Ashtanga Yoga Kendra (AYK) is a centre of Ashtanga Yoga started by the blessings of Guruji Sri R Sharath Jois located in HSR Layout, Bengaluru. Ashtanga Yoga is unique in several aspects.The practice of yoga leads to revealing, and unveiling, a transformation in the practitioner. It is very clear from all the texts, borne out by experience, that the practitioner’s effort and involvement in the pro
cess, predominantly on a mental level, is essential for this growth. Hence, the practitioner is taught, as in this case, the asana with its vinyasa, defined sequence of steps with breath in and out of the asana. The asana with its vinyasa will lead to a growth and change, opening up the way for progress. The results will be evident physically but the real change is internal, mental and spiritual which will lead to bliss. The versatility of Ashtanga style is, it believes in self practice under the guidance of a traditional teacher who is there to correct, lead and make the student an independent practitioner with given time, discipline and practice. With this the practitioner graduates from being dependent on the commands of the teacher to now working within the watchful eye of the teacher. The yoga sutras highlight abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (non-attachment or non-dependence) as the specifics to achieve yoga, which are inherent in this style of approach. So in a nutshell, to follow this teacher-guided self-practice is to tap into the rich tradition offered by yoga, the centuries of experience, and to feel this empowerment is really just the beginning of your own inner growth. Practice then becomes a mirror for the mind, reflecting our inner attitudes, how we approach it, our clarity of mind or not, our level of joy or less. For anyone interested in growing and benefiting from yoga, following this approach is the most excellent way.
