of Ashtanga yoga dates all the way back to the early 1900s and is believed to have been created by the guru, Rama Mohan Brahmachari, who lived in a cave in the Himalayan mountains. He developed over 700 yoga postures from an ancient yoga text called the ‘Yoga Korunta’ and passed his teachings onto Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who stayed with him in Tibet for 7 years.
Krishnamacharya then took his learnings to Mysore in the 1930s, where he taught many students ashtanga yoga poses, including Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. Jois is often cited as the founder of Ashtanga, as he was the guru that popularized it in the West, back in the 1970s.
Today, Ashtanga is one of the most widely practiced types of yoga in the world and has a huge celebrity following, including the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Ralph Fiennes, and Sting.
Ashtanga Yoga for Beginners: What You Need to Know
It’s very structured
Ashtanga yoga is often likened to vinyasa yoga, however, there are fundamental differences between the two. While both are intense practices that encourage a constant flow between poses, vinyasa flows tend to vary from one class to the next. An Ashtanga yoga sequence will be the same every time.
It’s more traditional than other types of yoga
Ashtanga yoga is usually performed without the ‘extras’ that often come with westernized yoga classes, like music and mood lighting. You could say it’s stripped back so that you focus on the internal aspects of your yoga practice, rather than the physical benefits. It also includes aspects of traditional yoga like chanting and Ujjayi breathing, designed to calm the mind and warm the body.
It’s split into sections
Ashtanga practice is split into sections: an opening series, the main series, and a finishing ashtanga yoga sequence. Traditional mantras are usually chanted at the start of every practice, followed by 10 sun salutations (5 rounds of sun salutation A and 5 rounds of sun salutation B) and several standing poses, which make up the opening series.
The main series differs depending on your yoga experience and will either be primary, intermediate or advanced in nature.
It’s not really designed for beginners
Ashtanga yoga poses require strength, self-discipline, and determination. Classes can be quite intense and you may find them tough if you are brand new to yoga.
We’d recommend looking into hatha yoga first and learning some of the basic poses, rather than jumping straight into Ashtanga.
Having said this, one of the good things about ashtanga yoga is that it is practiced in Mysore style. Mysore is the city where ashtanga originated from and basically means ‘supervised self-practice.’ By making ashtanga more of an individual practice, students are able to move through sequences at their own pace.
The teacher will supervise each student individually, only adding a new pose to their practice when they feel they are ready. They will also advise students when they can move on from the primary series to intermediate.
Ashtanga Yoga Poses
After opening the practice by chanting a traditional mantra, you will complete 5 rounds of the sun salutation A variation. This includes 10 poses, which are linked together in the following sequence.
- Upward tree position (Urdhva Vrikshasana)
- Standing forward bend (Uttanasana A)
- Half standing forward fold (Uttanasana B)
- Low plank (Chaturanga Dandasana)
- Upward facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
- Downward facing dog (Adho mukha svanasana)
- Half standing forward fold (Uttanasana B)
- Standing forward bend (Uttanasana A)
- Upward tree position (Urdhva Vrikshasana)
- Mountain pose (Samasthiti)
Watch the video below for a detailed guide to completing Sun Salutation A.
You will then move onto 5 rounds of Sun Salutation B. There are 18 poses in this sequence.
- Chair pose (Utkatasana)
- Standing forward bend (Uttanasana A)
- Half standing forward fold (Uttanasana B)
- Low plank (Chaturanga Dandasana)
- Upward facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
- Downward facing dog (Adho mukha svanasana)
- Warrior I pose (Virabhadrasana)
- Low plank (Chaturanga Dandasana)
- Upward facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
- Downward facing dog (Adho mukha svanasana)
- Warrior I pose (Virabhadrasana)
- Low plank (Chaturanga Dandasana)
- Upward facing dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
- Downward facing dog (Adho mukha svanasana)
- Half standing forward fold (Uttanasana B
- Standing forward bend (Uttanasana A)
- Chair pose (Utkatasana)
- Mountain pose (Samasthiti)
Watch the video below for a detailed guide to completing Sun Salutation B.
Standing Ashtanga Yoga Poses
After the sun salutations, you will perform a sequence of 6 standing yoga poses. A basic Ashtanga yoga sequence may include:
- Big toe pose (Padangusthasana)
- Extended triangle pose (Utthita Trikonasana)
- Extended side angle pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana)
- Wide legged forward bend A (Prasarita Padottanasana A)
- Wide legged forward bend B (Prasarita Padottanasana B)
- Intense side stretch (Parsvottanasana)
Ashtanga Primary Series
Those new to Ashtanga yoga will need to learn and practice the primary series, known as ‘Yoga Chikitsa.’ This series contains a total of 41 poses, each of which are designed to purify and heal the body. Your sequence does not need to contain every single pose. Build it up over time, as you become more advanced in your practice.
Watch the video below for a great example of a primary series sequence for beginners.
Finishing Sequence of Ashtanga Poses
At the end of your ashtanga yoga practice, you will complete a finishing sequence, made up of 16 asanas. They are practiced in the following order to allow for a harmonious flow of energy through the body.
- Shoulder stand (Sarvangasana)
- Plow pose (Halasana)
- Knee to ear pose (Karnapidasana)
- Upward lotus pose (Urdhva Padmasana)
- Embryo pose (Garbha Pindasana)
- Fish pose (Matsyasana)
- Intense stretch (Uttana Padasana)
- Supported headstand (Sirsasana A)
- Supported headstand (Sirsasana B)
- Upward facing staff pose (Urdhva Dandasana)
- Child’s pose (Balasana)
- Locked lotus pose (Baddha Padmasana)
- Seal Pose (Yoga Mudra)
- Lotus pose (Padmasana)
- Lifting up from lotus pose (utpluthih)
- Corpse pose (Shavasana)
Benefits of Ashtanga Yoga
Thinking of giving ashtanga yoga a try? Here are a few of the ways it can benefit you.
Increased body strength – Ashtanga yoga poses offer a workout for the entire body. They’re very demanding of your muscles. With daily practice, you’ll get strong very quickly.
Improved flexibility – Ashtanga yoga is also great for increasing your flexibility, particularly in your hamstrings, shoulders, and calves.
Reduced body fat – In Ashtanga yoga, you will learn to lift your own weight and in turn, get leaner and more toned. It’s a style of yoga that promotes greater body awareness, which can also make you a more conscious eater. The cleaner you eat, the more weight you’ll lose.
Stress relief – Many people also turn to ashtanga yoga for stress management and finding inner peace. Although Ashtanga offers many physical benefits, the heart of its practice lies in discovering and strengthening the connection between the mind and body and understanding oneself.
Ashtanga Yoga – Is It For Me?
It’s fair to say that Ashtanga is very challenging, so if you are new to yoga, aren’t physically active or struggle with conditions like joint pain, it may not be the one for you to start with.
Ashtanga yoga will be a great choice if you enjoy yoga classes with a lot of structure. You’ll need to be quite physically strong to perform the poses and have good coordination. Whilst ashtanga should be practiced at your own pace, the flow between poses is very important, so you will need the stamina to keep going until the very end.
If you are looking for a traditional yoga practice that gives you the opportunity to gain more than just physical benefits, then Ashtanga is definitely worth your consideration. It has a much deeper meaning to it and will equip you with the knowledge and tools to enrich your life and realise your full potential.
Do you practice Ashtanga yoga poses?
Did you find Ashtanga difficult as a beginner? What drew you to it? Share your experience in the comment section below!
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