ashtanga yin hatha
ashtanga yin hatha
It started with vinyasa yoga – a dynamic yoga that connects breath and movement and resembles the movement of a dancer on the mat. It continued with traditional Hatha yoga in faraway India. And last but not least Yin yoga. Choose the one that will suit you, dig deeper, and let the process change your life – like it did for me.
„The full ashtanga system practiced with devotion leads to freedom within one’s heart.” – Pattabhi Jois
Ashtanga yoga is an integrated system of yoga asanas, which is designed to heal our body and mind. It is a traditional style of yoga, based on the teachings of T. Krischnamacharya, who laid the foundations of this modern dynamic yoga. Later, his disciple Pattabhi Jois built the Ashtanga system of six series as we know it today and was also responsible for its spread and fame around the world.
The Sanskrit term ashtanga comes from an even older tradition, directly from Patanjali’s yoga sutras. Ashtanga = “8 limbs of yoga” which performed correctly will lead us to enlightenment – whether it is recommendation of what not to do (Yamas) or, on the contrary, what to do (Niyamas), the physical practice itself (Asana), breathing exercises (Pranayama), withdrawing the senses inward into our interior (Prathyahara), focusing attention on one point (Dharana), which in time dissipates into infinity (Dhayana) until we reach Samadhi = enlightenment – when our consciousness merges with unity and we finally see things as they truly are.
Ashtanga yoga adheres to the so-called Tristhana method – the three places of attention and action – breath (in Ashtanga we breathe very specifically to endure the physical difficulty of the practice and support the detox process), focused gaze (Drishti), and the asana itself. These three aspects of ashtanga yoga must be practiced together, if the attention is not turned inward, the gaze flies in all directions and the breath is not conscious, the practice becomes a circus, as Pathabi Jois liked to say, or a gym exercise as I would say. Another important aspect of Ashtanga is the connection of breath and movement = vinyasa, through which we pass from position to position thus allowing our body to heat up, sweat, and detoxify. Each position prepares us for the next one, and each series is much more challenging than the previous one. The first series is called Yoga Chikitsa and aims to heal our physical body, the second one is called Nadi Shodhana and cleanses our nervous and hormonal system. The next series further develops our physical and mental endurance.
The most important thing when practicing Ashtanga is to take into account our individual physical and mental limits, which we all have. Yoga originated in India and was designed on the bodies of Indians, whose anatomy and lifestyle significantly differ from ours. Unfortunately, we are often not aware of our limitations, or even worse, we consciously ignore them, and not only us, but often also our teacher/guru. Moreover, it is equally important to perceive the difference between the female and male body. Yoga and especially Ashtanga were traditionally practiced only by men, which does not mean that it cannot be beneficial to the female body as well, but the practice must be modified and adapted to the female cycle (link to the Ashtanga for women). Ashtanga is a beautiful though very demanding practice which, if done correctly – with discipline and humility – can lead us to the true freedom of mind and body.
Ashtanga yoga is an integrated system of yoga asanas, which is designed to heal our body and mind. It is a traditional style of yoga, based on the teachings of T. Krischnamacharya, who laid the foundations of this modern dynamic yoga. Later, his disciple Pattabhi Jois built the Ashtanga system of six series as we know it today and was also responsible for its spread and fame around the world.
The Sanskrit term ashtanga comes from an even older tradition, directly from Patanjali’s yoga sutras. Ashtanga = “8 limbs of yoga” which performed correctly will lead us to enlightenment – whether it is recommendation of what not to do (Yamas) or, on the contrary, what to do (Niyamas), the physical practice itself (Asana), breathing exercises (Pranayama), withdrawing the senses inward into our interior (Prathyahara), focusing attention on one point (Dharana), which in time dissipates into infinity (Dhayana) until we reach Samadhi = enlightenment – when our consciousness merges with unity and we finally see things as they truly are.
Ashtanga yoga adheres to the so-called Tristhana method – the three places of attention and action – breath (in Ashtanga we breathe very specifically to endure the physical difficulty of the practice and support the detox process), focused gaze (Drishti), and the asana itself. These three aspects of ashtanga yoga must be practiced together, if the attention is not turned inward, the gaze flies in all directions and the breath is not conscious, the practice becomes a circus, as Pathabi Jois liked to say, or a gym exercise as I would say. Another important aspect of Ashtanga is the connection of breath and movement = vinyasa, through which we pass from position to position thus allowing our body to heat up, sweat, and detoxify. Each position prepares us for the next one, and each series is much more challenging than the previous one. The first series is called Yoga Chikitsa and aims to heal our physical body, the second one is called Nadi Shodhana and cleanses our nervous and hormonal system. The next series further develops our physical and mental endurance.
The most important thing when practicing Ashtanga is to take into account our individual physical and mental limits, which we all have. Yoga originated in India and was designed on the bodies of Indians, whose anatomy and lifestyle significantly differ from ours. Unfortunately, we are often not aware of our limitations, or even worse, we consciously ignore them, and not only us, but often also our teacher/guru. Moreover, it is equally important to perceive the difference between the female and male body. Yoga and especially Ashtanga were traditionally practiced only by men, which does not mean that it cannot be beneficial to the female body as well, but the practice must be modified and adapted to the female cycle (link to the Ashtanga for women). Ashtanga is a beautiful though very demanding practice which, if done correctly – with discipline and humility – can lead us to the true freedom of mind and body.
„Hatha is the sanctuary for those suffering every type of pain. It is the foundation for those practicing every type of Yoga.” – Swami Muktibodhananda
Hatha yoga could be described as the mother of all yoga styles that we know and practice today. Its origin is estimated to trace back to the beginning of the 1st century, however, originally the traditions were passed on orally and thus it is hard to estimate the precise date of when hatha yoga originated. The term Hatha represents two poles that together form a unity: Ha represents the active force, the sun, the male principle of yang, while tha is the symbol of the moon, stillness – the female principle of yin. Hatha yoga merges duality into unity: our feminine and masculine essence, body and spirit, prana and mind, freeing us from clinging to duality and the illusion that one component is more important than the other.
The traditional teachings of hatha yoga may differ in detail, but they have a common foundation that teachers/gurus will always follow. The basis of hatha yoga practice focuses on the connection of body and mind, which unfortunately quickly disappears in the Western world. It is important to remember that the asana – physical practice was created only to keep the body in good condition so that we can turn our attention inward and meditate for hours without our bodies disturbing us. We all know the feeling when something physically bothers us, then we are unable to concentrate on anything else. That is why some hatha yoga teachers include shatkarma (purification techniques) at the very beginning of the study and do not let the students practice asanas until they are properly purified. Another reason for learning challenging yoga poses is to increase the strength, endurance, and flexibility of the body and mind so that we can endure sitting quietly in a meditative position for a longer period of time. Longer, more in-depth meditations require a lot of patience and discipline, which is very difficult these days when practically everyone and everything is trying to divert our attention somewhere else.
Hatha yoga helps us to balance ourselves and thereby change our relationship with others. A practitioner of any traditional yoga style will be far more resistant to the external pressures of our society, will be more aware of their own dharma (our path, life mission), and will not lack the courage and discipline to achieve their dreams and goals. Additionally, a dedicated yoga practitioner can support others on their journey to themselves, like my wonderful teachers helped and continue to help me. Hatha yoga taught by Acharya Venkatesh was my first encounter with yoga in India and it significantly influenced not only my personal but especially my teaching practice. (reference na blog banany).
If you like long durations in one position and at the same time physically challenging practice and/or you are interested in the philosophy of yoga in depth, then I definitely recommend hatha as your main practice.
Hatha yoga could be described as the mother of all yoga styles that we know and practice today. Its origin is estimated to trace back to the beginning of the 1st century, however, originally the traditions were passed on orally and thus it is hard to estimate the precise date of when hatha yoga originated. The term Hatha represents two poles that together form a unity: Ha represents the active force, the sun, the male principle of yang, while tha is the symbol of the moon, stillness – the female principle of yin. Hatha yoga merges duality into unity: our feminine and masculine essence, body and spirit, prana and mind, freeing us from clinging to duality and the illusion that one component is more important than the other.
The traditional teachings of hatha yoga may differ in detail, but they have a common foundation that teachers/gurus will always follow. The basis of hatha yoga practice focuses on the connection of body and mind, which unfortunately quickly disappears in the Western world. It is important to remember that the asana – physical practice was created only to keep the body in good condition so that we can turn our attention inward and meditate for hours without our bodies disturbing us. We all know the feeling when something physically bothers us, then we are unable to concentrate on anything else. That is why some hatha yoga teachers include shatkarma (purification techniques) at the very beginning of the study and do not let the students practice asanas until they are properly purified. Another reason for learning challenging yoga poses is to increase the strength, endurance, and flexibility of the body and mind so that we can endure sitting quietly in a meditative position for a longer period of time. Longer, more in-depth meditations require a lot of patience and discipline, which is very difficult these days when practically everyone and everything is trying to divert our attention somewhere else.
Hatha yoga helps us to balance ourselves and thereby change our relationship with others. A practitioner of any traditional yoga style will be far more resistant to the external pressures of our society, will be more aware of their own dharma (our path, life mission), and will not lack the courage and discipline to achieve their dreams and goals. Additionally, a dedicated yoga practitioner can support others on their journey to themselves, like my wonderful teachers helped and continue to help me. Hatha yoga taught by Acharya Venkatesh was my first encounter with yoga in India and it significantly influenced not only my personal but especially my teaching practice. (reference na blog banany).
If you like long durations in one position and at the same time physically challenging practice and/or you are interested in the philosophy of yoga in depth, then I definitely recommend hatha as your main practice.
„Yin Yoga teaches us the wisdom to slow down” – Travis Eliot
Yin yoga originated differently than hatha and other modern dynamic styles of yoga that come from India. Its development is much closer to China – Taoism, Qigong, and traditional Chinese medicine. To understand the principle of yin yoga, it is necessary to first understand the energies of yin and yang and their harmony. Yang is the active principle, warm, bright, hard – it is the mover, the leader, yang is the sun, the day, all masculine energy. On the contrary, yin has the following qualities: cold, stability, calmness, darkness, softness, passivity – yin represents darkness, winter, the moon, nourishment, all feminine energy. Yin yoga as a physical exercise was created as a complement to yang practices, as both polarities should always be in harmony and cannot function without each other for a long time. Maintaining harmony between yin and yang is thus a priority for every good teacher and master. One of them is the founder of yin yoga, Paulie Zink, who, as a master of martial arts and teacher of Taoist yoga first introduced long endurances in positions on the ground in combination with standing yang exercises. Later, his teachings were expanded on by Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers, as yin practice was of great interest in today’s “overly yang” society.
The practice of yin yoga brings a number of physical and mental benefits. On the mat, we remain in the position for a long time – usually a minimum of 3-5 minutes. We remain completely still without movement, allowing us to go deeper in each position. These three qualities of yin yoga – duration, stillness, and depth help us to reach not only the muscles but especially the connective tissue – bones, tendons, and fascia, which need more time and a slightly different type of stretching to activate them properly. Yin yoga is a “cold stretch” practice. We are trying to engage our muscular system as minimally as possible and work more with the connective tissue system, which helps us to remove long-term chronic blocks that we accumulated in our bodies. On the mental side, yin yoga is more of a meditative practice, as long duration in poses naturally forces us to observe our own body and mind more deeply and consciously. But that’s not all, thanks to the long-term active compression and stretching of certain body parts, we also engage our body’s energy system: we stimulate meridians – pathways through which our life energy or chi flows. By doing so, the meridians get activated, and as they are connected to our vital organs we detox our body and improve our overall health.
I definitely recommend yin yoga especially if you have a very hectic active lifestyle which puts great stress on you both physically and mentally. Even if you love dynamic yoga and/or other sports and the idea of spending a few minutes on the mat does not agree with you, I would try yin yoga as an addition to your active lifestyle. As several masters, teachers, and gurus said – what we resist the most is also what we need the most.
Yin yoga originated differently than hatha and other modern dynamic styles of yoga that come from India. Its development is much closer to China – Taoism, Qigong, and traditional Chinese medicine. To understand the principle of yin yoga, it is necessary to first understand the energies of yin and yang and their harmony. Yang is the active principle, warm, bright, hard – it is the mover, the leader, yang is the sun, the day, all masculine energy. On the contrary, yin has the following qualities: cold, stability, calmness, darkness, softness, passivity – yin represents darkness, winter, the moon, nourishment, all feminine energy.
Yin yoga as a physical exercise was created as a complement to yang practices, as both polarities should always be in harmony and cannot function without each other for a long time. Maintaining harmony between yin and yang is thus a priority for every good teacher and master. One of them is the founder of yin yoga, Paulie Zink, who, as a master of martial arts and teacher of Taoist yoga first introduced long endurances in positions on the ground in combination with standing yang exercises. Later, his teachings were expanded on by Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers, as yin practice was of great interest in today’s “overly yang” society.
The practice of yin yoga brings a number of physical and mental benefits. On the mat, we remain in the position for a long time – usually a minimum of 3-5 minutes. We remain completely still without movement, allowing us to go deeper in each position. These three qualities of yin yoga – duration, stillness, and depth help us to reach not only the muscles but especially the connective tissue – bones, tendons, and fascia, which need more time and a slightly different type of stretching to activate them properly. Yin yoga is a “cold stretch” practice. We are trying to engage our muscular system as minimally as possible and work more with the connective tissue system, which helps us to remove long-term chronic blocks that we accumulated in our bodies. On the mental side, yin yoga is more of a meditative practice, as long duration in poses naturally forces us to observe our own body and mind more deeply and consciously. But that’s not all, thanks to the long-term active compression and stretching of certain body parts, we also engage our body’s energy system: we stimulate meridians – pathways through which our life energy or chi flows. By doing so, the meridians get activated, and as they are connected to our vital organs we detox our body and improve our overall health.
I definitely recommend yin yoga especially if you have a very hectic active lifestyle which puts great stress on you both physically and mentally. Even if you love dynamic yoga and/or other sports and the idea of spending a few minutes on the mat does not agree with you, I would try yin yoga as an addition to your active lifestyle. As several masters, teachers, and gurus said – what we resist the most is also what we need the most.