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Ashtanga Yoga:
History and Origins

     The terminology Ashtanga Yoga derives from the Yoga Sutras, originally written in Sanskrit. A compilation of 196 Indian sutras (verses), divided into 4 chapters. These sutras were compiled by the great sage Patanjali and are known to have been written before 400 AD. The sutras are a sacred work that organized and synthesized the wisdom of yoga from previous traditions. The Yoga Sutras succinctly offer instruction in yoga, defining it, highlighting its obstacles, and shedding light on the path to yoga and its coming rewards.

The path to yoga, to a peaceful and undisturbed mind, is presented as an eight-part path = Ashtanga (astau =eight; anga =parts). Ashtanga, the eight-part path, is essentially the backbone of the journey through yoga.

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The Method

         The method taught is Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as it was traditionally taught in KPJAYI and as it is maintained today by Paramaguru R. Sharath Jois, originally from Mysore, India.

In this system of yoga its practice is passed down from one to one, from teacher to student, from guru to shisya, this is called parampara. This creates a direct lineage of knowledge and so what we learn today is naturally empowered by the teachings that came before us, which are ancestral, connected to nature, and charged with wisdom. 

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To understand the history of this method as we know it today, we can go back to the life of T.S. Krishnamacharya at the beginning of the 20th century. The guru of the gurus of the modern world such as Indra Devi, B.K.S. Iyengar, A.G. Mohan, T.V.K. Desikachar, and - K. Pattabhi Jois, founder of the teachings of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system. Early in his life, Krishnamacharya learned the basis of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method, which is Vinyasa Krama, which he learned through the teachings of his guru Ramamohana Brahmachari on the Yoga Kurunta, a sacred text now believed to be missing. Vinyasa Krama is an intense practical method of purifying and cleansing the body through breathing and movement between asanas (postures), which also leads to a clearer and more disciplined mind. Krishnamacharya is said to have spent 7 consecutive years living and studying with his guru and his family in a remote location on Mt. Kailash, Himalayas before he returned to civilization with the mission of spreading the true practical wisdom of yoga.  By this time Krishnamacharya had reached his 30s.​​​

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K. Pattabhi Jois (above); R.Sharath Jois (below)

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From then on, Krishnamacharya settled down with a yogashala (yoga school) in the Royal Palace of Mysore, teaching his disciples all the lessons he had learned during his years in exile with his guru. He spread his yoga wisdom with the support he got from the Maharajah of Mysore who was impressed by the reappearance of India's greatest treasure of yoga therapy, from which he reaped its healing benefits from Krishnamacharya's teachings.

T.S.Krishnamacharya

       It was at the yogashala in Mysore in the 1930s that Pattabhi Jois learned in depth after reuniting with his esteemed guru Krishnamacharya, while simultaneously studying and then teaching at the Sanskrit College in Mysore. Pattabhi Jois stayed with his guru continuously for many years and learned and developed the original vinyasa sequences and counts to the asana sequences of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as we know it today. He learned and formulated these sequences so that each asana produces its greatest therapeutic quality for anyone practicing under the direction of an experienced teacher. Pattabhi Jois wrote the book Yoga Mala, which represents his life's work developing sequences so important to yoga therapy today, explaining their beneficial aspects and how to practice them. He was well-versed in yoga philosophy and used to say “Ashtanga Yoga is the yoga of Patanjali”.

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Krishnamacharya Yogashala in demonstration at Mysore Palace

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Guruji Sharath Jois teaching workshop around the world

The traditional lineage of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is maintained today by R. Sharath Jois. Grandson of K. Pattabhi Jois, Sharath Jois spent more than 25 years under the watchful eye of his guru (Pattabhi Jois) teaching and assisting him with all his Indian and international students from a very young age. With the passing of generations and changes on a global scale, there have been new adaptations to the practice of yoga, and this will continue to be the case as long as we keep a clear mind. Guruji Sharath Jois holds the burning torch of this tradition and has done so respectfully, honorably, and with determination toward the wisdom of yoga. Pattabhi Jois' work developing the system of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga over the years of studying, practicing, and teaching ended up being compressed into six series: the First Series/ Yoga Chikitsa (yoga therapy), the Intermediate Series/ Nadi Shodana (purification of the subtle channels), and Advanced Series/ Sthira Bhaga (divine stability) A, B, C and D. Each series takes around 90 minutes to practice and is designed to be learned asana by asana, in the correct order and with an experienced teacher.


To find out more about the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Method and Practice, visit the Method and Practice page.

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