Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga: Definition, Principles, Practices & History

Published on March 25, 2021

Since the late 1990s, Ashtanga has been considered one of the most popular forms of yoga in the Western world. Ashtanga centers on a vigorous physical practice that includes a series of poses linked together with breath to form a continuous sequence. The practice demands an intense level of physical strength, flexibility, and endurance, which explains why many people see it as a rigorous and challenging workout. Whether you’re just starting out in yoga, or looking for something new as your goals change, adding an Ashtanga yoga class to your daily workout is a good way to keep your mind and body healthy and strong.

What Is Ashtanga Yoga?

The word Ashtanga is comprised of two Sanskrit words, “Ashta” and “Anga.” “Ashta” refers to the number eight, while “Anga” means limb or body part. Therefore, Ashtanga is the union of the eight limbs of yoga, into one complete, holistic system. These eight-limbs of yoga represent the various branches of the philosophy of the yoga sutras that form the foundation in the Ashtanga Yoga School. The Ashtanga philosophy is to integrate all of the eight limbs of yoga, which include: Yama (moral codes), Niyama (self-discipline), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (oneness with the self).

Ashtanga is a very dynamic and athletic form of hatha yoga, made up of six series or levels, with a fixed order of postures. It is rooted in vinyasa, the flowing movements between postures, with a focus on energy and breath. While it is a very physical practice, it also promotes mental clarity and inner peace.

Ashtanga posture sequences

Usually, students begin an Ashtanga practice with five repetitions of Sun Salutation A and Sun Salutation B. This is followed by a set of standing poses, in 5 repetitions, then a set of seated poses. After you have mastered these three pose sequences, your instructor will guide you through the advanced series, Advanced A, and Advanced B, Advanced C, and D.

Where did Ashtanga Yoga begin?

Originally, Ashtanga Yoga was created by T. Krishnamacharya as an individualized practice for his young energetic student K. Pattabhi Jois in the early 20th century. The fast paced sun salutation movements are thought to have been influenced by the exercises of Indian wrestlers and gymnasts. Jois was a dedicated student, and he further refined and promoted this new style and soon began teaching others. These exhilarating and challenging posture flows were designed to purify the body to offer peace of mind, and eventually gave rise to many different styles of hot yoga, flow or Vinyasa Yoga, and power yoga.

The Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, which promotes the teachings and trainings of Ashtanga, is located in Mysore, India. Pattabhi Jois’s grandson, R. Sharath Jois, is the current director of the institute and is the senior authority on the practice. There are many other famous Ashtanga yoga instructors teaching all over the world including David Swenson, Kino MacGregor, Richard Freeman, Maty Ezraty, Tim Miller, David Williams, Chuck Miller, and Tim Feldmann.

Key Principles and yoga practices

There are several key principles that underlie the practice of Ashtanga. This multiple-pronged approach promotes  physical health and mental wellbeing. These five principles are necessary for a successful ashtanga practice.

  1. Ashtanga Yoga VinyasaUjjayi pranayama: This specific breathing technique is used throughout the practice. The victorious breath is a slow audible breathing technique used to warm, energize and increase focus and concentration. Additional pranayama techniques are only taught to advanced students.
  2. Drishti: A specific drishti, or focal point, is used in each asana. This helps create a more focused and meditative practice.
  3. Vinyasa: The core of the practice is synchronizing the breath to the sequence of postures and transitions in the series.
  4. Bandha: The engagement of the bandhas, or body locks, is encouraged throughout the class to seal in the prana energy and create core stability.
  5. Daily practice: A six-days-per-week routine is encouraged, with Saturday as the rest day. “Moon days,” the days on the full and new moon are also rest days, and women often refrain from practicing during menstruation.

What is the difference between Ashtanga and Vinyasa Yoga?

Ashtanga is a set sequence of asanas while vinyasa is more free-style and improvised. Ashtanga classes begin and end with the class chanting Sanskrit mantras. Vinyasa classes are more popular in gyms and yoga studios and are often heated and play music during the practice.

What is the purpose of Ashtanga?

The intensive physical processes in Ashtanga are all about pushing through mental blocks, and emotional baggage to cultivate mental clarity, mindful breathing, physical strength, flexibility, and endurance. The structure and frequency of the practice is designed to help you quickly improve your body and overall wellness. The set sequence of posture creates a strong framework that allows one to focus on the inner limbs of the yoga sutras.

Benefits Of Ashtanga Yoga

The benefits of Ashtanga yoga are numerous. It is known to be strenuous, so it is great for athletes and people that are looking for a good workout. Like most styles of hatha yoga, Ashtanga focuses on breath, poses, and meditation. A regular yoga practice can improve your flexibility, breathing, and balance. It can increase your stamina, bone density and muscle strength, control your bodyweight, lowers your blood pressure and relieve stress. The benefits of the Ashtanga yoga are not only limited to physical factors. It also helps mentally and spiritually by boosting mental clarity, creating mental calmness and developing better concentration in daily life.

Ashtanga classes

You will find two different types of classes: Ashtanga Led and Ashtanga Mysore. During Ashtanga Led classes, the participants are led by a teacher through the primary, intermediate and advanced series together.

Mysore-style Ashtanga is an open practice time where students move through the same sets of asanas in each sequence but at each students own pace. You will still have the guided help of a trained yoga teacher, but you will need to learn and memorize the asanas and sequences more in this studio class. You can expect to receive more personal attention and hands-on adjustments in a Mysore-style yoga class.

Can beginners do ashtanga yoga?

As it is complicated, precise and physically challenging, Ashtanga is not the best style of yoga for beginners to practice, but beginners are still welcome to start. Because it provides specific and structured movements, you’ll be able to clearly see your improvements and progress. It’s also helpful because the primary sequences start with the kinds of movements and poses that are better suited for beginners. The primary series, also known as Yoga Chikitsa, or Yoga Therapy, is it focuses on centering, and building up a strong and healthy body for the more challenging series that follows. With the emphasis on individual instruction in Mysore-style classes, it’s also great for knowing when you’re doing your asanas correctly.

Is Ashtanga for me?

If you’re a person who needs one-on-one individual instruction, you might benefit from Ashtanga classes. If you’re a seasoned yogi, or you want something that makes it easier to measure your progression in the movements, and is easy to modify the asanas to suit your needs, Ashtanga may be the style of yoga you need. It’s also great if you want to focus your yoga practice on building strength and physical health. Ashtanga can help everyone from beginner to more advanced yoga practitioners.

Ashtanga offers people a highly structured approach to asana practice. You’ll always know when you’re progressing, and be able to tailor your approach to best meet your needs. With regular practice it can bring flexibility, strength, and focus and can also improve your mental state, giving you increased focus and clarity.

Share with

Friends

Our Latest

Yoga Articles
  • Best Time to Meditate

    Finding the Best Time to Meditate: Tips and Advice on When to Sit

  • Purusharthas

    Purusharthas: The Four Goals of Life

  • Trimurti

    Trimurti: The Hindu Trinity of Brahma Vishnu Shiva

  • Brahman

    Brahman: Definition, Meaning, and Philosophy

  • Yoga Nidra

    Yoga Nidra: Meaning, Benefits, Videos and Tips

  • Living Like a Yogi

    17 Rules for Living Like a Yogi

  • heart opening yoga poses

    The Best 16 Heart Opening Yoga Poses

  • Negative Energy in a Person

    18 Clear Signs of Negative Energy in a Person

Remove Ads with a

Premium Membership

Viewing ads supports YogaBasics, which allows us to continue bringing you quality yoga content. Sign up for a premium membership to remove all ads and enjoy uninterrupted access to the best yoga resources on the web.

Explore More

Yoga TipsAdviceArticlesPracticesBasicsTechniques

  • Daily Yoga Routine at Home

    8 Tips to Maintain a Daily Yoga Routine at Home

  • yoga pose symbol

    5 Popular Yoga Poses And What They Symbolize

  • TKV Desikachar

    Remembering TKV Desikachar 1938-2016

  • yoga on carpet

    Practicing Yoga on Carpet: Pros, Cons and Top Tips

  • Ways to Clear Negative Energy

    24 Ways to Clear Negative Energy From Your Body and Home

  • Yoga for Self-Care

    How to Use Yoga as a Self-Care Tool

  • yogi

    What is a Yogi? And How Do You Become One?

  • Tantra Yoga

    Tantra Yoga – Defined and Demystified

  • Back-bending Yoga Pose for Envy

    Stop, Breathe and Shift: How to Conquer Yoga Envy

24 responses to “Ashtanga Yoga: Definition, Principles, Practices & History”

  1. harika Avatar
    harika

    I’m not that much of an internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your website to come back and read more about Ashtanga and the other styles and practices of yoga.

  2. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    Thank you so much harika! We really loved reading this article. My interest in learning this method took me to various different committed teachers until I found Ulu yoga who are totally devoted to Ashtanga.
    They were like a breath of fresh air and are an expert skilled teaching team with emense wisdom that has clearly developed along with the method to now be able to offer well balanced up to date teachings

  3. Mary Avatar
    Mary

    Great work!

  4. Nancy Cremets Avatar
    Nancy Cremets

    Ashtanga Yoga originated in India from the teachings of a sage named Patanjali and continues to be practiced today. It evolved out of the Hatha Yoga tradition, which emphasizes proper breathing and body alignment. Ashtanga yoga is named after its founder, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who is widely revered for his knowledge of the human body and his ability to teach yoga to a wide range of abilities. Though Pattabhi Jois was exceptionally gifted as an instructor, he emphasized the necessity of teachers having the proper body alignment and breath control to properly teach this discipline.

    1. Smita Avatar
      Smita

      Thanks. I was supposed to buy a book to know about Ashtanga yoga theoretically which costs around $25 & somehow i found it here 😇😇😇.

  5. agario conaty Avatar
    agario conaty

    Thank you so much for sharing this information. This is a fantastic resource on what Ashtanga means, and why it’s so popular. I have recently started practicing Ashtanga Yoga and am loving it. I would like to know more about its history and principles.

  6. A S Viswanathan Avatar
    A S Viswanathan

    Ashthanga Yoga is blessed by our tamil sithar Ayya Thirumoolar in his book Thirumandhiram, and not by somebody like T. Krishnamacharya as is told, The detailed verses for this Yoga is there in Thirumanthiram written by Thirumoolar some 3000 years back.

  7. David Rao Avatar
    David Rao

    This is an amazing resource for anyone interested in learning more about Ashtanga Yoga. It has some good information regarding its history and principles. However, there are some inaccuracies. For example, it says that ‘Vinyasa’ is another form of Ashtanga. Actually, Vinyasa means flow. So, they are two different things.

  8. Suresh Kannan Avatar
    Suresh Kannan

    I have always wanted to learn more about Ashtanga Yoga but didn’t know where to begin. Now I feel like I have a good understanding of what it entails.

  9. Lia Koers Avatar
    Lia Koers

    I have been practicing Ashtanga Yoga since last 5 years. I am very much impressed by the information provided here. Thank You so much for sharing this wonderful knowledge.

  10. Relo Avatar
    Relo

    Loved reading this blog. Simply written and it hit the nail on the head for me as l am in YTT.

    I am definitely hooked fo years after this one.

  11. Kirti Mandelia Avatar
    Kirti Mandelia

    You have done a wonderful job explaining what Ashtanga is. You have given us a clear picture of what Ashtanga Yoga means and the principles behind it.

  12. Molen boro Avatar
    Molen boro

    This article is very well written and explains the history of Ashtanga Yoga in detail. I have been practicing Ashtanga Yoga since 2009 and find it extremely beneficial.

  13. Joseph Sander Avatar
    Joseph Sander

    The information provided here was detailed and well-structured, providing me with even more clarity on t Ashtanga Yoga! Thanks for sharing!

  14. Meghan Goldman Avatar
    Meghan Goldman

    This is a great article about Ashtanga Yoga. It was very informative and gave me some insight into the history of this practice. I found the information about the principles to be especially helpful for me as a beginner. Thanks for taking the time to write such a comprehensive guide – it’s exactly what I needed!

  15. Tom O'Connor Avatar
    Tom O’Connor

    I love the way Ashtanga Yoga challenges my body and mind. It’s a great way to really take my practice to the next level

  16. ATHLETICULT Avatar
    ATHLETICULT

    If you know anything about India and it’s culture, you’d know that no indian woman would let her teacher touch her like Jois was touching when he was doing adjusting. it seems that Jois managed to “sell” Athtanga only to naïve westerners that were willing to listing with very little critical thinking.

  17. Celine Blanc Avatar
    Celine Blanc

    I’ve been practicing yoga for years, but I’ve never tried Ashtanga Yoga. This article convinced me to give it a go. I’m intrigued by the synchronized breath and movement and the challenge of the primary series.

  18. Miki Smitht Avatar
    Miki Smitht

    It’s helpful to know the differences between Ashtanga Yoga and other types of yoga. Thank you for providing such a clear and concise guide.

  19. Natalie Carter Avatar
    Natalie Carter

    This article has been a great resource for me to understand the history and philosophy behind Ashtanga Yoga

  20. Hannah Murphy Avatar
    Hannah Murphy

    I found it fascinating to learn about the history and philosophy behind Ashtanga yoga. I was surprised to learn that Ashtanga yoga is actually a relatively modern form of yoga, having only been developed in the last century.

  21. Katharyn Hearst Avatar
    Katharyn Hearst

    The idea of “vinyasa” – linking breath with movement – is emphasized in Ashtanga yoga. I am curious about how this specific breathing technique enhances the practice.

  22. Dave Krom Avatar
    Dave Krom

    I can see why Ashtanga would be great for athletes looking for a good workout. It sounds like a perfect combination of physical intensity and mindfulness.

  23. Evan Schwabe Avatar
    Evan Schwabe

    A six-days-per-week routine? That’s some serious commitment!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Timothy Burgin Avatar
About the author
Timothy Burgin is a Kripalu & Pranakriya trained yoga instructor living and teaching in Asheville, NC. Timothy has studied and taught many styles of yoga and has completed a 500-hour Advanced Pranakriya Yoga training. Timothy has been serving as the Executive Director of YogaBasics.com since 2000. He has authored two yoga books and has written over 500 articles on the practice and philosophy of yoga. Timothy is also the creator of Japa Mala Beads and has been designing and importing mala beads since 2004.
Yoga Basics