Ashtanga yoga Vinyasa is one of the oldest forms of yoga. Eight limbs that. It may be 5000 years old but it owes its popularity to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who under the careful eye of his guru Krishnamacharya founded The Ashtanga Yoga Reasearch Institue in Mysore, India focused at instructing this exact type of yoga.

The benefits provided by ashtanga yoga series encapsulate the entire being, physical, emotional, and mental.   Physically it gets rid of diseases, making it strong and light, allows the body to absorb and maintain prana that is believed to prolong life span. This helps us focus and see things clearly while helping us to let go of our emotions. While opening the mind at the same time it also improves the analysis of sensory data.

How is Ashtanga Yoga Vinyasa Performed?

Often termed to as the athletic yoga because of its discipline and interlinking system of Vinyasa, ashtanga yoga vinyasa is a group of particular asanas or postures that are done in a chronological order,beginning with the ten sun salutations followed by standing, seating and ending moves. A minimum of five breaths is held when one is in the full expression of the asana. The adbomen and thorax are used when breathing in Ashtanga. By pumping it out the lungs get rid of the air. Vinyasa means breathing along while moving thus deep breathing is encouraged in order to increase vitality.

The various postures are done so one may become aware of all the parts of the body, and as awareness is reached the life force is pointed to that area. When awareness is absent chronic diseases are said to develop. As one learns to breathe into all areas of the body, it is believed that the life force is also spread evenly to the all areas of the body.

Breathing in ashtanga is done using the abdomen and the thorax. The increase in exhalation enables the body to get rid of the different kinds of toxins.  These toxins build up in areas where oxygen is almost absent and these leads to chronic illnesses. The body is returned to its original state of health when one inhales and exhales deeply.