Ashtanga Yoga originated in India and has a long tradition. The current Guru of Ashtanga Yoga is Shri K Pattabhi Jois (pictured right), who lives in Mysore, India. His Guru was T Krishnamacharya, a remarkable yogi who inspired, through his disciples, no less than three distinct approaches to yoga: Ashtanga, Iyengar (BKS Iyengar) and the yoga of TKV Desikachar, who is Krishnamacharya’s son.

Pattabhi Jois and Krishnamacharya (pictured left) are said to have discovered an ancient manuscript containing the sequence of postures that Ashtanga Yoga is based upon. They called it Ashtanga, meaning "eight limbed", because they believed the practice dated back to the time of Patanjali who wrote the Yoga Sutras setting out the eight fold path of yoga to reach enlightenment.

Ashtanga Yoga is a form of Hatha Yoga, which means that it aims to work on the mind through disciplined practices for the body. The word Yoga means "yoke" or "union" between the individual soul or purusha and universal consciousness or God. All approaches to yoga have the same aim of achieving this union, so it is unwise to speak of one kind of yoga being better or superior to another. They are merely different paths up the same mountain.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is a particularly demanding form of Hatha Yoga that is strongly physical and requires dedication and discipline. This can be daunting at first, but the intensive demands of a regular Ashtanga Yoga practice can reward students with rapid progress in their development.

Most people practicing Ashtanga Yoga are working on the Primary Series of postures, otherwise known as Yoga Chikitsa (meaning practices to cleanse, purify and rebalance the body). The Primary Series is a comprehensive asana practice beginning with Surya Namaskara (sun salute) A & B, standing postures, sitting postures, twists, backbends and inversions. What makes Ashtanga Yoga unique is that this large number of postures is woven into a flowing Vinyasa. Instead of practicing a yoga posture, stopping and then preparing to move on to a different asana (as happens in most yoga classes) you flow continuously in and out of postures, sustained by breath, bandha and drishti (see Practice Tips page). (Photo left shows two of my favourite people and talented London-based Ashtanga yoga teachers, Paulo and Kirsteen with Sharath Rangaswamy. Below, Paulo and Kirsteen with John and Lucy with )

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga should not be confused with 'Power Yoga', which has been adapted from Ashtanga, but has only a short tradition. Pattabhi Jois has sought to preserve and honour the system of Ashtanga Yoga, as handed down by his Guru, Krishnamacharya, by strictly controlling how it is taught. Students are still encouraged to go to Mysore in India regularly and for at least a month at a time to study directly with Guruji. Here in the UK, Pattabhi Jois expects students to continue their practice under the guidance of a  teacher directly certified by Pattabhi Jois, such as John Scott. Gaining certification from Guruji is a long process, consequently there are only a very small number of fully certified teachers in the UK.