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The guru of Ashtanga Yoga, Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois, was born on the full moon day of July in 1915. He's still teaching the method he learned from his guru, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, between 1927 and 1937. Krishnamacharya's guru was Rama Mohan Brahmachari, with whom he studied for eight years in a cave in Tibet. Krishnamacharya and Pattabhi Jois both received patronage from Krishna Rajendra Wodeyar, the Maharaja of Mysore in South India. Pattabhi Jois, or "Guruji," as he's affectionately known, was employed by the Maharaja to create a department of yoga in his Sanskrit College. Guruji also earned a higher degree in Vedanta and became a professor of Sanskrit and Vedanta there. Westerners began to study with Guruji in 1964, and Americans in 1972. Guruji created the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore, where foreigners and natives alike receive training in the method he learned from his guru. Ashtanga means "eight-limb." The eight-limbed yoga is outlined by Patanjali in the second chapter of the Yoga Sutra. The particular form of Ashtanga-vinyasa-yoga-krama which is the method of Ashtanga Yoga was taught by Vamana Rishi in the Yoga Korunta. Krishnamacharya transmitted this teaching to Pattabhi Jois. There are six series of asanas which begin to purify the body, utilizing the system of Vinyasa, which means synchronizing the breath with the movement. The primary series works on the purification of the gross body, the second, or intermediate , series works on the purification of the nervous system, and the other four advanced series stabilize these. In addition to movement, Ashtanga is based on practice of the Tristhana, or "Three places of attention." These are posture, breathing, and gaze point. These three unify the initial purification of body, nervous system, and mind. Postures are asanas, positions for the body. The breathing for the nervous system is Ujjayi Pranayama, "Upward-winning breath control." The dristhi, or gaze point, is where you focus your eyes in the asana; it begins mental purification. In addition to the Tristhana is the practice of Mula and Uddiyana Bandhas, energetic contractions in the lower body which encourage energy to move up. Thus the purification of body, nervous system, and mind which is begun in asana practice finds completion in the other seven limbs. To find out what the first series is like, a flowing classical sequence of asanas (also known as Primary Series), try one of our led classes. Yoga Sutra has led Ashtanga every weekday at lunch (one hour class at 12:15PM), every weekday evening (full led primary series at 7:30PM), and many weekend classes, including a "Ashtanga Basics" on Sundays at 12:00PM. Ashtanga is ideally practiced a minimum of four days a week and optimally five or six. If you're interested, come observe a session of self-practice Ashtanga, known as Mysore-style. Mysore-style is the traditional method, whereby you're taught the series one-on-one in the self-practice classes. In these classes you may progress past the primary into the intermediate and advanced series. Beginners are welcome in any Ashtanga class - all that's required is a commitment to learning and patience. Students interested in full led primary class should have some prior yoga experience (not necessarily Ashtanga). The Ashtanga Yoga Shala at Yoga Sutra Return to Styles of Yoga >
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