Ashtanga Yoga Of Pattabhi Jois

Ashtanga yoga as we commonly know it today, was made popular by K. Pattabhi Jois.  Pattabhi  Jois developed the practice based on the yoga lineage passed on to him by his own teacher Sri Krishnamacharya.  Krishnamacharya’s knowledge of yoga was so vast that later in life he taught each student differently.  Pattabhi Jois met hin 1927 and studeid with him until 1953
The three most well know students of Krishnamacharya are his son T.K.V. Desikachar, B K S Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois. Each developed their own approach to yoga practice, Pattabhi Jois continuing the series of asanas, or poses that Krishnmacharya taught earlier in his life. Pattabhi  Jois has said that the most important thing his guru ever said to him was "Make this yoga method the work of your life", and so he has.

Ashtanga means "eight limbs",referring to the eight limbs of yoga compiled by by the great Indian sage Patanjali.  When Pattabhi Jois named the style of yoga he developed, ashtanga, he meant it as

a reminder to practice all eight limbs and not just the asanas. When we refer to Ashtanga Yoga, it refers to the fluid style of asanas series of Pattabhi Jois. Asana is the third of yoga’s eight limbs limb.

This style of yoga is characterized by a focus on viṅyāsa, or a dynamic connecting posture, that creates a flow between the more static traditional yoga postures. Vinyasa also means breath-synchronized movement. The breath is the heart of this discipline and links asana to asana in a precise order. By synchronizing movement with breathing and practicing Mula and Uddiyana Bandhas (internal body locks 1), an intense internal heat is produced. This heat purifies muscles and organs, expelling unwanted toxins as well as releasing beneficial hormones and minerals, which can nourish the body when the sweat is massaged back into the skin. The breath regulates the vinyasa and ensures efficient circulation of blood. The result is a light, strong body.

The whole practice is defined by six series of interflowing postures, always done in the same order, combined with a specific breathing pattern (ujjāyī breathing 2). The Yoga Sutra says "Tasmin sati svasa prasvasayor gati vicchedah pranayama." Depending on the individual breathing rhythm, each one requires from 90 minutes to three hours to complete. Thus, the beginner and the advanced practitioner can find a demanding workout suited to his potential and challenging his personal physical and mental limitations.

There are three groups of sequences in the Ashtanga system. Each sequence typically begins with 10 Sun Salutations and the standing poses. This is referred to as the "opening sequence". The student then moves to either the Primary, Intermediate, Advanced A, B, C, or D, depending on his or her skill level, a back-bending sequence, finally closing with a set of inverted postures, referred to as the "finishing sequence".  The Primary Series (Yoga Chikitsa) detoxifies and aligns the body. The Intermediate Series (Nadi Shodhana) purifies the nervous system by opening and clearing the energy channels. The Advanced Series A, B, C, and D (Sthira Bhaga) integrate the strength and grace of the practice, requiring higher levels of flexibility strength and inner development.

Pattabhi and Manju Jois (his oldest son and student) brought this form of yoga to the American west coast in 1975. In the past 30 years ashtanga yoga spread worldwide and found more and more enthusiastic students. 

Pattabhi Jois: Yoga is one. God is one. Yoga means sambandaha, which is atma manah samyogah, or knowing God inside you. But using it only for physical practice is no good, of no use—just a lot of sweating, pushing, and heavy breathing for nothing. The spiritual aspect, which is beyond the physical, is the purpose of yoga. When the nervous system is purified, when your mind rests in the atman [the Self], then you can experience the true greatness of yoga.

1: There are three bandhas which are considered our internal body locks, prescribed in the different postures. The bandha is a sustained contraction of a group of muscles that assists the practitioner not only in retaining a pose but also in moving in and out of it. The Mūla Bandha, or root lock, is performed by tightening the muscles around the pelvic and perineum area. The Uḍḍīyāna Bandha, often described as bringing the navel to the base of the spine, is a contraction of the muscles of the lower abdominal area – this bandha is considered the most important bandha as it supports our breathing and encourages the development of strong core muscles. Jālaṅdhara Bandha, throat lock, is achieved by lowering the chin slightly while raising the sternum and the palate bringing the gaze to the tip of the nose.

2: Ujjayi breathing is a breath technique sometimes called "the ocean breath" and is typically done in association with asana practice.
Inhalation and exhalation are both done through the nose. For beginners to yoga, the "ocean sound" is created by moving the glottis as air passes in and out. As the throat passage is narrowed so, too, is the airway, the passage of air through which creates a "rushing" sound. The length and speed of the breath is controlled by the diaphragm, the strengthening of which is, in part, the purpose of ujjayi.

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