Ashtanga Yoga Vs Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
The term “Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga” has been used to separate the physical practice of Ashtanga from the full 8 limbed experience. I don’t know where this started but both Sharath and Pattabhi Jois, lineage holders for Ashtanga Yoga, made it clear that Ashtanga Yoga is an 8 limbed practice. Below is an excerpt from a recent conference with Sharath on Ekam Inhale Blog Sharath started the conference by saying that the first four limbs of Ashtanga Yoga (Yama, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama) are the external limbs that you can practice. The next four (Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi) are internal. He went on to explain the Yamas and Niyamas. The Yamas…
False Positivity Is Not Yoga
Taken from my sister blog wellnessfrominside.com written by Shanna Small ” I will not be less than I am to make you comfortable”-from Jonathan’s Facebook wall When I started this blog, I knew I was not going to write about rainbows and butterflies and how you can find love and light. There are enough people doing that. Why? Because covering up shit with perfume still leaves you with a pile of shit. The real work begins when we search out all the deep dark places and bring them to the light of day. This blog has always been about the path to enlightenment which has been called, “the dark night of…
Memories of Guruji
Beautiful story written by Daniela Ceccarelli, KPJAYI Level 2 Ashtanga Teacher in Ashtanga Magazine of a wedding performed by Pattabhi Jois and other events. I was captivated by this article. You will be too! Here is an excerpt. See the rest at Ashtanga Magazine. By 2004 I was ready to return with my new partner, Peter. The new Shala had been open for a couple of years and almost everything had moved to Gokulam. I left the boys with their father and we settled into the Gokulam lifestyle. We had arrived with the intention of asking Guruji to find an auspicious date for us to have a little celebration, maybe later…
Check This Out: What’s Faith Got To Do With It?
Original Article by Peg Mulqueen found at Elephant Journal Everything takes practice. Everything. And crazy as this may sound, it’s our practice in the midst of enormous challenge, that can actually bring about the most change. Because the very resistance threatening our growth, will also be responsible for helping us develop what it is we must cultivate to move on. As long as we practice. I have read so many stories about Guruji’s broken English—and yet, was it really? How he answered questions almost nonsensically, with a pat: “Ah yes. Take practice.” He invited no deep analysis and entertained little discussion. Despite the coined phrase, “bad man/lady” that’s been handed down, it…
Check This Out: Ashtanga Yoga is Not Hatha Yoga
Guy Donahaye wrote an awesome post this morning on Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga. For the original article, Go here Ashtanga Yoga is not Hatha Yoga There has been much debate about the origin and development of Pattabhi Jois’ system of asanas over the years. There has been much less interest in placing his asana system in the context of ashtanga yoga as a whole, or indeed, the yoga darshana as a whole. Guruji used to say that his teaching was “original Patanjali Yoga.” What are the implications of this? Modern scholars have been quick to assert that the practice of asanas did not appear until about 1000 years ago in…
Ashtanga Opening Mantra
Excerpt from Ashtanga Opening Mantra Vanda Gurunam Charanaravinde Sandarashita Svatmasukhavabodhe Nishreyasa Jangalikayamane Samsara Halahala Mohashantyai I worship the Guru’s lotus feet Awakening the happiness of the Self revealed Beyond comparison, acting like the jungle physician To pacify delusion from the poison of existence
Making the Philosophy and Poses of Ashtanga Accessible for All
