About Ashtanga part 2
Originally recorded many centuries ago by the Rishi Vamana in a manuscript entitled the Yoga Korunta, the teachings of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, as outlined in this text, were imparted many centuries later to Sri T. Krishnamacharya by his Guru, Rama Mohan Brahmachari in the early 1900's and were subsequently passed onto Sri K Pattabhi Jois (Guruji) in the late 1920's. During the 1960's and '70's, the first Westerners came to India to study with Guruji. Since then Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga has spread throughout the world.
Although this ancient manuscript has since been lost, it was said to contain not only lists of many different groupings of asanas and original teachings on the core components of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system, but also the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and a commentary on the Yoga Sutras. The Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali and the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga of Rishi Vamana refer to the philosophy of (Classical) Yoga and the practice of postures (asanas) respectively. The coupling of these two together, emphasizes the importance of the practice of asana, underpinned by the practice of the philosophy.
The three fundamental techniques that underline Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga are the Ujjayi Breath, Uddiyana and Mula Bandha and Dristis. The Ujjayi breath is a chest breathing technique that has many benefits including the production of heat, which is needed to burn toxins at both the physical and mental levels. Bandhas can be described as muscle locks or seals which, on a physical level, help to stabilize joint complexes by balancing joint flexibility with muscular strength and which also generates and moves energy through the body. Applied together, the Ujjayi Breath and Bandhas not only cause the internal heat created when practicing the postures but are also responsible for the rejuvenation, detoxification and safety in your practice. Dristhi is a particular gazing point used in all postures to help to draw the sense of seeing inward, purifying and stabilizing the functioning of the mind, facilitating the practice of Pratyahara, one of the eight limbs. There are nine Dristhis: the nose, the spot between the eyebrows, navel, thumb, hands, big toes, upward, far right and far left side. When these three places of attention come together, posture, breathing system and dristhi, practitioners have reached Tristana. This facilitates the beginning of the practice of the more subtle aspects of the eight limbs, such as Dharana and Dhyana.