Ashtanga yoga: what is how it helps to gain well-being

“I thought that yoga it wasn’t that physical,” Maria said after her first Ashtanga yoga session, “I thought It was much calmer.”

It is generally ignored that yoga has physical and dynamic variantsbetween them Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, an energetic technique to improve physical health and achieve inner calm.

Ashtanga yoga: the most dynamic style

Like any style of yoga (which in Sanskrit means “union”) favors the integral well-being of the person, but differs from others by the practice of vinyasaa system of synchronized movements and breathing.

These movements act common thread between the positions (asanas) and allow a fluid and dynamic practice.

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The continued practice of ashtanga yoga slims and strengthens the body, provides a serene state of mind and purifies the bodymind and emotions.

Its benefits are innumerable and for this reason it has become one of the most fashionable styles of yoga in the West despite coming from India, from a text called kurunta yoga with more than a thousand years old. People with lifestyles very different practice it regularly.

It is a demanding activity. since whatIt requires tenacity, endurance and concentration, but anyone can start; the only requirement is to be constant and patient.

The benefits of ashtanga yoga: changes in the body and mind

Maria had practiced different sportsincluding swimming, spinning and jogging, but could not “hook” to any. He started yoga at a time when I was under a lot of stress.

“It had caused me a high cholesterol, anxiety and back tensionAnd it couldn’t get better. It was starting to do yoga and being able to relax, “she explains. “Everything balanced out for me.”

She has been practicing ashtanga for a year and a half and has noticed many changes, both physical and mental and emotional. Most notable: a change in your body posturethe disappearance of external and internal stresseshe strengthening of the abdominals, a improves your digestion and circulationa greater capacity for concentration and, most importantly, the disappearance of stress

“After a few months practicing ashtanga, I noticed that he had created a resistance to stress; I was no longer affected by things that would have done before. I was feeling much better.”

María started ashtanga yoga at a time of great stress and after a few months she noticed physical improvements and that she lived more relaxed.

The changes that the practice causes in the body and mind are immediate if it is continued; it is recommended to start with a minimum of two sessions a week.

The most quickly detectable are the physical ones: the body is slimmed down and slightly muscled. “It was the first thing I noticed; the body is toned from head to toe,” says María. They also rapidly improve posture, flexibility, coordination, and strength.

From an internal point of view, Ahstanga practice increases concentration, vitality and energythereby achieving a healthy and awake physical and mental state.

In the medium term, it helps to release tension, relax the mind, reduce stress and balance metabolism.significantly improving the digestive process, constipation, circulation and sleep conciliation.

Over time, emotional blocks are released and even comes to observe mental processes from detachmentwithout judging or identifying with them.

How is an ashtanga yoga session

Who starts in ashtanga You do not have to have practiced yoga before or have any specific skills.

The sessions They may be guided (the teacher explains the sequence) or, when the postures are known, Mysore style (the student practices at his own pace and the teacher corrects him).

In either way, the structure of the practice is always the same: the same sequence of asanas is repeated and, as the practice progresses, the teacher adds new postures.

Know the serieswithout having to follow the teacher or think about what position to follow, allows you to focus on the rhythmic and regular sound of breathing, which automatically calms the mind and paralyzes the continuous thoughts that come to mind and that, in general, constitute the most frequent cause of stress.

With the regular practice of ashtanga yoga, it is possible to eliminate internal and external tensions, focus attention on the now, and thus make the difficult “live and enjoy the moment” a reality.

The session begins by saying a mantra in Sanskrit that expresses the wish of health and prosperity; sun salutations continue that help warm and purify the body; the standing postures, which provide resistance and stability; the sitting postures, which intensify and tone the practice; and the finalswhich are used to restore balance and harmony.

Each asana prepares for the next: develops the strength, elasticity and balance necessary to continue.

It is advisable to relax for a minimum of 10 minutes after the practice to assimilate its benefits.

apart from vinyasa (the Union of breathing and motion) the essential principles of ashtanga are the combination of calm and regular breathing (ujjayi) with the muscle contractions abdomen and pelvic floor (bands), and the point of gaze fixed focus (drishti).