Find out why a lot of yogis really love Ashtanga yoga!

Yoga is a very popular activity and for many reasons. In fact, many people practice yoga daily, either at home or in a yoga center, to improve their flexibility, to be more ‘in the moment’ or to help them manage stress. There are, of course, several kinds of yoga styles, including Ashtanga. We invite you to learn more about Ashtanga yoga, its particularities, and its benefits.

Ashtanga principles based on Yoga Sūtras

Ashtanga Yoga is based on the 8 pillars of Patanjali, from the man behind Yoga Sūtras. The pillars consist, as such, of principles of life:

• Rules of behaviour;
• Self-discipline;
• Body postures;
• Breathing;
• Mastery of the senses;
• Concentration;
• Meditation;
• Enlightenment.

The objective of dynamic yoga

Ashtanga is a kind of dynamic yoga that is very similar to Hatha yoga. You must perform several postures while stretching and contracting parts of your body while you exercise control over your breathing. Yoga postures are done in sequences and increase in difficulty each time so that it requires a good knowledge of yourself and patience to achieve them. The objective of Ashtanga is, therefore, to develop your mental and physical strength through yoga exercises and meditation.

What are the advantages of integrating these yoga exercises into your daily life?

Ashtanga allows you to maintain a good physical condition as yoga exercises require you to maintain postures for a certain amount of time, which creates muscle strengthening and flexibility in many parts of the body. It also allows you to channel your energy into physical activity and reduce the toxins in your body, just as Hot Yoga does. It is also a good way to manage daily stress.

It is therefore not surprising that so many yogis practice Ashtanga. However, it is better to take a class at a yoga center with a teacher than to try this activity alone at home. In fact, the sequence of different postures can be quite difficult, especially if you are only just starting out.

Cover photo credit: Photo by theformfitness on Pexels