Ashtanga yoga: what is it?

Ashtanga yoga: definition

A style of yoga inspired by hatha yoga

THE ashtanga yoga is a form of yoga derived from hatha yoga, a yoga mainly composed of rhythmic postures with his breathing. Through each movement, the goal being tobring energy and strength to your entire body and especially to reduce back pain. 

The difference lies in the fact that the series of postures remain unchanged regardless of your coach, and the difficulty of the postures increases as the class progresses.

A bit like a choreography which increases in intensity! You must master one posture to be able to perform the next one, and so on. 

The goal: to remain patient and humble!

A dynamic practice

Thanks to your breathing, the body remains dynamic, the body temperature increases and allbody goes into detox mode.

Ashtanga yoga allows you to find a balance : it brings you tone, energy et strength, all in avoiding pain. Great promise for staying fit and healthy, right?

In the practice of this yoga, we begin with standing postures and sun salutations (as we do a lot at Studio POSES). 

This allows to release tension, of concentrate on your breathing, and of become aware of your body. This allows you to have a more open mind, more serene and to be in better health.

The foundations of Ashtanga yoga

Ashtanga yoga is a discipline with a philosophy very particular which is based on 8 principles. We tell you more!

The behaviour

When you are a true ashtanga yogi, you wear a pay particular attention to our relationships with others. 

It exists five principles which must be respected: not to be greedy, to be faithful or abstinent, not to steal, to be honest and not to harm anything or anyone. 

This may involve being vegetarian, vegan, or vegan. It's a whole lifestyle!

Self-discipline

Succeed in apply to yourself the rules you impose on others, it is sometimes the most difficult. And yet it is one of the pillars Ashtanga yoga. 

Know the sacred texts, demonstrate kindness, of satisfaction, clean up your mind, your body and your home... a little discipline and of rigor, this is the secret to living a more serene life according to Ashtanga yoga experts.

The postures

Our famous postures ! It is with them that we energizes your body and mind, that we stabilizes our emotions, our little daily ailments, and that we boost our self-confidence. 

Reaching the nirvana of zen with a few yoga postures is still great! So in the practice of Ashtanga yoga we take the time you need, but we try to do all the positions of the flow.

The breath

THE breath, that's life ! Do you think we're breaking down open doors? And yet breathing well can bring you much more. Concentrating on your breathing is reduce stress and release tension from the body. 

Who says relaxed mind and body, said openness to others and boost of self-confidence. Yes, yes, it’s promised.

Mastery of your senses

To be open to the world and turned towards others, we must empty the head and body of all parasitic tensions. 

It's immediately easier to listen to your body and mind when you put aside everything that upsets you and focus only on the essentials.

Concentration

Focusing on how you feel is very important in Ashtanga yoga. Feel things It's good, analyze it et accept it it's even better. 

And for that you have to spend a little time on the question... which brings us to the next point: the meditation.

Meditation

There meditation it is a very difficult exercise which consists of not to think of anything. Not easy in our hyperactive urban lifestyles. But just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it’s inaccessible.

First we must show patience (try, try, try again), but also rigorous (really apply yourself). But how can I think about nothing when I have to think about thinking about nothing? 

Yes it seems a bit absurd, but the secret is concentration, THE breath, self-discipline et to be in peace with the world (therefore having irreproachable behavior).

Enlightenment

This is the last pillar. Reach enlightenment is to reach a state of full consciousness : nirvana. Nirvana is simple, it's when you feel freed from all your suffering. 

The first to reach it was Buddha who made it a whole philosophy of life: Buddhism.

To achieve nirvana, you must free yourself from all your desires by taking care of your body, your environment, and clear your head. Magical, no?

Ashtanga yoga & benefits: a practice that does you good

Benefits for your physical and mental health

For your body

Ashtanga yoga is as beneficial physically as it is mentally. Let's start by looking at what it does for your body:

• During an Ashtanga yoga class, you spend more energy than you think, but also your body temperature increases, which helps you to eliminate more toxins.
• The different postures you perform will mobilize multiple joints. This will therefore greatly contribute to strengthening the latter.
• THE positions help you gain flexibility as well as endurance throughout the classes. The more you repeat them, the more you will progress towards performing them with perfect form.

For your mind

Yoga also allows you to free the mind, but not only :

• THE breathing exercises and meditation allow to better understand stress and also help you to reduce feelings of anxiety.
• Each session helps you know your body better et become aware of your facilities and difficulties to achieve certain postures.
• To hold the positions, master the sequences and your breathing, you must stay focused at all times. You will therefore feel your concentration skills improve at the end of each Ashtanga yoga class.

Ashtanga yoga and traditional yoga: what are the differences?

One of the first differences between the traditional yoga and the ashtanga yoga lies in the fact that theashtanga yoga is a more dynamic form of yoga.

In fact, the postures are held for several breaths (never more than 10) and the transitions between the poses follow each other dynamically and in a very precise order.

You should know that compared to traditional yoga,Ashtanga yoga places great importance on breathing. Each inspiration and expiration are adapted according to the positions.

Another essential point of Ashtanga yoga: the postures remain the same each session. Indeed, this type of yoga is characterized by 6 series of poses. Series that increase in difficulty, but don't worry, everyone has their own pace. 

From the beginning to the end of the course, you can take your time and find your rhythm in order to master them and become a true yogi.

In the practice of Ashtanga yoga, you must be able to perform each series of postures with the correct form before you can move on to the next one. This therefore requires a physical and mental investment more important than traditional yoga. 

You will put your patience and concentration to the test to become better class after class.

Styles derived from Ashtanga yoga

Vinyasa yoga

THE vinyasa yoga, just like Ashtanga yoga, is a form of yoga that is rather turned towards dynamism. The sessions are all different and the coaches are more free to create original flows. 

To give you an example, at Studio POSES, each coach has his signature flow inspired by vinyasa yoga !

To find out more about the Vinyasa yoga, see our article on the subject. 

Power yoga

THE power yoga is a type of yoga that offers a rather “fitness” focused. THE rooms are heated to 40°C to facilitate perspiration and thereforeelimination of toxins. 

During power yoga classes, we emphasize postures that require a fairly high level of physical effort.

Bikram yoga

Bikram yoga is also a discipline that is practiced in high heat, but unlike power yoga, bikram yoga sessions are very similar.

You will thus be able to work your muscles and focus your workout sessions yoga on muscle strengthening !

And at POSES Studio what yoga do we practice?

At the house of Studio POSES It is 50 min workout inspired by yoga, rhythmic, immersive and accessible for all levels. Our coaches, full of energy and super attentive, are here to guide you from the start to the end of your yoga class. 

Coming to POSES Studio means practicing yoga with a yoga teacher in the dark in the middle of the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. 

So what are you waiting for, try yoga in our studio with minimalist and solar design ? You will not be disappointed…