K. Pattabhi Jois, a Krishnamacharya disciple, is credited with developing the physically challenging style of hatha yoga known as ashtanga, which is not to be confused with the eightfold path of ashtanga. Ashtanga is the power of yoga, and some refer to it as “power yoga.”
Ashtanga yoga is an active yoga practice sometimes compared to the intensity of an athletic workout. In ashtanga yoga, a sequence of set poses, beginning with what is known as the Sun Salutation, are repeated in a continual flow, which links the movements and the breath. This intense flow creates heat that produces a cleansing or detoxifying effect associated with this method. It is not unusual to see students wipe their brow with a towel or drink water during a ninety-minute class. Class ends with relaxation techniques. Generally, ashtanga students tend to be fit and on the younger, athletic side, although there are older individuals who practice ashtanga. K. Pattabhi Jois’s institute is in Mysore, India.
STREET SMARTS
Lisa O’Maley blends a lifetime of yoga practice and various styles into many of her classes and workshops. ‘”Yoga joins my spirit to something greater than the self. I have always been interested in philosophy and truth. I’ve traveled and studied in India, and after an injury I trained in Bikram-style yoga. I really resonated with this style. I teach the yoga philosophy at Bikram teachers’ training in Los Angeles.”
