About Ashtanga Yoga

Because there has been much confusion over the past few years regarding the term Ashtanga, we wish to be clear that we do not teach a contemporary method of asana that has come to be known as “Power Yoga” or “Ashtanga”. Though asana (seat, or posture) is but one limb of Ashtanga Yoga and Hatha Yoga, it is often identified as Yoga.

We present the classical Ashtanga Yoga set forth more than 2,000 years ago by Patanjai in the Yoga Sutras. Ashtanga means Eight Limbed (ashta meaning eight, and anga meaning limb).

The eight limbs* are:
        Restraints (Yama):
                Nonviolence (Ahimsa)
                Truthfulness (Satya)
                Non-Stealing (Asteya)
                Continence (Bramacharya)
                Non-Posessiveness (Aparigraha)
        Observances (Niyama):
                Purity (Satya)
                Contentment (Santosha)
                Austerity (Tapas)
                Scriptural Study (Svadhyaya)
                Surrender to God (Ishvarapranidhana)
Posture, Seat (Asana)
Breath Control (Pranayama)
Withdrawing the Mind from Sense Perception (Pratyahara)
Concentration (Dharana)
Meditation (Dhyana)
Higher Consciousness (Samadhi)

* Ashtanga Yoga Primer © 1981, Sri Rama Publishing, Santa Cruz, CA