6 Reasons To Start Your Practice With Ashtanga Yoga

adminDec 19, 2023

Before knowing the reasons we should know what Ashtanga Yoga is. The term “Ashtanga” is derived from the Sanskrit words “ashta,” meaning eight, and “anga,” meaning limb.

Ashtanga Yoga also known as Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga is a style of yoga that follows a specific sequence of postures and is often referred to as the “Eight-Limbed Yoga.

In the Patanjali Yog Shastra, Maharishi Patanjali has described 8 components Ashtanga Yoga that are:

Yama (moral codes) – It is said to be the first limb of ashtanga yoga. It refers to our daily routine behaviour which tells us how to live a better life.

It includes Ahimsa (Non- violence), Satya (Truth), Asteya (Non- Stealing), Brahmacharya (Self- Control) and Aparigraha (Non- greedy).

Niyama (self-discipline) – It is the guidelines for better and healthy living. It includes 5 disciplines namely: Saucha (cleanliness), Santosha (Modesty), Tapas (Keeping body healthy), Svadhyaya (Self-inquiry) and Ishvara pranidhana (Surrender to God).
Asana (posture) – It means to sit in a comfortable and stable position. It provides us stability and health.
Pranayama (breath control) – The word Pranayama is composed of two words ‘prana’ meaning life and energy and ‘ayama’ meaning to control. It involves controlling your breath in different styles and for different duration.
Pratyahara (sense withdrawal) – The word Pratyahara is composed of two words ‘Prati’ meaning against and ‘ahara’ meaning food or anything which is taken into ourselves. So it means not to be taken or accepted by our body. It includes withdrawal of senses and to control our mind and desires.
Dharana (concentration) – Dharana is the initial stage of deep meditation. It is the ability to focus or concentrate on a particular thing.
Dhyana (meditation) – Dhyana is to maintain deep concentration and focus without any interruption. By skilling Dhyana it will lead you to Samadhi.
Samadhi (oneness with the self) – Samadhi is the mind’s ultimate state. In samadhi your mind becomes still and your consciousness unites with the universal consciousness.

For doing Ashtanga Yoga you require focus and discipline so that you get the benefit which you are looking for. If you are willing to learn yoga and want to make carrier in it then join Balivinyasayoga school where you will be taught yoga from basic to advance.

Here are 6 reasons you should start practicing Ashtanga Yoga

Physical Strength- In Ashtanga Yoga we start with a series of sun salutations (Surya Namaskar) in which you have to move your body performing different postures like planks, lower planks, etc.

After sun salutations we do standing postures and then seated postures.

So by doing Ashtanga Yoga it requires great physical activity making your upper body and core stronger.

Increase in Flexibility – Ashtanga yoga will more likely to increase your flexibility. By performing different postures during Ashtanga yoga and performing it daily flexibility increases as it includes arms, wrists, legs, and other body parts.
Improvement in Well-being – Ashtanga Yoga can have a profound impact on overall well-being, influencing physical, mental, and emotional aspects of an individual’s health. It helps to reduce stress, increase concentration and focus, positively influence mood and emotional well-being, regular practice instill discipline and creates healthy habits, lesser anxiety and depression, etc.
Improves concentration – Performing Ashtanga Yoga increases focus and concentration. By doing different poses of ashtanga yoga like meditation increases your will power and allows you to focus on one particular thing.
Increased Energy Levels – If you feel tired throughout a day or most of the time your energy remains low then you should perform Ashtanga yoga. It will definitely help you to increase or boost your energy level. You will feel energetic and will have positive feelings throughout your day.
Discipline and Routine – Giving 15 to 30 minutes daily to Ashtanga yoga daily will improve your daily habits. Performing Ashtanga structured sequence postures create a sense of order and purpose, eliminating the need for constant decision-making during each session, but it needs daily practice thus making your life more disciplined.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ashtanga Yoga is a transformative practice that shows great results in one’s life. Its structured sequences and commitment to regular practice can help in personal growth and well-being.

By performing Ashtanga it not only improves physical strength and flexibility but also nurtures mental health, focus and mindfulness. It gives you discipline in life and brings your life into a routine and establishes healthy habits. It improves your overall personality development.

In the end, Ashtanga Yoga is more than a series of postures; it is a pathway to self-realization and a source of enduring well-being. It is an invitation to a lifelong journey, a journey toward wholeness, balance, and the realization of the profound unity of body, mind, and soul.

If you are willing to learn Ashtanga yoga and other yoga postures then you can join 100 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Bali, where you will be taught the basics of yoga. This program is for those who are willing to make their career in Yoga and want to become instructors.