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| ASHTANGA YOGA |
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ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA
Ashtanga Yoga is a sequential system of postures linked by movement
and breath. This system comprises three series of Asana called
Primary, Intermediate and Advanced A, B, C & D. The Primary Series
is called Yoga Chikitsa, meaning body therapy. The Intermediate
Series is called Nadi Shodhana, meaning nervous system purification.
The Advanced Series (A, B, C & D) are collectively known as Sthira
Bhaga or steady strength.
Although it is important to learn the postures in the correct order
with the Ashtanga Yoga method, it is the cultivation of the breath
that is paramount. By focusing on the breath rather than just the
achievement of the postures, the practice brings you into deeper
contact with your Self. The linking of breath with movement is the
foundation of the tradition as it combines the three elements of
Breath, Body and Mind. That is Pranayama, Asana and Drishti, or
looking places. These are known as the Tristhanam, or the three
places of attention.
The breath is the vehicle by which the body and mind are observed,
purified and transcended. It is through self-practice and
self-observation that a non-judgmental attitude can be developed.
This peaceful quality is particularly cultivated by focusing on the
flowing nature of the breath. |
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SHRI KRISHNA PATTABHI JOIS
Shri. K. P. Jois is the founder of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. He was
born on the full moon of July 1915, in the small village of
Kowshika near Hassan in the state of Karnataka India. In 1927
Shri T. Krishnamacharya came to K.P. Jois school to give a Yoga
demonstration. This meeting was the spark which fired twelve
year old Jois’ passion for Yoga. He began his studies of Yoga
with Krishnamacharya in 1930 and continued to be his student
until 1945. Shri K. P. Jois' formal education also began in the
year 1930 at the Mysore Maharaja Sanskrit College where his
studies included Sanskrit Sahitya Veda and Advaita Vedanta. In
1937 he was elected Professor and Head of Department of Yoga at
the Sanskrit College and remained in this position until 1973.
He married Savitramma in June 1937, a love match, when he was 22
years old.
In 1948 Shri K. Pattabhi Jois established the Ashtanga Yoga
Nilayam in the suburb of Lakshmipurum in Mysore to practice,
refine and teach the Ashtanga Vinyasa method. For over fifty
years he taught classes from the small downstairs room of his
house. It was from this room that the phrase "Mysore-style" was
born. Beginning at 5:00am the first set of twelve students would
enter and find a place for their mat. There were five students
in the front row, five in the back row and two facing sideways
in the middle of the room, with a bare hand-span of distance
between the mats. The students would chant the Ashtanga Yoga
Mantra with Guruji and then commence their practice with
Suryanamskara A.
The room would be silent except for deep breathing and the
occasional comment from Guruji such as “Put it your head down!”
or “No, No! Bad lady! Grab it your foot fingers!” or more rarely
“Uh...correct.” When back-bending was complete and a squash in
Paschimottanasana was given by Guruji, the students would be
sent upstairs to complete the finishing sequence on their own.
Students that had been waiting on the stairs for a practice
space would be able to begin their practice when Guruji called
to them saying “Yes, yes! One by one you come!"
With great honour Guruji had the new Ashtanga Yoga Nilayam built in the suburb of Gokulum, opening in January 2003. Although the new Yoga room can hold over fifty students at one time there are still many who need to wait 'on the stairs'. Pattabhi Jois was assisted there for some years by his daughter Saraswati and his grandson Sharath.
Dear Guruji passed away at the age of 93 on the 18th May, 2009 and he will be sadly missed. Now that Sharath has taken on the major responsibility of teaching and managing the students, the tradition handed to us by this wonderful man continues to live and grow.
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SHRI TRIMULAI KRISHNAMACHARYA
Professor Shri T. Krishnamacharya is considered to be the
grandfather of modern Yoga. He was born on November 18th 1888 in
the village of Muchukundapuram in the state of Karnataka India.
Shri Krishnamacharya's lineage can be traced to the Yogi
Nathamuni who was a ninth century South Indian saint. Nathamuni
is renowned for two great works in Sanskrit and Yoga, the
Nyayatattva and the Yoga Rahasya. Krishnamacharya’s initial
education was under his father who taught him the Vedas and the
other religious texts. He lost this precious guidance at the age
of ten when his father died. The entire family then moved to
Mysore to join his grandfather who was the head of the Parakala
Math. It is here that he studied Sanskrit grammar, Vedanta and
Tarka (logic) under the religious Guru to the Maharaja of Mysore.
Over the subsequent years Krishnamacharya learned all six of the
traditional schools of Hindu philosophy. He became renowned for
his ability to cite passages from all the texts at will and won
great praise for his insight and knowledge.
In his early adult years Krishnamacharya made a long pilgrimage
through northern India, eventually finding his way to Tibet and
the village of Mansarovar. There he met his Guru, Ramamohana
Brahmachari and after prostrating and declaring his dedication
was told he could stay. He was then introduced to his teacher’s
wife and three children. Krishnamacharya lived with his teacher
for seven and a half years learning Asana and Vinyasa practice,
Yoga therapy, Pranayama and Yoga philosophy. Upon leaving his
Guru, Krishnamacharya was told two things “Get married and teach
Yoga“. It was after practicing for over 25 years that he began
to teach.
Krishnamacharya was offered a position in Mysore by the Maharaja
Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar to set up a Yoga program at the
Jaganmohan palace. He accepted, apparently despite numerous
offers elsewhere, mainly to be closer to his family of origin.
It was from this location that he taught many students including
K.P Jois and B.K.S Iyengar. In 1925 he married Namagiriamma and
through this union his family grew to include six children.
Shortly after India obtained its independence the newly placed
local government was forced to close the school down due to
insufficient funding. Krishnamacharya and his family then
relocated to Madras in 1950.
It is through Krishnamacharya’s teachings that the systems of
Ashtanga Yoga (K.P. Jois), Iyengar Yoga (B.K.S. Iyengar) and
Vini Yoga (T.K.V. Desikachar) were each developed. In the early
years at the Jaganmohan palace Krishnamacharya taught the
Vinyasa Krama method; the linking of postures together in
sequence by numbers. This has since been called “Ashtanga
Vinyasa Yoga” by Shri K.P. Jois. It has been said that
Krishnamacharya's understanding of the Vinyasa method was
confirmed through his discovery of a copy of Rishi Vamana's
“Yoga Korunta” at Calcutta University. As there is no written
documentation to verify this, the exact knowledge of the Yoga
Korunta passed with Krishnamacharya.
Shri T. Krishnamacharya's style of teaching Yoga changed over
time. He used the Ashtanga Vinyasa method early on in his
teaching years, though apparently he also always focused on the
individual needs of the student. He believed that creating
personal programs and teaching them on a one-on-one basis was
the most beneficial and therapeutic way a student could practice
Yoga. By taking into account the practitioners life (age, body
type, family responsibilities and profession) a unique system of
Yoga was developed for each student. Creating an individual
program allowed Krishnamacharya to apply his understanding of
all his life's research into a well rounded Yoga program that
included Pranayama, Asana, meditation, chanting and the study of
scriptures.
Krishnamacharya's legacy should also honour the love and
devotion he had for his family. He was offered the position of
Head Swami of the Parakala Math but he chose to decline. His
reply to each of the three times that he was asked was that he
wished to spend time with his family. Krishnamacharya passed
away in 1989 at the age of one-hundred. His later teachings
continue to be taught by his son and grandson in Madras India. |
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