Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga is divided into six levels, each level consists of about 60 postures, which are arranged in a fixed order and cannot be practiced backwards. It is very strong, and it is easy to get hurt without guidance. But actions that you can't do at first can be skipped. But if you want to practice the first level, you may need 3? Five years, this is still for people with better conditions, and it is necessary to ensure about 3 hours of practice every day. At present, most people who have reached level 6 in the world have been practicing for decades.
Ashtanga yoga comes from a yoga system in the ancient manuscript Yoga Collection recorded by Saint Vamataris. Yoga Collection is an anthology about hatha yoga rhymes. It contains a series of combinations of many different postures, and it is a very primitive theory about vinyasa, drishti, bandhas, mudras and philosophy. Kacar, son of Sret krishnamacharya, inherited his career and taught viniyoga.
Benefits of Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga Yoga is the oldest and most popular Hatha Yoga practice in the world. This kind of yoga emphasizes posture practice? Three locks? Application, that is, the combination of throat, navel and perineum. It pays more attention to the training of strength, flexibility and endurance, especially strength and endurance, and is a kind of yoga with greater exercise intensity. In the process of practice, only when the frequency of movements and breathing is consistent can practitioners fully enjoy the benefits contained in this yoga pose. It is divided into six levels, and each level consists of about 60 postures, which are arranged in strict order and cannot be practiced backwards. It is very strong, and it is easy to get hurt without guidance. But actions that you can't do at first can be skipped. But if you want to practice the first level, you may need 3? Five years, this is still for people with better conditions, and it is necessary to ensure about 3 hours of practice every day. At present, most people who have reached level 6 in the world have been practicing for decades. It can improve the circulatory system of human body, regulate body and mind, and make people feel refreshed. Practitioners can also achieve a balance between strength and flexibility, improve cardiovascular function, make the body lighter, more flexible and stronger, and achieve the effect of detoxifying the body. Compared with other forms of yoga, Ashtanga's exercise intensity is slightly higher, and people with good physical fitness or years of yoga practice experience can try it, but beginners must be cautious.
Five elements of eight yoga exercises
outside shape
The first layer is an external shape, such as onion skin. This is the visible aspect of the exercise. We use our bodies to draw lines, twist, bend, stretch, close, open, stand upside down and so on. Beginners may think that external modeling is practice. However, yoga is much more than concave modeling and posing. More than that, there are more, let's have a deeper understanding.
Internal activity
Under the skin, we have an invisible activity matrix: muscle contraction and relaxation, connective tissue expansion, softening and stretching; Measure the distribution and balance of our center of gravity and weight; Muscle groups are activated to share the task of activity, while some connective tissues remain soft and relaxed.
The mysterious and elusive internal energy lock, Ram Banda and Houdia Na Banda are the basic aspects of internal form practice. Root lock refers to the activation and awakening of anus and pelvic floor area, which is helpful to the stability and connection of energy on our left and right sides. Root locks guide qi (flowing consciousness) along the central passage to the heart, throat and higher brain. Abdominal lock refers to the muscle control of the abdominal area, especially the area between navel and pubic bone. The abdominal lock exerts slight pressure on the navel area to help the qi flow upward along the spine. The use of locks can generate heat and purify the body and mind. Putting the tip of the tongue on the palate (that is, kechari mudra) will bring another invisible effect. Can help our body's subtle energy circulate effectively above the throat.
When we breathe, subtle energy circulates throughout the body. The internal flow of air (or vayu) has five different directions or zones. The most important qi is downward qi and upward qi. Descending qi refers to the downward flow of subtle energy in the body, mainly exhaling. Upward qi refers to the inward and upward flow of energy, which is generated and dominated by inhalation. By exhaling downward energy, we feel the downward roots. We expand inward and upward by inhaling energy upward.
breathe
In Pattabhi? Joyce In the traditional Ashtanga yoga tradition, we breathe through our noses. Deep breathing with sound and free breathing mean that complete breathing is not limited by body and mind. We listen to the sound of breathing, but we also feel, count, observe, stretch and deepen our breathing. When we can breathe completely correctly, we will feel better and the asana can go deeper without causing excessive tension. Focusing on breathing can also make us more practical in the present.
Breathing carries qi, which is a subtle and important energy of our body. Proper breathing brings us energy. We use the power of breathing to help us achieve strong dynamic movement. By inhaling, we inhale the ascending energy from the sun and nature, and by exhaling, we can release toxins and tension.
The timing of breathing (when to inhale and when to exhale) is very important. In the process of practice, our upward movements are all done when inhaling, and our downward movements are all done when exhaling. Slow, deep and even breathing will create a calm and stable body and mind. Breathing is a magical ingredient that connects different aspects of yoga. If you can't make up your mind to experience this deep breath, most beginners will never understand the deeper and more subtle level of practice.
attitude
A correct attitude is crucial to our progress, happiness and longevity. Why should we practice? How was the practice? What are the expectations?
As beginners, we often find ourselves very competitive; Full of desire, persistence, self-judgment and not modest enough. We are attracted to yoga for various reasons: physical, spiritual and social. Some people are lazy, some people feel uncomfortable when they are calm and introspective, and some students are full of gratitude just because they can have a healthy body to practice. Usually practitioners will be persistent and try their best to reach the next position, just like participating in sports events or striving for promotion. Overtraining without proper rest and relaxation will lead to injury and consumption.
Can you imagine practicing often and achieving unexpected success? There is a famous poem in patanjali's Yoga Sutra that progress comes from constant practice and persistence. After a long period of continuous practice, the six toxins of anger, jealousy, delusion, greed, lust and laziness will begin to dissolve, and the consciousness of the higher self will appear. Like dust, six toxins are washed away from the surface of our deepest diamond. What is left is to give more space, empathy, compassion, friendliness, cherish and more noble thinking.
Proper attitude can also be cultivated by following the precepts (Yamaraja) and diligence (Ma Niya), which are the first two of the eight branches of yoga. These two suggestions are to establish a correct relationship with yourself, others and nature. They are guides to keep us on the right path and not to do evil. Simply list: non-violence, no lying, no stealing, sexual/energy restraint, no greed, cleanliness, contentment, asceticism/self-discipline, self-study and submission. There is a saying that it is impossible to practice without discipline and diligence (mental practice or hard work).
consciousness
The root of Sanskrit? Doctor? It means look. Dristhi refers to consciousness or the observed object, and Drushtah refers to the observer, or the consciousness of observation. In our asana practice, dristhi is the object of fixation and concentration. Cultivating this stable consciousness point is very important for exercising concentration, meditation and deeper self-realization. The unity and integration of the observer and the object of viewing is very mysterious, and the works of countless poets, thinkers, yogis, visionaries and philosophers are exploring this theme.
With the deepening of practice, both inner and outer consciousness will bloom like flowers. Senses are improved, and practitioners are expected to be more aware of the results of their thoughts and actions. Mature practitioners begin to have more control over their minds and senses, rather than being controlled by their minds and senses in turn. Regular and long-term practitioners finally begin to see their own side in others. If this situation continues, it will produce a sense of respect, awe and humility for others and the whole creative community.
Continuous introspection will create conditions for yoga students to see themselves deeper than their ever-changing bodies, minds and emotions. Besides body and mind, what we want to identify is consciousness itself. This kind of consciousness is constant and eternal, and it is in everyone's heart. It is the noblest effort of a yogi to know this eternal consciousness and use it to define himself.