Thousands of students flock to the Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India each year in hopes of finding that missing piece to life’s puzzle. The Institute’s style of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga is particularly attractive to Westerners because they enjoy the physical rigor and discipline. While many forms of yoga are more about relaxing, this style is more about physically challenging poses that evoke mental release. Some people say the method attracts the “overachiever” personality type, but in reality it caters to people of every level.

Philosophically, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga means “eight-limbed yoga” and was described by the sage Patanjali Maharishi in the Yoga Sutras. To reach internal purification, he speaks about the importance of moral codes, self-purification and study, posture, breath control, sense control, concentration, meditation and contemplation.

In the beginning of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, a yoga instructor will help students master “external cleansing practices.” They learn about morality and study, while practicing specific postures and breathing. Instructors help beginners find the correct positions and inspire students to live a just and moral existence. Next, after days of mastering the proper poses and gaining strength, students will learn to control their minds. Through posture, breathing and focusing, the practice purifies the body, nervous system and mind over time.

More On: Discovering Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

Technorati Tags: relaxation, yoga, ashtanga vinyasa yoga, discovering ashtanga vinyasa yoga

Quickly bookmark About Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga at:                                                

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 at 10:54 am and is filed under Health & Beauty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.