Where did Ashtanga Yoga come from?

Ashtanga Yoga ..everything you need to know!

Where did Ashtanga yoga come from?

Ashtanga was made famous by Pattabhi Jois in the 20th century. Jois was born in 1915 and passed away in 2009 in Mysore, India. He was a yoga guru and Sanskrit scholar. In 1948, Jois established the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, India ..referred to now as the home of Ashtanga Yoga.

Jois is one of a short list of key figures that established the yoga we know today as a form of exercise, along with B.K.S.Iyengar (1918 - 2004 in Pune, India).

Both Jois and Iyengar were students of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888 - 1989 in Madras, India) who was a yoga teacher, ayurvedic healer and scholar. He is probably one of the most important gurus of modern day yoga as we know it, and Jois was said to have claimed that he learnt the practice we now know as Ashtanga from him.

What is Ashtanga Yoga?

It’s a very dynamic practice that focuses on synchronising breath with postures, and is sometimes referred to as the ‘Classical Indian Yoga’ or ‘Mysore Yoga’ ..Mysore due to it being the city in India in which the practice was originally from.

There are six Ashtanga sequences referred to as an Ashtanga series (Primary, Intermediate and four Advanced), and these are set in terms of pose and order. 

Unlike most yoga classes where the teacher will teach each posture, the Ashtanga teacher is there are more of a guide and to give adjustments. There are however classes in Ashtanga for the beginner in mind where the series is led - although be warned, this is not a beginners class, students should have some previous yoga experience before trying Ashtanga.

It is said each student should master every pose within the primary series before moving on to the next. Some of the postures in the primary series include, Sun Saluations, Triangle, Warrior 1 and Warrior 2 ..but it also includes Tortoise, Rooster, and Ear Pressure Pose! In the advanced series you have postures like, Moon Bird Pose, Sage Kaundinya's Pose and Splits, along with transions like jumping back from Crow, to name just a few!

The ultimate goal of ashtanga is to purify the body and mind by creating heat leading and ultimately leading to detoxification. There is also an incredible level of dedication and self-practice involved which is why some have referred to the practice as the practice of the ego, with a constant desire to progress and be able to move on to the next series.

Who can teach Ashtanga Yoga?

If you want to become officially certified as an Ashtanga teacher you have to study under Sharath Jois (Pattabhi Jois’s grandson) in Mysore at the KPJAYI otherwise know as the “main shala”.

You have to be authorised to teach by Sharath himself to teach any of the six series of Ashtanga Yoga.

Want to know more?

If you'd like to know more about about the history of yoga and it's many styles we have modules on exactly this on the 200hr Yoga Teacher Training, 300hr Yoga Teacher Training or 500hr Yoga Teacher Training, full syllabus for all of these courses on our website, and if you have any questions please send us an email to info@yogacourse.com