Six years ago I discovered ashtanga yoga the way many people do. Having dabbled in other forms of yoga, I ventured into a class at my gym and had my idea of yoga turned upside down. As I attempted to maintain the nearly aerobic pace and twist my body into pretzels, I was astounded by what my classmates were doing and certain I’d never be able to approach their abilities.

At the end of class I was soaked in sweat and exhausted, but rather than feeling frustrated with my limitations, I felt great. After a satisfying rest in savasana (corpse pose), I floated home, glowing, and returned the next day for more. I was hooked.

Internationally renowned ashtanga teacher David Swenson had a similar experience when he first encountered ashtanga in Encinitas, California, in 1973. Nancy Gilgoff and David Williams, two of the first Westerners to study with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (founder of the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India), introduced Swenson to ashtanga.

“My friend brought me to one of their ashtanga classes early one morning,” recalls Swenson. “I had no idea what to expect. From the moment I entered the room I felt as though I had come home. There was a roomful of students flowing through sequences of asanas I had never seen. They were breathing deeply and I could feel the power and energy in the room. I was fascinated.

“David and Nancy brought me through some Sun Salutations and a few of the closing asanas. My first practice was about fifteen minutes. That was all I got, but it was enough for me to know I wanted more. The practice was incredibly difficult for me, but I couldn’t wait to come back the next day. I have loved it ever since.”

Today Swenson is in demand across the globe as a senior teacher of ashtanga, which is the basis for many of today’s most popular and physically challenging forms of yoga, such as “Power Yoga” and “Flow.” He is the author of Ashtanga Yoga The Practice Manual (Ashtanga  Yoga Productions, 1999) and other instructional tools.

In Sanskrit, ashtanga means “eight limbs.” The postures, or asanas, are the third limb; the others are yama (restraints regulating conduct toward others), niyama (self-discipline or observances), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (turning the attention inward), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (self-realization). Asana is considered a portal to development of the other limbs.

Swenson describes ashtanga as “a system based upon the linking of breath and movement in a very specific way. This linking method is known as vinyasa. The asanas of ashtanga are arranged in set sequences. There are a variety of levels, from beginning practices through the most advanced. When practiced properly with breath awareness and vinyasa, this system develops both strength and flexibility. There is also an internal heat which grows within from the unique application of vinyasa and asana. This internal heat adds a cleansing property to the practice as well.”

Throughout the practice, students breathe through the nose, slightly constricting the throat to create an ocean-sounding, or ujjayi, breath, and engage bandhas, or locks, in the belly and the perineum. Each asana has a specific drishti, or gazing point, to minimize distractions and maintain internal focus.

Most newcomers will be introduced to the Primary Series of ashtanga in a led class; students keep pace as the teacher calls out each breath and asana. More traditional yoga studios offer Mysore-style classes that replicate Pattabhi Jois’ teaching method, in which individuals learn the sequence in a cumulative manner new postures are introduced as each student is ready for them.     

Swenson emphasizes that the gifts of ashtanga deepen over time. “This is a lifelong practice. To gain the deepest benefits of yoga one must be patient. We in the West tend to be in a hurry. I like to think of yoga like a tree. If you look in the forest you will find that the strongest trees are the ones that grow the slowest. It is easy for a student to become enamored and fascinated within the realms of physicality of the asanas. The real yoga, however, is what cannot be seen. It is the internal practice which is the true depth for the yogi.”

Sun salutations (Surya Namaskar in Sanskrit), the first segment of the Primary Series, form the foundation of ashtanga yoga. This flowing sequence warms the body and activates prana, or vital energy. Each movement of this sequence corresponds to a breath: upward, expanding movements flow from the inhale while downward, contracting movements flow through the exhale. Beginners often practice only sun salutations and a few finishing asanas before the teacher introduces new postures. Below, David Swenson narrates Sun Salutation A:

Tadasana, mountain pose

Begin at the front of the mat, feet together, bandhas and quadraceps engaged, gaze ahead.

Urdhva Hastasana, raised arm pose

Inhale, raise arms overhead, palms together, gaze at fingertips.

Uttanasana, standing forward bend

Bend forward from the hips on the exhale.

Open hearted forward bend

Keeping hands next to feet, inhale, extend the spine and  gaze forward.

Chaturanga dandasana, four-limbed staff pose

Exhale, step or lift back to plank, gaze forward, and lower body to hover horizontally above the earth.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, upward-facing dog

Inhale, look up, open chest forward and toward the sky, roll shoulders back.

Adho Mukha Svanasana,  downward facing dog

Exhale, roll over the toes, hips pull back and up, palms stay flat, reach heels toward the floor, gaze toward navel. Hold for five full breaths.

Open-hearted forward bend

Inhale, step or jump feet between hands, extend the spine and gaze forward.

Uttanasana, forward bend

Exhale, fold from the hips, draw chest toward legs.

Urdhva Hastasana, raised arm pose

Inhale, raise arms overhead, palms together, gaze at fingertips.

Tadasana, mountain pose

The final exhale floats arms to the sides, returning to the starting point.

You can purchase David Swenson’s Ashtanga Yoga The Practice Manual and other instructional materials at www.ashtanga.net. Learn more about ashtanga yoga at www.ayri.org and www.ashtanga.com

By Bess Hochstein

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