About
Ashtanga Yoga is an ancient system of Yoga that was taught by Vamana Rishi in the Yoga Korunta. This text was imparted to Sri T. Krishnamacharya in the early 1900’s by his Guru Rama Mohan Brahmachari, and was later passed down to Pattabhi Jois during the duration of his studies with Krishnamacharya, beginning in 1927.Kino MacGregor offers some insight on what it takes to be a ‘good’ Ashtanga teacher. It’s a unique way of teaching and learning, one that takes years to cultivate and requires much trust from both student and teacher.
“The teacher is someone who asks a lot of the student, pushes them where they need to be pushed and takes them to places they would not otherwise go. When that happens, an emotional release often follows and the teacher must be there for the student every step of the way.”
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The Benefits of an Ashtanga Yoga Practice
According to the Ashtanga yoga tradition of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, practitioners are “supposed” to practice asana six days a week. Jois, also known as “Guruji” designated Saturday as the day of rest, since Saturday corresponds with bath day in India….
One huge difference between Ashtanga Yoga and other Vinyasa styles is the fact that, in Ashtanga, the sequence remains the same each time you practice. This might be once or twice a week, but traditionally it’s everyday (except Saturday). This article addresses some of the feelings that can occur with the day-in, day-out ‘sameness’ of it all. Especially if your body feels ready to move on, the mind gets restless. But what is there to gain from accepting and moving through these phases….
From the article: The reason I keep doing ashtanga is that it requires so much more of me, it challenges me in deeper ways, makes me confront myself in ways that other forms of asana practice do not. It forces me to evolve, or suffer, to keep going deeper and finding mystery in the mundane, fascination in the familiar.
