| etext">I did a Google Search for ashtanga yoga | | | | most people. Even most yoga teachers get pretty |
| pose today, just to see what will come up. All ten | | | | new-age flakey when they start to talk about the |
| first-page results gave me exactly what I | | | | higher levels of yoga. It seems that the lack of |
| didn’t want
It gave me websites about | | | | student interest in the higher stages of yoga is |
| the wrong ashtanga yoga. | | | | rivalled only by the lack of enthusiasm by teachers to |
| There’s more than one Ashtanga yoga? | | | | educate about them. |
| No, not really
but in recent times the word | | | | But guess what
It’s in the higher four |
| ashtanga has been attached to a dynamic | | | | stages, where yoga actually begins! |
| system of yoga-based exercises
and it’s | | | | If that’s true, what’s the point of the |
| become so popular that it has literally taken over the | | | | first 4 limbs then? |
| word ashtanga yoga as its own, leaving many | | | | Preparation. The first four limbs can be referred to as |
| practitioners of the traditional system of ashtanga | | | | Hatha Yoga
the last 4 as Raja Yoga. And as the |
| yoga baffled and dismayed. | | | | Hatha Yoga Pradipika (a classic yoga text) tells us, |
| To them, yoga is a sacred, disciplined, eight-limbed | | | | Hatha and Raja are two ends of the same pole
|
| science for personal development and inner | | | | Hatha is a ladder for ascending to Raja, and Raja |
| transformation
a system that includes much | | | | is the goal of Hatha. |
| more than what is utilized in the newer, fitness | | | | So yama and niyama, asana, and pranayama all |
| centered pop-ashtanga version. | | | | prepare us for the higher stages, where REAL YOGA |
| How many limbs do you have? | | | | starts to happen. Hatha yoga is a necessary part of |
| The first steps in astanga yoga are the yamas and | | | | the yoga journey, but if we get stuck there, |
| niyamas. If you’ve read anything about yoga, | | | | we’re going to miss the best part of the trip! |
| I’m sure you’ve heard about these | | | | Why didn’t your teacher mention that? |
| morals and ethics. Yogis seemed so obsessed with | | | | Well, to be honest, very few students have enough |
| them
Come on though, who doesn’t | | | | dedication and discipline to get to those higher yoga |
| know that we should be good people? | | | | levels. Which is probably a good thing, because there |
| Step three though
now we’re getting into | | | | are also very few yoga teachers who have really |
| the good stuff
those yoga poses! If Jennifer | | | | made it there themselves (unfortunately, becoming a |
| Aniston keeps looking younger everyday with them, | | | | certified yoga teacher today doesn’t require |
| then I definitely want to do yoga too! | | | | mastery of yoga.) |
| Yeah, we’ve all heard about step 4 too
| | | | To be fair, these higher levels of yoga are no walk in |
| the BORING yoga breathing
Ok, five minutes of | | | | the park
but that doesn’t change the |
| that is enough. I know how to breathe
| | | | facts. If we really want to experience the amazing |
| But what really comes next? | | | | transformative power of yoga, we need to climb |
| After these first four step, yoga gets very hazy for | | | | higher. |