The teachings of Yoga are for everybody. Whether we are flexible or rigid, strong or weak, young or old, likes or dislikes. All we need is an honest desire to practice.
Ashtanga Yoga means yoga of the eight limbs. One of these limbs is "Asana" which originally meant just the sitting posture for meditation. Today we mean a variety of postures.
The traditional teaching style of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is called "Mysore". In a Mysore class, the instruction is individual and adapted to each person's conditions. A fixed dynamic movement sequence is synchronized with the breath and memorized step by step. By repeating, listening to the breath, and observing our sensations, we turn our attention inward. This allows us to develop a clearer awareness of our body, mind and perception. Our body is the heart of our existence and the vehicle of experience. Asana practices and pranayama (breathing exercises) are used for physical and mental purification as well as preparation for meditation.
The uninterrupted practice over a long period of time with discipline, but completely free of ambition, means that we can go through life with more and more mental steadiness and clarity. The turbulences of our emotions are losing their power to throw us off balance. It is a journey towards self realisation against the current of all our egocentric tendencies. And on the way, the mind learns to know the peace of inner stillness. Very slowly and subtle yoga begins to shine from within.....
अथ योगानुशासनम्॥१॥
Atha Yoganushasanam
"Now (the present moment) instructions of Yoga"