Ashtanga (Power) Yoga

Practice of Ashtanga Yoga promotes internal cleansing. The combination of movement and breath increases circulation in the body. Impurities are removed from the body by the sweat that occurs during practice. The body becomes healthy and strong promoting the union of body and mind.

Beryl Bender Birch and Bryan Kest separately coined the term Power Yoga in the late 1980's to relate the ancient practice of Ashtanga Yoga to westerners. The intention of the phrase was to emphasize that it was a yoga practice that was a workout practice for the body as well as the mind, unlike much of the yoga being taught at that time.

The Ashtanga yoga practice is based on:

• asana: physical postures or poses
• ujjayi breath: breathing technique called ‘victorious breath’
• bandhas: internal locks activated through core awareness and strength
• dristhi: a focusing technique by directing the gaze at specific points
• vinyasa: a breath and movement system; with each movement there is a corresponding breath
• Surya Namaskara: Sun Salutation, the foundation of the practice based around the asana/vinyasa sequence

More Information:

• Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute
• The Hard & The Soft Astanga Yoga Institute

Ashtanga Style Classes at YARD

• Beginner Power Yoga
• Power Yoga
• Continuing Power Yoga
• Beginner/Continuing Ashtanga Yoga
• Mysore Ashtanga