Ashtanga Yoga (All Levels)

Come learn how to purify your body through the breath (victorious ujjayi), energy locks (bandas), postures (asanas), coordination through sun salutations, and vinyasas (movements to maintain heat in the body).

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What is ashtanga yoga?

“Ashtanga” literally means eight limbs.

They are described as : Yama (abstinences), Niyama (observances), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyhara (sense of withdrawl), Dhara (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (contemplation).

Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic yoga, but above all a philosophical system that Krishnamacharya, sage and yogi, developed after traveling in the Himalayas at the beginning of the 20th century.

For seven years he learned Ashtanga Yoga from Master Sri Ramamohan Brahmachari. In the 1930s, he passed on this knowledge to many Indian and Western students. Among the most famous are Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, BNS Iyengar, Indra Devi and his son TKV Desikachar. This practice was then popularized in the West 30 years later.

Ashtanga yoga is a form of Hatha yoga in which the postures are accompanied by stretching to give energy and strength to the body, and contractions (bandas) to accumulate the vital breath (prana) in the deep parts of the body tissues through a synchronization of movements with the breath (vinyasa).

The particularity of Ashtanga lies in the fact that the postures follow one another according to predetermined series, and that they are increasingly difficult to achieve. As long as a posture is not acquired, the individual does not carry out that which follows. This allows him to acquire patience.

The body is energized by the breath, which increases the body temperature and detoxifies the organism. The practice brings tonicity, energy and the necessary strength to find comfort without pain, as long as it is done with patience, humility and compassion, it leads one onto the path to Wisdom. The practice of yoga aims to open the mind to meditation in order to promote a calming of the psychic state, but also to make the individual aware of his spiritual potential.

The Benefits of Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga yoga allows to :

  • Reduce toxins: the practice of Ashtanga yoga causes an increase in internal temperature resulting in an increase in sweating. This allows an elimination of toxins from the body.
  • Strengthen the joints of the body: the use of varied and dynamic postures favours a good functioning of the joints.
  • Increase endurance and flexibility
  • Lose weight: a study conducted on 14 children between the ages of 8 and 15 who were at risk of developing type 2 diabetes showed that Ashtanga yoga was an effective ally in weight loss.
  • Reduce stress and anxiety: meditation and breathing exercises are conducive to better stress management and reduced anxiety.
  • Balance the Doshas in Ayurveda.

Ashtanga yoga in Montreal

Meta 1111 is conveniently located on Queen-Mary street, 5 minutes by foot from Snowdon metro station, near Highway 15 and Monkland Village.

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