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The History and Philosophy of Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga is hot and energetic, synchronizing breath with poses connected with flowing movements.

image of Jessica Banks on Panama City Beach. a Reiki Master, Energy Healer, and YoginiAshtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a style of yoga as exercise created by K. Pattabhi Jois during the 20th century, often promoted as a modern-day form of classical Indian yoga. The style is hot and energetic, synchronizing breath with poses connected with flowing movements.

  • Ashtanga Vinyasa is a potent form of Hatha Yoga. The method integrates breath, movement, gaze and posture to open up the experience of the body, and to encourage the currents of our creativity to flow.
  •  Core Yoga is a flow geared to engage your abdominal muscles with core yoga poses that build a strong and stable center. All levels welcomed! But be prepared to sweat! 
  •  Strong Slow Flow: This class still has the feel of a typical vinyasa class while slowing down the pace of class. You will move mindfully while building both strength and balance on the yoga mat. Enjoy slowing down, moving mindfully but powerfully, and breathing deeply. Open to all levels.
  •  Vinyasa Yoga: The word “vinyasa” can be translated as “arranging something in a special way,” like yoga poses.In vinyasa yoga classes, students coordinate movement with breath to flow from one pose to the next.The teacher will choreograph the class and will accommodate all skill levels. 

Check out Jessica’s local Yoga Classes.

Toxins flow out of the body in order to purify it.

With the energetic, aerobic nature of Ashtanga Yoga, toxins flow out of the body and purify it. It is good for developing strength, flexibility, and stamina, in addition to opening the mind to the flow of insight and right-minded thinking and superior action.

Traditionally, Ashtanga Yoga is the eight-limbed path of conscious living and spiritual practice that guides one towards Self-Knowledge, liberation and cessation of personal suffering. It is presented in the Yoga Sutras which was compiled around 200 BCE by the great sage Patanjali.

The Eight Limbs of Patanjali's traditional technique are as follows:

The sage Patañjali is said to have attained Samadhi through yogic meditation at the Brahmapureeswarar Temple located at Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu, India.

  1. Yama – Restraints
    Ahimsa – non violence
    Satya – truthfulness
    Asteya – non stealing
    Brahmacharya – sublimating sexual energy
    Aparigraha – non greed
  2. Niyama – Observances
    Shaucha – purity within & without
    Santosha – contentment
    Tapas – discipline
    Svadyaya – Self / scriptural study
    Ishvarapranidana – surrender
  3. Asana – Posture
  4. Pranayama – Control of breath and prana
  5. Pratyahara – Directing the senses inwards
  6. Dharana – Concentration
  7. Dhyana – Meditation
  8. Samadhi – Unified consciousness

The sage Patañjali is said to have attained Samadhi through yogic meditation at the Brahmapureeswarar Temple located at Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu, India.

Translated from a treatise on the original Sutras by Patanjali from the 200 BCE:

“I bow with my hands together to the eminent sage Patañjali, who removed the impurities of the mind through yoga, of speech through grammar, and of the body through medicine.”

Regarding his early years, a Tamil Saiva Siddhanta tradition from around 10th century AD holds that Patañjali learned Yoga along with seven other disciples from the great Yogic Guru Nandhi Deva, as stated in Tirumular’s Tirumandiram.

Diagram of Ashtanga Yoga posesThe Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali are 196 Indian sutras (aphorisms) on Yoga.

It was the most translated ancient Indian text in the medieval era, having been translated into about forty Indian languages and two non-Indian languages: Old Javanese and Arabic. The text fell into obscurity for nearly 700 years from the 12th to 19th century and made a comeback in the late 19th century due to the efforts of Swami Vivekananda and others. It gained prominence again as a comeback classic in the 20th century.

Before the 20th century, history indicates the Indian yoga scene was dominated by other Yoga texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Vasistha and Yoga Yajnavalkya. Scholars consider the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali formulations as one of the foundations of classical Yoga philosophy of Hinduism.

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