ASHTANGAYOGAMYSORE

A Brief History of the “Ashtanga Yoga” Tradition

The popular system of “Ashtanga Yoga” that is widely practiced today, traces its more recent origins back to the very gifted and influential teacher, Sri Tirumali Krishnamacharya. Over an eight-year period of intensive study, in a Himalayan cave at the foot of Mt. Kailash, Sri T. Krishnamacharya studied with his Guru, Rama Mohan Brahmachari. During this time he learned many ancient yogic practices, and memorized several yoga texts, including an ancient manuscript called the Yoga Korunta. 

The teachings of the Yoga Korunta, are attributed to the sage Vamana.  Little is actually known about this text, but it is said to have contained detailed instruction on both asana and pranayama practices, describing the method of vinyasa (a breath and movement system), drishti (specific gazing points) and bandhas (energetic locks found in the subtle body).  Accordingly, the particular sequence of postures that comprise the ‘Ashtanga Yoga’ practice, are thought to have originated from this source. 

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois became a student of Krishnamacharya in 1927 at the age of 12.   Over the next twenty-five years, he learned and mastered the practices passed on to him by his Guru.  Today, these traditional asana sequences are commonly known as the Primary Series (Yoga Chikitsa), Intermediate Series (Nadi Shodhana), and Advanced Series A, B, C, D (Sthira Bhagah Samapta), that make up the ‘Ashtanga Yoga’ practice.  In 1948, Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute from his home in Laxmipuram, Mysore, with an interest in experimenting with the “curative aspects of yoga.”   He began writing the book Yoga Mala in 1958, and completed the manuscript over a three-year period. In the early sixties the first Western yoga students learned of his teachings and came to study with him from Europe.  Soon after, in 1973, the first American student, Norman Allen, made his way to Guruji’s home in Laxmipuram, where he began learning the practice of ‘Ashtanga Yoga.’   Today, hundreds of students from all over the world travel to Mysore each year to experience Guruji’s energy and to practice in his presence.  

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois took his first trip to the West in 1974, when he was invited to deliver a speech on yoga in Sanskrit, at an international yoga conference held in South America.   The following year, sponsored by a group of North American students, Guruji traveled to California with his son Manju Jois.  Over the last thirty years, as a result of many trips to different parts of the world, and the efforts of several dedicated students, the teachings and popularity of ‘Ashtanga Yoga’ continue to grow.

     

Ashtanga Yoga is the name given to a set of practices compiled by the sage Patanjali some time between 200 BCE to 250 CE.   Very little known about the sage Patanjali, although he is credited with writing texts on grammar, ayurveda, and most importantly for us, on yoga.   Originating in India over five thousand years ago, the tradition of yoga can be traced to the Vedic period, dating back much further than Patanjali.  As with many ideas from the traditional schools of Indian Philosophy, the actual era from which this knowledge came is much less important than the knowledge itself.

The word “yoga” is a sanskrit term that has many meanings.  The word itself is derived from the sanskrit root “yuj” – to yoke or harness.  Just as one would bring an ox under control by harnessing it to a wagon, yoga can be viewed as the process of training and uniting the body, mind and spirit.  Simply put, the practice of yoga is a spiritual discipline or path used to create harmony within the individual self, and to create connection to a greater universal Self.  Yoga creates union, whether it is within a single person, between two people, or amongst many people.   The sage Patanjali gave us the classical definition in the first chapter of the yoga sutras.   He writes: yogascittavrittinrodha meaning “yoga is channeling the fluctuations of the citta [the mind, ego and intellect].”  This channeling leads us to true understanding and “union” with the Divine and ourselves: true freedom.

The term Ashtanga Yoga originates from the second chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. This is a book of 196 sutras, or verses, that make up what is commonly called “classical” or “raja” (royal) yoga. Ashtanga yoga literally means “8 limbs yoga,” and it is defined by the following eight practices:

yama (moral restraints) – how we relate to others
niyama (observances) – how we relate to ourselves
asana (posture) – how we relate to our body
pranayama (breath extension) – how we relate to our breath or spirit
pratyahara (sensory withdrawal) – how we relate to our sense organs
dharana (concentration) – how we relate to our mind
dhyana (meditation) – moving beyond the mind
samadhi (meditative absorption) – deep realization and inner union

The "Yamas" or the first limb consists of five parts:
ahimsa (non-harming)
satya (truthfulness)
asteya (non-stealing)
bramacharya (directing one’s energy towards the Divine)
aparigraha (greedlessness, non-hoarding)

The "Niyamas" he second limb also contains five aspects:
sauca (purity)
samtosa (contentment)
tapas (purifying practices)
svadhyaya (self-study, and the study of sacred texts)
isvara pranidhana (surrender to the Divine, Universal Self)

The first four limbs are often referred to as “external yoga,” and the last four limbs are called “internal yoga.”  The fifth limb, pratyahara, acts as a bridge between the external and internal limbs.   As students of yoga we are able to actively practice the external limbs, believing the internal limbs are the fruits of a sincere and continual practice.  These final limbs of our practice are a manifestation of grace that arise spontaneously, and are not something we can bring about through our own efforts.  

The 8 limbs are interconnected, and not separate steps along this path.  Whether one starts by practicing the physical postures, breath awareness, or mindfulness in the daily practice of the yamas and niyamas, each limb encourages growth in the others.  As the body becomes steady and at ease, the breath starts to come under control, and the mind begins to experience moments of clarity, and peace.