What is Ashtanga Yoga

Vinyasa

Vinyasa means the linking of breath and movement. Every posture in the method has a fixed number of movements leading into it and out of it, and each of those movements belongs to one breath. Nothing is arbitrary: the count is the structure that holds the practice together, and it is what makes the sequence continuous rather than a series of separate exercises.

This is the part of the method Lino spent a decade researching under Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, and it is the subject of his book.

Tristhana

Tristhana — the three places of attention — is what the practitioner actually works with, every day:

• Posture. The shape of the body, and the strength and steadiness it asks for.
• Breath. Long, even, audible breathing, the same length on the inhale and the exhale, sustained from the first movement to the last.
• Gaze. Drishti — a fixed looking place for each posture, which settles the attention and keeps it from wandering.

Held together with the bandhas, the internal locks, these three turn a physical sequence into something closer to a meditation.

The series

The postures are arranged into series, each with its own purpose, learned in order. The first, Yoga Chikitsa, is yoga therapy: it realigns the body and clears it. The second, Nadi Shodhana, purifies the nervous system. The advanced series that follow ask for strength and stability that only come with years.

A student is given one posture at a time, and only when the previous one is steady. This is not a restriction; it is how the method protects the body and builds a practice that can be sustained for a lifetime.

Mysore style

In a Mysore style class everyone practises at the same time, but each person works through their own sequence, at their own pace and their own breath. The teacher moves through the room, adjusting, correcting, giving a new posture when the moment is right.

It is the traditional way of teaching, and the reason the method survives as a personal practice rather than a class you attend. Beginners are welcome: the first weeks are taught step by step, and no previous experience is needed.

What to expect when you come for the first time · Classes and timetable in Rome