21 Days Ashtanga Yoga Immersion

Namaste
I, Prashant Jakhmola, welcome you to the Ashtanga Sadhna (the practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa ) with me.
I am glad to see that you are here and I believe that if you are reading this, it means you are ready to give your ashtanga vinyasa yoga practice a new direction.

The journey of 8 years in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in India, I have seen lot of students changing their life through this practice. This practice, if you understand fully, can bring incredible changes in your life. It can become the best support of your life in any circumstances.

Let’s first try to understand this practice
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga-

If you are bit familiar with Yoga, you might have heard this name “ASHTANGA”before. but you might not have understood it completely.
If you have heard the name of ASHTANGA YOGA  it is likely that you have got a picture of series of Asanas in your mind. And you might be thinking that I’m talking about the practice of Asana. But if you are thinking the practice of Asana is a practice of Ashtanga Yoga, then you need to get your direction and information more accurate.

(The practice of ashtanga yoga and the practice of Ashtanga vinyasa are both different)

Ashta- 8
Anga- limbs

Ashtanga Yoga is the eight limbs of yoga practice which is given by Maharshi Patanjali in his text YOG SUTRA for yoga seekers. This 8 limbs of practice called ashtanga yoga - is an effort to know the self.
No any Asana are mentioned in this practice given by Maharishi Patanjali nor is any Asana been used as a medium to know the self. But yes it is one of the tool which has to be mastered in order to go further in Yoga journey.
Maharishi Patanjali described the eight types of purification for attaining the higher self or enlightenment.

And it is a practice that leads to higher level of spiritual growth by Purifying the body and mind. These practices are:

• Yama
• Niyama
• Asana
• Pranayama
• Pratyahara
• Dharan
• Dhyana
• Samadhi

As you can see, Asana is one of the practice of eight limbs given by Maharshi Patanjali. other practices are as important as the practice of Asana in Yoga journey.

   Meaning of Ashtanga Vinyasa

Nyasa- to move
Vi - special

Vinyasa is spatial movement of energy (Special expansion of energy in body called vinyasa). Tools are needed for any work. And when it comes to energy expansion in ashtanga vinyasa practice. Asana, pranayama and Dharna have been used as a tool. And these three tools in Ashtanga later became Important pillars of Ashtanga vinyasa practice called (TRISTHANAM)- three places to focus.

Asana- Movement of body
Pranayama- Movement of breath
Dharana- Drishti (Movement of mind)
(These are three important areas to focus during the practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa)
(Special movement of body breath in mind call Astanga vinyasa.)

   History of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga: 

By introducing the word Asana as described by Maharishi Patanjali, the yogis observed various kind of conditions of the body in order to keep the body healthy and steady for Meditation.
And so tradition continued to expand and the various asanas were built.

In the same Hatha Yoga tradition a Yogi was born in 1888 who was named TIRUMALAI KRISHNAMACHARYA. Who have carried the ancient traditional yoga practises to the people and explained them the new art of living a healthy life. (For his noble work he later come to be known as the father of modern yoga)
He arranged the Asana of Hatha Yoga  in a series which he discovered from the ancient Yoga text “YOGA KURUNTA”, And later he named this special practice  “VINYASA KRAMA”, KRAMA means sequence or flow.
So the meaning of vinyasa Krama is- “special sequence of Asana”.

In this particular types of Asana practice,  we expand the Prana by keeping the mind breath and body in a constant direction. He carried this particular kind of practice to the world for many years and shared yoga  secrets to people. In his yoga journey many of his disciples were formed, One of them was K PATTABHI JOISE. Who later dedicated his whole life to expend this special practice of vinyasa Krama To many others.
He later dedicated his whole life to this practice in teachings and gave new name as - “ASHTANGA VINYASA,” which is taught in South India by his daughter R Saraswathi Joise, and his grandson R. Sharath Joise.

Ashtanga vinyasa practice has six levels.
These are:

•  Primary Series (Yoga Chikitsa) - Yoga Therapy
• The intermediate series- (Nadi Shodhan)- Purification of Nadi
• The Advanced series- (Sthir Bhaga)- Centring of Strength
  

  Advanced A - The Third Series
  Advanced B - Fourth Series
  Advanced C - Fifth Series
  Advanced D - Six Series

In our Ashtanga Sadhna online workshop, You will explore the primary series of Ashtanga Vinyasa which is also known as Yoga Chikitsa.
Practice:

• Every day live sessions with me
• Records of live session
• Ashtanga vinyasa chart
• Understanding of primary series with details.

Bonus You Get in Virtual Ashtanga Yoga Immersion

• Extra recorded sessions about the Philosophy of Ashtanga Yoga
• Breathing practice video
• Discussions about the practice
• Pranayama special for strengthening inner organs for Vinyasa

• Building your regular routine of your practice.
• Balanced the body by strength flexibility and sustainability.
• Knowledge of tradition in ashtanga vinyasa.
• Improve the dynamic meditation practice.
• Improve flexibility and strength together with regular practice of ashtanga vinyasa yoga.
• Build your regular routine of yoga and keep your practice on.
• Energised and tone your all system with Ashtanga vinyasa practice.

• Whole primary series with all the traditional instructions
• Tristhanam practice
• Understanding of vinyasa
• Entering and exiting process of Asana
• Vinyasa jumps
• Flow with breath
• Philosophy of ashtanga vinyasa
• Ashtanga yoga and ashtanga vinyasa difference
• History of ashtanga vinyasa with its tradition
• Standing sitting and supines sequences of Asana
• Connection between breath and the postures
• Role of inversions in ashtanga vinyasa practice
• Understanding of full moon and new moon theory of ashtanga
• Strength flexibility and sustainability practice of Ashtanga
• Practice of bandhas and use of them in Ashtanga practice
• Pranayama practice and role of pranayama in Ashtanga
• Traditional Pranayam techniques of ashtanga vinyasa
• Traditional name of Ashtanga primary series
• Meaning and the goal of each Asana
• Ashtanga vinyasa opening mantra enclosing mantra
• Correct Sanskrit pronunciation of Asana in ashtanga vinyasa

The course is accessible to all levels. Get started today to deepen your Ashtanga Yoga Practice!

Once you join this course, you will never get confused or lost in Ashtanga. You will have clear picture and direction of the practice, a confidence that will let you enjoy this practice more effectively and safely.