Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga yoga is a powerful discipline that creates a calm and healthy mind, body and nervous system. It is the most structured styles of yoga. It is designed to follow a strategic set of asanas in a specific order practiced repetitively in the same structure each time.

There are six types of Ashtanga series: Primary, Intermediate, and four types of Advanced.

Each series must be mastered by the student before they can proceed to the next.

Ashtanga Asana System

The asana (posture) system is characterised by powerful, synchronised ‘breathing and moving to a precise count’ (vinyasa); gaze points (drishti) and internal energy locks (bandhas).

The aim of the Ashtanga asana practice is to attain the perfect alignment of the breath, looking place and movement (tristhana) and through doing so, to develop a moving meditation. Throughout the practice, very slow inhalations and exhalations through the nose, allow prana (vital energy) to be carried around the subtle body.

Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga is considered to be the oldest form of yoga. It is a gentler paced practice of asanas (yoga postures) which are designed to align the body muscles, bones, and tissues in order to prepare for deeper inner mindfulness and meditation.

One of the great benefits of Hatha yoga is that it stimulates and opens up many of the energy channels in the body which creates a deeper sense of balance, presence, and consciousness.