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The word Yoga has many different interpretations - people give it different meaning depending on their information sources, their culture and personal experience. The philosophy and mysticism associated with its many different schools and styles may be alien to someone brought up in the Western World, yet to understand the true essence of yoga, and to benefit from the fruits it has to offer, one can come from any background. Yoga has a deep intrinsic wisdom which is universal - it is up to each individual to explore it, to find their own way to meet this essence. Some will simply use yoga as a healthy form of exercise, for others it may bring a life-changing transformation.
There are probably as many styles and schools of yoga as there are disciplines of art - each offering their own interpretations, using their own methods, putting the emphasis on one area or another. Just like in Nature, there is great beauty in this variety, diversity - each one is a different colour on the palette, their overlaps creating further variety of colour still. There is not one 'right' yoga style or school - for yoga is not a style or a school. Yoga is like a living organism, ever changing, growing, evolving.
A healthy approach to yoga is a non-dogmatic, open-minded exploration and observation. With Free Flow Yoga a variety of dynamic style classes are offered, based on principles of Ashtanga Yoga. Some of the classes follow the original 'Mysore style' of practice closely, others, particularly at early stages for beginners, offer alternative postures and techniques. At the classes we mainly practise the postures (asana), incorporate some breath control (pranayama), employ deeper physical control in forms of locks (bandha), and work on developing a stronger connection between body and mind by self-observation.
The key objective of the classes is to assist each individual in obtaining the skills and knowledge necessary to build their own 'personalised' yoga practice, so they can grow with it according to their own needs, abilities and aspirations. For those who wish to explore yoga in more depth, perhaps considering learning to teach, 'tutorials' are available. Here you can learn about the theory and the philosophy behind yoga, and develop a better understanding of the more subtle aspects.
A Brief History of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a relatively new form, but with some roots and source materials centuries old. It was developed from the 1930s onward by yoga guru and Sanskrit scholar, Sri T. Krishnamacharya. Assisted by one of his top disciples, K. Pattabhi Jois, they developed a powerful, dynamic, energetic, aerobic form. It has been achieved by incorporating some gymnastic influences, using a strong breathing technique ('ujjayi') and linking the postures into a set sequence with a connecting movement (vinyasa) resulting in generating deep, detoxifying heat throughout the body.
After Krishnamacharya's death K. Pattabhi Jois became the guru of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. He added his own interpretation to the style, and he was the first teacher who agreed to teach non-Indians. Guruji, as he is affectionately called by his students, has devoted all his life to teaching. At the age of 91 he still teaches at his Yoga Shala in Mysore, South India, and travels the World to hold Ashtanga workshop.
Through Pattabhi Jois's teachings Ashtanga Yoga continued to grow. From the late sixties and early seventies more and more Westerners studied with him, later establishing their own schools in their own home countries, spreading the style throughout the World. Ashtanga Yoga, and many other new styles developed from it are now taught world-wide, and practised by many thousands of people.
The Ashtanga Method and its Key Benefits
Ashtanga yoga offers a broad range of benefits to body and mind. Its power rests in its method - you travel through a set series of yoga postures with movement synchronised to your breath, generating deep heat throughout the body. With regular, committed, attentive practice we get 're-conditioned' - the body gets re-aligned, it becomes healthier, more resistant to illness, strength and stamina increase substantially, body tone and flexibility and overall posture improve. The intense, deep heat generated throughout the body also has a powerful detoxifying effect. On a more subtle level, through concentration and self-observation, one can explore the mind-body relationship from a new perspective, moving toward greater harmony between mind, heart and body.
If you would like more information about the above, or other related subjects, please do not hesitate to contact me:
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