The History of Ashtanga Yoga

India's greatest gift and the history of Ashtanga yoga

While yoga is considered by many as India's greatest contribution or gift to the world, there have been many different, yoga practices in the past. These tend to be reflected, in the future. In examining the history of ashtanga yoga, one can begin to understand yoga practices in the western world.

Ashtanga Yoga, or ashanti vinyasa yoga is based upon the ancient writings Yoga Korunta compiled by the sage, Vamana Richi. The current form originated at the Mysore Palace, in Mysore, India. (1)

Ashanti yoga has been attributed to the yoga teacher, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who was born on July 26, 1915, in the village Kowshika, in South India. (2)

His Satguru was Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who was born on November 18, 1888, in Muchukundapuram, India. He lived to be 100 years of age. Sri K. Pattabhi was one of his teachers. (3)

Together, they started a yoga school at the Mysore Palace with the support of the Maharajah. Because there were young boys at the palace, the style of yoga that they developed focused on building strength and stamina, in the human body. This practice is known as ashtanga vinyasa yoga.

Krishnamacharya was recognized as a healer, early in his life and became a physician of Ayurvedic medicine. He regarded every person as unique and felt that each one must be taught according to his or her capacity to understand. This meant that the path of yoga would be different for every individual.

He employed nutrition, herbal medicine, oils and other remedies. He would seek whatever upset or hindered the harmony and the union of the body, a person's mind and his or her spirit. Trust was considered an important aspect of healing and he always sought the consent of the person, who he was treating and continued to treat that person, until he or she was well. With respect to yoga, he would combine breathing, postures and meditation. (4)

In ashtanga vinyasa yoga, there are eight limbs of classical yoga, the eight spiritual practices of the sage Patanjali. Modern day schools of hatha yoga, practice ashtanga yoga, as well. In the ashtaga method, the focus is on the journey between postures, rather than just the posture itself. The linking has to do with how one breathes. (5)

In our era, Madonna used a mantra in her song Shanti/Ashtangi. Madonna, Sting, the Britsh musician and Ali McGraw are all known to practice Ashanti yoga.

While current yoga practices tends to take on many different forms, including ashanti yoga, yoga is considered to be India's greatest gift to the world. (6)

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtanga_Vinyasa_Yoga

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_K._Pattabhi_Jois

(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Tirumalai_Krishnamacharya 

(4) Ibid.

(5) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtanga_Vinyasa_Yoga

(6) Ibid.