Ashtanga yoga poses and advice for beginners

The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a style of yoga codified and popularized by K. Pattabhi Jois during the 20th century which is often promoted as a modern-day form of classical Indian yoga. 

Ashtanga means eight limbs or branches, of which asana or physical yoga posture is merely one branch, breath or pranayama is another-source: Wikipedia

Are you a beginner? Although you have practiced yoga before or not, this article will give you some tips to prepare before start with Ashtanga yoga. Advice: You should practice at studio or yoga class and get help from the masters.

I. Don’t be rush, getting started with ASANA

With Ashtanga, do not think about hasty training. If you are a newcomer, you must be focus on the Asana practice first. 

  “The practice starts with asana because it is a strong body that will focus our mind and end the delusions“said Sharath Jois - a teacher, practitioner and lineage holder (paramaguru) of Ashtanga Yoga- daughter of K. Pattabhi Jois. 

Both Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Jois, encourage the practice of Ashtanga Yoga - all eight limbs. The first two limbs - Yamas and Niyamas - are given special emphasis to be practiced in conjunction with the 3rd and 4th limbs (asana and pranayama)

In fact, two branches of yoga before ASANA, Yama, and Niyama are very difficult. So that the beginners just need to think of “being ethical” as in telling the truth and becoming a good people. After that, Started with asana poses, then pay attention to our workout routine.

II. Let’s breathe!

Breathing (pranayama) is the most important thing of Ashtanga yoga, and the obvious fact is at the core of our search for health, wellness, contentment, and peace. When we were born we breathe in, when we die we breathe out. 

The space between when we breathe in and breathe out holds the entirety of our life experience here on Earth.

This is the first pose you should be competently

Sun salutation is a good choice for a beginner: inhaling with pranayama breathing as we raise the arms up and look up, then exhaling as we fall down and place the hands on the floor- Ashtanga yoga poses for beginners.

III. Primary Series (Yoga theraphy)

This’s the good place for next step on your Ashtanga journey – Yoga therapy-Because it’s slow, our all body parts can be shared the air. It tone your body, and makes use of muscles we had no idea we had.

For examples:

-Warrior II: Left side. Exhale as step your right feet 3 or 4 feet apart. Turning your right toes parallel with the back side of your mat. Turn your left toes in. Take a bend your left knee, then let your arms up and parallel to the mat. Do the same in the opposite direction- Ashtanga yoga poses for beginners.

- Uttita Hasta: From mountain pose, ship your weight to left foot and pick right foot up, bending knee so that the thigh is at a 90° angle with the shin angled straight downward and the sole of the foot parallel to the ground- Ashtanga yoga poses for beginners.

IV. Bandhas , Dhristi and Tristasana

Bandhas are internal lock and the most important one of root chakra lock. When you can release the Bandha, your energy to flood become more strongly through the body with an increased pressure.

Dhristi means focus on a point wherever on your body.

Tristansana. In Ashtanga Yoga, Tristhana is the 3 places of attention or action. The KPJAYI website explains that: “These three are very important for yoga practice, and cover three levels of purification: the body, nervous system and mind. They are always performed in conjunction with each other”. 

When start with Ashtanga practitioners often expect a linear physical “progress”. But life has ups and downs and so does our practice.

The poses and our approach will change, but pranayama, bandhas and drishti remain constant. The body feels stiffer and less energetic than that first Ashtanga class. Since that, it has seen which is share of changes and injuries. In the end of this practice is control your mind - Ashtanga yoga poses for beginners.

Finally, do what you can, also important, don’t try too much at the short time. When you recognized the truth, that time you just focus on what you have learn.

Wish you success!