Ashtanga
A brief reflection from my experience following a dozen years of devoted practice in the Mysore tradition…
Ashtanga Yoga is both a contemporary yoga practice and an ancient yoga philosophy! These are ultimately providing us with a pathway for cultivating meditation as a means of liberation from suffering and for realization of our true nature.
Finding the integration of the contemporary practice and the ancient philosophy is the unique path of each Ashtanga Yoga practitioner.
Like all genuine yoga, Ashtanga Yoga is a way of aligning with dharma while seeking to realize the unique purpose of our lifetime.
Ashtanga Yoga is a path of dynamic meditation.
It is a specific path in the vast field of Yoga that guides us through a contemporary breath-based movement practice and into an ancient theoretical grounding.
The contemporary breath-based movement practice, known as Mysore Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, was established by the guru Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009) following the inspiration of his guru, the fountainhead of modern yoga, Sri T. Krishnamacharya (1888-1989), in Mysore, South India in the 20th century.
The ancient theoretical grounding of Ashtanga Yoga, or the 8 limbs (“Ashta” = 8 and “anga” = limbs), is defined in the ancient Sanskrit text of the Yoga Sūtra that was composed by the mystical sage(s) Patañjali sometime between the 5th century BC and the 5th century CE and preserved in India throughout the centuries.
Both Ashtanga Yoga practice and Ashtanga Yoga philosophy offer detailed mapping into the body-mind. It is the journey of each practitioner to use these maps to discover one’s inner-landscape and outer-expression.
Many people come to Ashtanga Yoga when they are ready (perhaps desperate) to transform their lives, when they want to journey with guidance and gradual progression into a renewed sense of purpose, grounding, and vitality.
The contemporary practice of Mysore Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga supports real transformation by first refreshing the mind-body relationship. Through continued practice following its systematic methodology, we come to understand and experience our mind-body differently. This creates a steady opening into our deeper sense of self - an opening into greater possibilities of who we are and what we're capable of experiencing. This also makes us more actively curious about the underlying philosophy, i.e. where does this come from and where does this go?
The ancient philosophy of Ashtanga Yoga as defined by Patañjali supports further transformation by calling into focus the multi-layers of all our relationships, the relationships we have with our own mind-body and with those of others. It offers guidelines that encourage a new sense of belonging - an invitation into renewed social relationships that are grounded in yogic principles. At the same time, the philosophy provides a conceptual framework for attaining greater levels of concentration, contemplation, and meditation as yoga practitioners. This shifts our priorities from seeking ephemeral and unreliable external validations to attaining more substantial and long-lasting inner peace.
It’s often said that anyone can practice Ashtanga Yoga except for lazy people. Ashtanga Yoga takes devotion, especially to stay on the path.
Ashtanga Yoga offers a real challenge for those who really need their demons to be challenged.
~ Sandi H.
Mysore, Karnataka
South India ~ March 2025
