Astanga Yoga

Sometimes called Power Yoga, Astanga Vinyasa Yoga was made popular in Britain by the late Derek Ireland and his partner Radha. It is probably best known for being the yoga practiced by Madonna, Sting, and other ‘famous people’.

The system was discovered about fifty years ago in a Calcutta University archive by K Pattabhi Jois and his guru Sri T Krishnamacharya, who was also the teacher of BKS Iyengar. Pattabhi Jois was instructed by his guru to make Astanga Vinyasa Yoga his life’s work, and he is still teaching today at the age of 87.

Astanga refers to the eight limbs of yoga, which include social and personal precepts, concentration, and meditation as well as the postures (asanas) themselves. Vinyasa means synchronisation of breath and movement and is the key to this system of yoga. The emphasis is on flowing through a set sequence (or series) of postures with each transition or movement being tied to a specific inhalation or exhalation.

The sequence is learnt gradually and at the student’s own pace, with postures being added to the student’s practice as familiarity and stamina develop. This results in the student becoming self-reliant and able to practice in harmony with his or her own breath, without constant instruction from a teacher, but also requires greater commitment on the part of the student. There are six Series of increasing difficulty - very few people have managed all six!

Traditionally this is a six day per week practice, with Saturdays, Full Moon and No Moon days taken off. In the West we do what our busy lives permit, but you should be prepared to set aside time to practice at home. A class once a week is not enough.

This is a demanding form of yoga, both physically and mentally, but the physical and mental well-being that it gives becomes rather addictive! The heat generated by the sequence and the internal muscular locks that are held through the practice enable the body to release its full suppleness, and the beautiful construction of the sequences using pose and counterpose works every muscle group. When the sequence is learnt and the breath is flowing well the experience can be of a moving meditation. But come prepared to sweat!

Our Astanga yoga class for those who are familiar with the series is on Tuesday evening from 7.30pm to 9.30pm and costs £8.50.

We run Introductory courses from time-to-time please contact us for the date on the next course.