The literal
meaning of ashtanga yoga is “eight limbed yoga”, as the word
“ashta” means eight in literal sense.
In Pantanjali’s yoga Sutras there was a mention about this aspect
of ashtanga yoga and this type yoga encompasses eight important and major
spiritual principles including the most important meditation, proper postures,
control of breath and moral restraints.
But, fortunately
or unfortunately the ashtanga yoga that is being practiced in western
countries today depicts a different picture.
In today’s
context the ashtanga yoga is considered as a power yoga and there is no
importance given to spiritual advancement and the stress is more on attaining
certain physical attributes such as performing complicated postures, fast
running, surya namaskar, and doing other workouts.
Ashtanga
yoga basically encircles around achieving certain breathing techniques,
as the same can give an effect of a full-body workout and known to help
athletes and other sports persons to have a healthy, flexible, and strong
body.
When it comes
to ashtanga yoga you may require to perform a number of complex body postures
and movements and that can make amateurs and novices getting hurt in the
initial stages.
Even the
experienced people find it difficult to perform certain body postures
and hence it is necessary for any one who would like to learn ashtanga
yoga to attend to classes first before trying to do the ashtanga yoga
alone.
It is also
advised to go for certain yoga accessories such as yoga rug or yoga sticky
mat and many people who perform ashtanga yoga use yoga rug, as it is good
in absorbing the sweat than mats.
Ashtanga
Yoga and the Popular Personalities
Many popular
celebrities were known to practice ashtanga yoga for keeping them hale
and fit and one such celebrity who is known to practice ashtanga yoga
is none other than the popular actress Madonna.
It was also
known that Madonna has been practicing ashtanga yoga for the last 15 years
and other celebrities such as model Christy Turlington, actors Woody Harrelson
and Willem DaFoe and athletes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Randal Cunningham
were also ardent practitioners of ashtanga yoga for many years.
The Difference
between Power Yoga and Ashtanga yoga
Though the
terms Power yoga and ashtanga yoga can be interchangeably used, there
are subtle differences between these two forms of yoga. Basically the
power yoga is derived from ashtanga yoga and the power yoga got its western
tag after undergoing few changes.
For example,
a set of postures or asanaas in ashtanga yoga will take not less than
2 hours, where as in power yoga the methodology is simplified so as to
consume little time.
The technique
of using a heated room is used while doing power yoga so as to make the
practitioners sweat out more there by getting rid of more toxins from
one’s blood.
On the other
hand, the ashtanga yoga aims at providing a strenuous workout with all
the beneficial aspects of controlled breathing and a concentrated mind
that make the yoga more popular.
Ashtanga
yoga has been found to be very effective and useful for athletes, even
for beginners, in providing the concentration and the necessary workout
schedule.
In case
of beginners, if they are exposed to hatha yoga first, then the ashtanga
yoga will be easier and they can get into the proper groove very fast.
