10 Reasons I Love Ashtanga Yoga - MindBodyGreen.com

I practice and
teach all styles of yoga. I always ask a few questions of my clients and myself
before starting a yoga practice: What are the needs of the physical body? What are the needs of the mind? What are the needs of the spirit? Answers help determine if the practice will be Vinyasa yoga, Yin yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Viniyoga, Iyengar yoga, Power yoga, restorative yoga, or meditation.

One of my favorite schools of yoga is Ashtanga, a vigorous style of yoga that combines flow with static postures. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois began teaching Ashtanga yoga in 1948 with the?intention for every student to master each posture and series before moving on to the next one.

Below are 10 things I love about the Ashtanga practice:

1. I stay in touch with my breath.?

Five even inhalations and exhalations with every pose, reminds me to always be in touch with and work on my breath. Strong teachers pace the breath calls in a progressive way to help stretch it.

2. It?s a disciplined practice.?

In a led Ashtanga class, students practice in synchronicity and maintain extraordinary focus, which enhances the connectivity I feel with others and the universe at large.

3. It?s a hard-core physical challenge.?

All of the Ashtanga series require enormous strength and flexibility. Ashtanga keeps me on the ball and gives me an incredible workout. People often ask me how I get my muscle tone, and Ashtanga-inspired yoga is one of the ways I tone-up.

4. The practice demands deep concentration.?

I can?t tune out while doing Ashtanga yoga. To keep pace and protect my body from injury, there is nothing else I can think about other what I am doing at any given moment. It?s essential to pay close attention to alignment in this practice because the emphasis of Ashtanga yoga tends to be more on flow and breath and less on alignment (this is where an Iyengar background, which is completely alignment-focused, helps a lot).

5. It makes me sweat.?

Ashtanga creates awesome internal body heat; there?s no need for external sources of warmth to break a ridiculous sweat. In addition to enhancing my circulation and making me feel light and strong, the elevation of my body temperature makes my muscles more pliable, enhancing my flexibility.

6. It improves my muscle memory.?

There is a certain amount of repetition throughout the Ashtanga practice (for example: 5 sun salutations right at the get-go), which greatly improves my muscle memory. The result? What seems difficult at first gets easier over time.

7. It?s a balanced practice.?

Asthanga sequences are replete with salutations, standing poses, seated postures, forward bends, twists, back bends, hip openers, inversions, arm balances, leg extension and flexion, and shoulder opening. There isn?t a single part of my body that ever feels left out of this practice.

8. It's a powerful inward journey.?

With Ashtanga yoga I can truly be with my Self and get to know my spirit because pratyahara, withdrawal of the senses, enables me to shut out everything external to my mind and body.

9. I stay present.?

The focused gaze, also known as the Dristhi, is a significant part of the Ashtanga practice. An astute Drishti keeps my eyes from wandering, which prevents a large amount of distraction (80% of what we perceive through our senses comes through our eyes; and, our memories are 80% imagery).

10. There?s always room for improvement.?

Regardless of how advanced a practice may be, Ashtanga is a lifelong practice. Most bodies and certainly my own (which is quite strong and very flexible), need at least a lifetime to beautifully master the practice.?

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.com

Source: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-10189/10-reasons-i-love-ashtanga-yoga.html

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