Ashtanga yoga is not only the origin of all yoga styles popular today, but is also considered to be particularly demanding. Nevertheless, anyone can practice the movement sequences.
Sweaty bodies, rushing breath and dynamic movement sequences – Ashtanga is considered a challenging and strenuous practice and is often referred to as the hardest of the yoga styles. A prejudice, thinks Ronald Steiner. The sports physician has been teaching Ashtanga yoga for over 25 years and is convinced that the practice is accessible to everyone.
Ashtanga yoga originated in 1924 and was conceived by yoga guru Krishnamacharya in the Indian city of Mysore. Before that, yoga was purely a meditation and breathing practice. Krishnamacharya was the first to integrate the physical exercises – “all the asanas that we know so distinctively for yoga today” – into the practice.
Ashtanga yoga has influences from gymnastics
Well-known postures such as the triangle or the warrior became part of yoga for the first time. On the one hand, Krishnamacharya was inspired by existing yoga exercises and on the other hand by a Danish fitness movement, the Bukh gymnastics, which had even been practiced by the English military.
The practice has changed, but the goal in yoga has always remained the same: “It was and still is about experiencing a meditative state,” emphasizes Ronald Steiner in an interview with the stern. To achieve this, Ashtanga yoga is based on three pillars. The basis of the practice is called Tristhana and describes a “breath-led, moving meditation,” explains the expert.
dr Ronald Steiner has been teaching Ashtanga yoga for more than 25 years and trains teachers himself
© Nela Koenig
The breath sets the rhythm. The students should come into the so-called Ujjayi breath. You inhale silently through your nose and exhale through your narrowed throat with a slightly rushing sound. On this beat, “we move the body, direct the energy and change our points of view,” explains the yoga teacher. In this interaction, the phenomenon of synchronicity arises in the brain. “It triggers the meditative state.”
Ashtanga as the origin of popular yoga styles
The idea of Tristhana – breath as the basis for a meditative flow of movement – has been adopted by almost all modern yoga styles. That’s why Ashtanga is also considered the origin of all styles that are popular today, from Vinyasa Yoga to Power Yoga and Bikram Yoga.
Unlike these types of yoga, Ashtanga students perform the same sequence of movements over and over again. This distinguishes the practice from all other styles. Traditionally, there are four series in Ashtanga, which are made up of individual postures, the asanas. These are each held for five breaths and linked together in a flowing movement.
The trainees should learn the processes as quickly as possible and be able to carry them out independently. “If we don’t know the sequence exactly, we always have to look at a cheat sheet or wait for the teacher’s announcement and can never get the interplay of breath, movement, energy and gaze control so synchronously,” says the sports medicine specialist.
Ashtanga yoga should be tailored to the individual
The third feature of Ashtanga yoga is the teaching in the so-called Mysore style. The lessons are characterized by the fact that each student carries out the processes independently in their breathing rhythm. The teacher does not make announcements in front of the class, but assists individually. “Everyone learns the exercise sequence individually and piecemeal,” says the yoga teacher. That is why Ashtanga is also suitable for people of all ages and also for yoga beginners. “All you need is an experienced teacher to help you tailor the series for your own body.”
In his eyes, the cliché of Ashtanga as a physically demanding practice is due to “the fact that unfortunately it is often poorly taught”. The majority of trainers adhere to a military style of teaching, rushing students through drills regardless of their bodies. A gross mistake, thinks Ronald Steiner. On the one hand, this excludes a large number of people from the practice, and on the other hand, it increases the risk of injury.
Ashtanga demands seriousness
It is important that the exercises are individually tailored to the respective body. “Then everyone can practice Ashtanga, even if they have an injury or a disability.” However, Ashtanga is a hard style of yoga on another level. “The practice is aimed at people who want to dive deep into yoga and practice it almost every day,” explains the sports physician. He describes the practice as an “extremely powerful and incredibly direct practice method for experiencing a meditative state.”
Ashtanga practice should be individualized for each body, believes Dr. Ronald Steiner
© Paul Königer
The target group in Ashtanga yoga are people who want to practice independently and in a disciplined manner. “It just demands more seriousness.” According to Steiner, once you know the movement sequences and have built up a solid basic practice with the help of a teacher, you can practice at home without any problems. That is even the stated aim of the practice. “Nevertheless, it makes sense to practice with someone from time to time, but the basic practice takes place on your own mat.”
Ashtanga yoga as a living tradition
Those who dedicate themselves to the practice and practice it regularly can not only experience a meditative state during yoga, but also find more harmony and balance in everyday life. This applies to both the mind and the body, which gains more strength, endurance and flexibility through practice.
Steiner describes Krishnamacharya’s idea of involving the body in meditative practice as “ingenious”. However, it is important for the sports physician to see Ashtanga as a living tradition that is constantly evolving. He passes on his philosophy of combining the original yoga with modern, movement-physiological aspects to students and other Ashtanga teachers in numerous training and further education centers.
