About Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Practice
Overview
Introduction to the History and Science of Ashtanga Yoga
Method of Practice
Hatha Yoga & Vinyasa Yoga Explained
Guru Parampara & Lineage
The Meaning of the Sanksrit word “Ashtanga”
Cited Yoga Sutras
Credentials of AYS Bellingham
Introduction to the Science of Ashtanga Yoga
Almost all yoga practiced comes from the 2000 year old Ashtanga lineage of Patanjali. It has not always been practiced in colorfully decorated yoga studios. It was once practiced in caves and hidden from public view as it contrasted and at times opposed the dominant social order through a path of asceticism that was often considered socially deviant, immoral, and at the very least rebellious. The dualistic principles of yoga philosophy have stood for thousands of years in opposition to materialism, while honoring primordial ethics system that came from the original inhabitants of India; the Dravidians, who honored the earth and nature as a place for their eternal spirit to reside in order to experience life and emancipation of suffering.
Yoga came from a people that were arguably the most spiritually advanced culture in human history; their entire culture sought the end of suffering rather than material conquest and dominance over other people. Their value system, heavily influenced by the ideas in the dualistic Samkhya philosophy, did not place a high value on the temporary and changeable nature of the phenomenal world, but was instead oriented at overcoming the obstacles therein and reach for something beyond it. The ancient people that created the science of yoga were keen to seek the auspicious power within them, and developed systems to harness that power, while other ancient societies learned the art of war and domination. While there is debate on the topic, modern genetic science shows clearly that the Ayran invasion of India indeed brought in a new culture of traveling, nomadic, cow herding, warring people. The mixing of these two cultures changed India forever, just as the colonization of much of the third world has been changed by the colonization of smaller societies by western nations today. The Dravidian people are credited as the originators of the Samkhya philosophy, as well as being the originators, thus, of yoga.
In ancient India (circa 500 B.C), during a period that lasted about a thousand years, several wars and genocides decimated the ancient inhabitants of this sacred land. The people and their philosophies were overtaken, absorbed, and at times exiled from society. Religions that were influenced and naturally coexistent with yoga and Samkhya such as Jainism, became minority beliefs as the numbers of people who practiced them diminished, and the new way of life mandated a more modern, more progressive, view of the world. The dualistic ideas of Samkhya were not conducive to the newer way of life, and monistic ideas took hold, and continue to dominate India and much of the world through to the present day.
The sciences of yoga practiced by the Dravidians were often lost, shunned, or dormant for centuries, often considered a threat to the important social fabric that kept a fragmented nation together. While the ideas of Samkhya and Yoga can even be seen in the original texts of what is now called Hinduism (Hinduism is a name given to several sects of polytheistic beliefs of tribal India). Importantly, monistic (anti-dualism) ideologies began harshly judging the beliefs of the dualistic yogic philosophy. The concepts that are the core central pillars of the system of Samkhya and yoga, are at a stark and undeniable contrast to the ideas that replaced them in mainstream society. The idea that the phenomenal, causal, material world (prakriti) was reduced, in yoga philosophy, as a brief and illusory blip when compared to the eternal self (purusha), and that the two could never coexist, created a conflict that ultimately resulted in a power struggle and eventual bleeding out of the ancient ideologies, to be replaced by more socially acceptable and much less daunting ideas of monism.
Because the ancient societies of India were in such constant turmoil, and due to the practice of yoga (as it is today) not being necessarily conducive to material wealth and the attainment of riches and power, yoga became not just a minority viewpoint, but it’s practice was often forbidden, and its followers considered to be socially deviants. Yoga, thus, became highly reliant on the transmission of the science from teacher to student, in order for an unbroken lineage to survive the hardships of a world overtaken by consumption, materialism, comfort, and sensory satisfaction. While these people founded the philosophies that would spawn the great religions of ancient Greece, of modern India, and perhaps even Western traditions, they were forgotten amidst a history that considered them backwards, and cultish. At times more mainstream styles of yoga would develop, but would be called something different.
In the early 20th century, while India was under British rule, there was a rush to translate many ancient yogic texts into English. Today, you can do a search for many of these texts and find PDF versions of them for free. An English speaking yoga student could almost learn all that is needed from these early translations. During British rule over India, and shortly thereafter, several yogis came to the United States of America including Swami Vivekananda and the founder of the Self Realization Fellowship, Paramahansa Yogananda. These people introduced the far west to the arts of yoga and the philosophy therein. It may very be that the exploitative ways of the western world forced yoga out of India, and it may very well be the lessons of these ancient lessons that are needed to heal the west from them.
In the 1960s, and 1970s Eastern Philosophy became mainstream as Bruce Lee made movies, and Buddhist teachers such as Chogyam Trungpa and Shunryu Suzuki founded meditation and educational facilities in the USA during the 20th century, further westernizing these ancient cultures. Toward the latter part of the 20th century, yoga asana would become popularized through the teachings of Swami Satchidananda, BKS Iyengar, Indra Devi, Pattabhi Jois, and others. These teachers would have their own students who would carry on in their own unique respective traditions, but almost all of them had one common philosophy of yoga originating in the Ashtanga system of Patanjali. Nearly all Eastern Philosophy brought to the USA can trace at least part of its roots to the Samkhya system of the Dravidian people.
While every yoga system today is unique, patented, or somehow special, nearly all yoga currently taught in the USA came from one source; Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya was nothing short of a revolutionary figure in yoga and spiritual development around the world. He was one of the first people to teach yoga to women, to outsiders, and he taught openly to the sick and diseased. Krishnamacharya was a student of Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali. He held a doctorate degree in Samkhya, and studied yoga directly with perhaps the last great remaining master of his time, Mohan Brahmachari. Krishnamacharya was an Indian man who gave yoga to the world. It is his style of yoga that we emulate, his teachings we study, and his lineage of which we are a part.
Krishnamacharya was the teacher of Indra Devi (the first American yoga asana teacher), BKS Iyengar, TKV Desikachar, and Sri K Pattabhi Jois. These yoga students of Krishnamacharya, who went on to become highly influential yoga teachers, are the source of the vast majority of yoga that is practiced today. Anything named “vinyasa”, “hatha”, “flow”, or “ashtanga”, or even “alignment based” yoga, all originated from this one lineage (even though many American teachers are unaware of this fact).
The practice that was handed down by the great yogi Krishnamacharya was based on the teachings of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which outlines a method of living life that has 8 components, or “limbs”. This document (The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) was originally written in Sanskrit, and the Yoga Sutras outlined the method as “Ashtau-angani”, meaning “eight limbs” (source: Yoga Sutra 2:26-29). Therefore, our practice is defined by these 8 limbs of yoga, and this document (the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) supersedes all other knowledge based teachings of yoga, for someone practicing Ashtanga. We honor many of the yoga shastras (authoritative writings in this regard) but rely distinctly on the yoga sutras for authoritative scriptural guidance to supplement the one on one teachings under the guidance of our teacher/guru.
Ashtanga Yoga (sutra 2:29) is our practice, and it is our way of life, not just how we behave in yoga class. When we practice yoga in the method outlined by our yoga teachers, we participate in a powerful movement that is not limited to asana (physical posture) practice, but reaches far in a lofty goal to free humans from suffering. This purpose, which is clearly defined in the yoga sutras, has been sought by students (aspirants) and teachers (gurus), and has been at the root of their efforts for thousands of years. We practice the methods given to us by these traditions, and we trust their guidance, while recognizing it is up to us to move ourselves, and the art of yoga itself forward beyond our generation.
When we practice or teach yoga, we do not compare ourselves to others or compete to have the “best” yoga; we instead acknowledge the wisdom of our ancestors, and a lineage of yoga practice that extends hundreds of generations into the past. We practice humility by accepting our limitations, and reaching for assistance from an ancient yoga lineage that seeks to give knowledge to us. Because it is an individual practice, there is no need to compare, or seek validation from outside ourselves. We seek to practice yoga in a systematic way, without break, with passion and enthusiasm (yoga sutra 1:14-21), with a qualified teacher who themselves are on the path. Like a scientist or a philosopher (a yogi maybe is both!) we study the classical literature and knowledge base of our system, we look to be a part of something that existed before us and will exist after us. We can only hope that our practice of yoga in our lifetime will be of assistance to others after we are gone. In the spirit of this service we offer our efforts and our practice in this lineage of yoga to our community.
Our practice gratefully works to build upon the vast knowledge of yoga within sacred texts such as The Yoga Sutras, The Samkhya Yoga Karika, The Siva Samhita, and Hatha Yoga Pradipika, as well as garnering truths from contemporary masters such as BKS Iyengar and Sri K Pattabhi Jois, who also studied these texts, and expanded on both theory and practice of yoga. Our practice of Ashtanga Yoga honors traditions, while adapting the practice for the benefit of all of humanity. Ashtanga Yoga is the practice of yoga that was given to the world by people from India; great sages who knew the world was headed into a difficult time, and needed yoga definitively. We practice yoga in this spirit, and in this light we offer it to our community, as we are students of the lineage of Ashtanga Yoga, by way of the teachers who taught us, and thus the teachers that taught them before us, and thus who learned yoga from the ancient lineage, dating back to ancient times. This is our practice; Ashtanga Yoga.
2. Method of Practice
In the first few passages of the yoga sutras of the second chapter, we are guided to seek 3 distinct mediums for our yoga practice.
Tapas; fiery devotion to practice
Svadhyaya; study of sutras and yogic scriptures as well as from teacher(s)
Isvarapranidhana; devotional surrendering to the ultimate cosmic force of life
While all three of these are important for our yoga practice, Isvarapranidhana is the most vital. However nebulous a philosophical inquiry, Isvarapranidhana is within our grasp at all times of day; it is nothing more than the art of living in abidance with the power of flow that many of us have an intrinsic sense of, and recognize, however subtly, in our daily lives. It is often said that “yoga is a preparation for meditation”; this may not be true, as meditation (sanskrit “dhyana”) is an aspect of yoga… so we cannot say we only do yoga to prepare for yoga… that does not make much sense… instead, we can say that our practice of asana and pranayama prepare us to experience the mind-state of dharana, and thus, in this yogic state of being, we are more adept at adhering to the more natural flow that exists beneath the surface of mere phenomena.
Because Isvarapranidhana is considered to be the most vital aspect of our practice of Ashtanga, we may consider our practice to be bhakti yoga (devotional yoga of love); it could also be considered to, and at the very least is related to many other variants such as: Hatha Yoga (yoga of will/force/movement/balancing forces), Karma Yoga (yoga of deed or action), Raja Yoga (royal/highest yoga), Jnana Yoga (yoga of wisdom and knowledge), or perhaps we could consider it Kundalini Yoga as it works to develop the subtle energies of the body. At any rate, our Ashtanga practice is certainly one which requires commitment (yoga sutra 1:14), and does not bode well for aspirants who start and stop, or change their minds often. Instead, we seek to maintain a stable practice over a long period of time, and seek out a qualified teacher by which to maintain our practice of yoga throughout our lives. Certainly, a yoga teacher is necessary to assist us in developing our practice, and that is why it is important to share yogic knowledge with others in an accurate and informed manner.
3. Hatha Yoga | Ashtanga “Vinyasa” Yoga
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as has become popular from the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (later to become KPJAYI) is a daily devotional practice of asanas, and coupled with an extreme dedication to Isvara Pranidhana (as mentioned in the opening daily invocation; “nishreyase jangalikayamane”), can be considered a universal bhakti (devotional love) yoga practice or a hatha yoga practice, as it utilizes hatha yoga techniques primarily in the form of asana and pranayama as its actionable basis.
Being an “Ashtanga” yoga practice, a “Bhakti” yoga practice, and a “Hatha” yoga practice are not in any way mutually exclusive, but rather are aspects that one relies upon to various degrees in their personal practice. As a yogi ages and develops they may place more emphasis on bhakti than hatha yoga practices, while adhering at all times to the tenets of the Ashtanga Yoga philosophy of life.
The purpose of the practice, by definition, under the Ashtanga process, is to still the fluctuations of mind, releasing the power of the inner being (“purusha”) so that humans can live to their fullest potential (Yoga Sutra 1:3). The yoga sequences of Ashtanga yoga are derived from the Yoga Korunta and have been improved and refined over the course of many generations through guided practice and research within the lineage, always between one teacher and one student (“guru parampara”).
The practices and popular sequences of Ashtanga Yoga are most famously known through the teachings of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, and Sri K Pattabhi Jois. In the Northwestern United States, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga was originally brought to Seattle by David and Catherine Garrigues who began the first “Mysore style” traditional Ashtanga Yoga School in Seattle. Mysore (also called “Mysuru”) is the city in India where the legendary yogi Krishnmacharya taught yoga, and through this yoga school hatha yoga was reborn in the present time, after many years of obscurity, and given to the world by Krishnamacharya himself. While Krishnamacharya had very specific rules by which yoga was to be utilized, and taught in great detail very exacting methods of transitions, postures, breathing systems, and ethical disciplines, he gave yoga freely to all who would be willing to undertake it for legitimate reasons.
This style of yoga, he explained, was not to be given to those unwilling to dedicate themselves to the practice, and through his life he repeatedly instructed students to keep it out of the hands of those who would pursue yoga for shallow, or selfish purposes (this can be explored by reading section 1.5 of Yoga Makaranda by clicking here). Ashtanga Yoga comes from Patanjali, the author of the yoga sutras. From the Yoga Sutras comes our most direct instruction on the purpose and use of yoga. The yoga techniques of our lineage in Bellingham (founded by a student of a student, of a student of Krishnamacharya) is based on the 8 limbed process of practice defined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Of particular interest are the practices (kriyas) outlined in chapter 2, which we follow dilligently. The practice of Ashtanga Yoga is foreshadowed by the observances of ethical and moral principles in the yoga sutras known as the yamas and niyamas; two forms of ascetic disciplines which accompany our practice of devotional asana and pranayama.
Ashtanga Yoga is the origin of almost all yoga practiced today. Ashtanga (“ashtau”=eight, “anga”=limbs) is a sanskrit word that simply refers to the “eight limbed” approach (Yoga Sutra 2:29) of yoga and is defined in the yoga sutras as "yogas-chitta-vritti-nirodaha" -or- the stilling of the mind through practice (Yoga Sutra 1:2). Many people believe that the ancient lineage and traditional power of Ashtanga Yoga, which was known by great sages living in India centuries ago, is now living through the gurus and instructors of the K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, located in Southern India. Our practice is based on the techniques at that institute and consists of daily devotional asana sequences based in traditional formats, utilizing contemporary adaptations. Ashtanga Yoga School is a utilitarian, non-dogmatic, research based yoga school which focuses on the individual betterment of human beings by means of the realization of potential through recognition of the self, or purusha, thus removing the conflict/suffering causing roots of delusion (avidya) caused by the existential poison of samsara (cyclic existence). We teach Ashtanga Yoga to people of all abilities through group style led classes, traditional mysore classes, individual instruction, and continual research sessions.
There are currently two contemporary definitions of “Ashtanga Yoga” that you will find, and both are equally valid and reflect our style at the school:
The system of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga brought to the world by Sri T. Krishnamacharya, passed down to Pattabhi Jois, and practiced in Mysore, India. This system being the one that “power yoga” and most vinyasa yoga styles were based upon. It was brought to Seattle, Washington by David Garrigues, the teacher of the director of this school, under the name “Ashtanga Yoga School of Seattle” (more on this below).
The system of yoga outlined in the yoga sutras of Patanjali (Yoga Sutra 2:28-29) as the eight limbed method (“ashtau”=eight, “anga”=limbs) for removal of avidya (ignorance of your true nature as an eternal soul). This system serves as our philosophical and theoretical foundation to our path in life as practitioners of this method.
What is unique about Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga?
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as taught by Sri K Pattabhi Jois is a traditional hatha yoga practice that is very focused about a few aspects of asana (yoga poses) that are fundamental and necessary to its practice. They are called “Tristana” and are the following three qualities of asana:
Dristi are the points of focus for the eyes. Because eyesight is the predominating sensory factor that prohibits meditative aspects of the mind, it must be controlled through points of focus. These points of focus are adhered to by all practitioners of Ashtanga in one way or another, and they are as follows:
1. Nasagram drishti: Tip of the nose
2. Ajna chakra or bhrumadhya drishti: Between the eyebrows
3. Nabhi chakra drishti: Navel
4. Hastagram drishti: Hand
5. Padayoragram drishti: Toes
6. Parshva drishti: Far to the right
7. Parshva drishti: Far to the left
8. Angushtha Ma Dhya drishti: Thumbs
9. Urdhva or antara drishti: Up to the sky
Bandhas are “muscle locks” that are energetic powers created by the burst of energy utilized as the sections of muscles are clenched. The most common bandhas utilized in Ashtanga are:
Mula Bandha; root lock/pelvic floor
Uddhiyana Bandha; upward flying/redirecting of downward motion in the region of the belly
Jalandhara Bandha; the throat lock (rare, but typically involving a lowering of the chin)
Pranayama is the fourth limb of yoga. There are many practices in hatha yoga that involve pranayama, but the first pranayama taught in Ashtanga is called “Ujjayi” which is a hissing sound made by a slight closure of the glottis in the throat.
BELOW ARE SOME FUNDAMENTAL HATHA YOGA POSTURES TAUGHT IN THE KRISHNAMACHARYA LINEAGE OF ASHTANGA YOGA
Up dog: https://vimeo.com/113054179
Down dog: https://vimeo.com/117669436
Surya Namaskara: https://vimeo.com/42070122
Padangustasana:
Padahastasana: https://vimeo.com/262677024
Uthita Trikonasana: https://vimeo.com/124770399 adjustments: https://vimeo.com/41230923
Parivritta Trikonasana: https://vimeo.com/242752846
Uthita Parsvakonasana: https://vimeo.com/241620473
Prasarita Paddotanasana: https://vimeo.com/69756669
Parsvo: https://vimeo.com/40523744
Uthita Hasta Padangustasana: https://vimeo.com/74332413
Ardha Baddha Padmottonasana: https://vimeo.com/74202951
Paschimattanasana: https://vimeo.com/38417449
Purvottanasana: https://vimeo.com/131306452
Marichyasana A: https://vimeo.com/42159515
Marichyasana C: https://vimeo.com/80715643
Navasana: https://vimeo.com/43172548
Bujapidasana: https://vimeo.com/43172548
Baddha Konasana: https://vimeo.com/80721956
Supta Kurmasana: https://vimeo.com/173469738
Upavistha Konasana: https://vimeo.com/80681742
Urdva Dhanurasana: https://vimeo.com/175408441
4. Guru Parampara Lineage
When we go to a "yoga" class, we often have reasons for attending which are not at all in concert with the original motivations of yoga. That is fine. Yoga masters decided not long ago that yoga was to be a gift, from India, to the rest of the world. These masters knew then, just as many of them know now, that yoga was going to be taken, manipulated, changed, reformatted, and adapted to fit a variety of preferences and beliefs. Amidst this incredible adaptability which seems to be prevalent in yoga, it is, in our view, vitally important that we do not lose track of the intended purpose of Ashtanga Yoga. Practicing yoga without correct guidance, or a connection to where it came from, can be compared to walking into a pharmacy and randomly selecting medicines to treat an illness; you most certainly will feel something, but that may not ultimately be in your best interests.
Many people take practice in Ashtanga Yoga believing it to be a solely physical endeavor that will give them a great physique, youthful vibrant energy, and a healthy lifestyle... they love it so deeply that they fail to accept the pitfalls of being attached to it, and the obstacles which it may exhume from within us, and quit, often befuddled or bitter that it did not deliver as they believed it had promised. Ashtanga should not be attempted for any kind of quick fix, but rather as a way of life which is intended to be kept with you throughout yours (yoga sutra 1:14). Take practice with the spirit of diligence, patience, and dedication; Ashtanga is not a physical endeavor, but a spiritual one, and many of the most physically accomplished and most famous yogis and yoga teachers still struggle with these deeper aspects of practice. You are not alone. It’s probably best to not get too high or too down, but rather keep steady and continue to practice as directed, and as we always say "do your practice and all is coming".
Ashtanga Yoga has a certain fundamental no-nonsense utility to it. Perhaps it could be said, in a world full of spiritual paths and confusion, that Ashtanga presents a departure, in that it offers a hands on, non dogmatic approach. This “what you see is what you get” aspect of Ashtanga Yoga practice is undeniably represented in the famous words of Pattabhi Jois, who said repeatedly that “Yoga is 99 percent practice, and 1 percent theory”. The postures undertaken by a yoga aspirant are designed to lead them to Samadhi, a state of cognitive dwelling in which our awareness recognizes the unity of all things.
Practicing Ashtanga Yoga can be made to be very difficult and physically demanding, but the intensity of practice can be variated to suit the individual (Yoga Sutra 1:21-22). When yoga becomes exclusionary, it becomes of a type forbidden by the great Krishnamacharya who said:
““Yoga must be adapted to an individuals needs, expectations and possibilities,
rather than adapting an individuals needs, expectations and possibilities to Yoga.””
— -T. Krishnamacharya (the grandfather of modern yoga)
While the Yoga Sutras are clear that the progress of a student is variable in relation to the level of commitment and intensity, Ashtanga has no built in minimums or expectations of ability; these ideas should be thrown out and practice should be taken according to the ability of the practitioner at that time. In this way, regardless of who is practicing and how it looks, all people can practice Ashtanga Yoga in some form or another. The practice is available, and is a gift to us all.
5. The Meaning of the Sanskrit word “Ashtanga”
Ashtanga’s Eight Limbs (reference yoga sutra 2:29):
Yama (internal disciplines)
Niyama (external disciplines)
Asana (posture)
Pranayama (controlled breathing)
Pratyahara (sensory withdrawal)
Dharana (concentration)
Dhyana (meditation)
Samadhi (absorption)
Ashtanga Yoga (literally meaning “eight limbs” of yoga) is the means of liberating human beings from avidya (ignorance causing suffering) outlined in the ancient document known as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Ashtanga Yoga is a universally accessible bhakti (devotional) yoga practice which utilizes hatha (ha-tha represents the two main energy paths of the body) yoga techniques primarily in the form of asana and pranayama. Hatha Yoga is essentially the practice of asana and pranayama within context of the pursuit of samadhi (cognitive absorption in the self and thus a persons release from avidya).
The practice of Ashtanga Yoga Asana is foreshadowed and supported by the observances of ethical and moral principles which are necessary to prepare the life of the aspirant for the benefits of practice. In the yoga sutras these ethical principles are known as the yamas and niyamas (the first two of the eight limbs of Ashtanga). Without a lifestyle that supports yoga practice, asana practitioners can find no solid ground in their practice, and will likely toil away without true benefit. Thus, Ashtanga Yoga is much more than postures done in class, it is a lifestyle, a philosophy of universalism. Ashtanga Yoga is a complete and holistic method of overcoming the principle obstacles in life, and removes the causes of suffering so that human beings can reach their potential within the bounds of a violent world (ahimsa).
Ashtanga Yoga is defined in the yoga sutras as "yogas-chitta-vritti-nirodaha" -or- the stilling of the mind through practice. It is believed that the stilling of the mind releases a person from the binds of ignorance and into a state of unity with the self/purusha/atman called samadhi. The states that immediately precede samadhi and are similar to this position are dharana, and dhyana. Together, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi constitute what is known as Raja Yoga (royal yoga). Note that in Sanskrit the number 8 is "ashtau" and limbs is "anga” so this is to say that Ashtanga is, in English, the word in the sutras utilized to define the method of practice. Ashtanga Yoga is the method outlined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. You can practice Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, and many other kinds of yoga without it being Ashtanga Yoga. You can also practice one limb of Ashtanga Yoga, and it would not necessarily be Ashtanga unless it was the complete system. It was a system of yoga with 6 limbs that existed before Ashtanga Yoga, according to ancient historical documents, but it was the Ashtanga Yoga system of Patanjali that outlined a practical method for human beings to utilize the wisdom of Samkhya philosophy, and it was Ashtanga Yoga that birthed most yoga lineages that are practiced today.
Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who was himself a student of Sri Mohan Bramachari, the master who gave the blessing for yoga to be taught not only to the elite, but to be spread to the world through a system stemming from the Yoga "Korunta", meaning "groupings". These groupings, as it were, were the pinnacle sequences transcribed by Krishnamacharya, and were the remains of a system of yoga taught by a great master known as The Sage Vemana.
From the groupings of the famed Yoga Korunta came nearly all yoga that is practiced today, and with each generation that practices yoga, more and more is known, while some becomes lost in translation, about a humanistic art form which has existed for eons, and has been handed down from teacher to student in the Eastern learning tradition of "parampara", the transmission of knowledge and practice from teacher to student, in an unbroken line, from the beginning of the first practitioner of yoga, beyond recorded time, and back to the origins of humanity, where dissatisfied customers of life sought, just like many do today, for something greater than what "exists" in the phenomenal world. Our heritage as yoga practitioners is not a dogmatic one, but one of service to humanity, one of rebellion against suffering and pain, and one of enlightenment, prosperity, prowess, realization, and power. Ashtanga Yoga School is a contemporary research based school in the lineage of our contemporary masters that brought the practice to the Pacific Northwest with the blessing of their teacher. Thus our goal is to continue that work in teaching ancient practices to new people who will study it tirelessly and pass it on again.
6. Important Yoga Sutras
Yoga is the liberation of pure consciousness from disturbances of thought. Without these disturbances the self abides in its own true nature.
— Yoga Sutra 1:2-3
Practice has a firm ground when tended to for a long time without interruption and with devotion to accuracy
— Yoga Sutra 1:14
By practicing the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, upon the diminishing of impurities, there is a light of knowing which leads to the end of the cause of suffering
— Yoga Sutra 2:28
For those who practice with intensity, the end is close at hand
— Yoga Sutra 1:17