360-325-9989

What is Ashtanga Yoga?

For 2000 years the method and philosophy of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras have instilled peace and calmness of thought, presence of being, and freedom from the bondage of karma. Yoga Sutra 2:29 refers to this method in Sanskrit as “ashtau-angani” or simply “Ashtanga” yoga. Translated to English, this Sanskrit word means “eight limbs”.

Ashtanga Yoga is Patanjali Yoga; the tradition of yoga specifically designed to cut through the delusion of ignorance, effectively, without the need for full renunciation of the material world. It was Ashtanga Yoga that populated the Earth through the teachings of 20th century masters such as T. Krishnamacharya, BKS Iyengar, Sri K Pattabhi Jois, and TKV Desikachar. It is the same foundational practice that was brought to Seattle by David Garrigues, who studied in Mysore, India. It is offered by our school through the teachings of Govinda Kai, a student of Sri K Pattabhi Jois, and Luke Baugh, a student of David Garrigues.

Our community advocates for a compassionate, non-dogmatic, innovative approach to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, while retaining a connection to the lineage, art, and philosophy of its roots in southern India. This style of yoga, originally taught by T. Krishnamacharya, is the source of nearly all Flow, Vinyasa, and alignment based yoga in the world. Nearly all yoga classes teach methods that were borrowed from the Ashtanga lineage of Krishnamacharya.

Ashtanga Yoga is known for its challenging asanas, and deep commitment to independence from suffering, but it is much more than that. Through studying the Yoga Sutras and practicing the eight limbs of yoga, we come to find that Ashtanga Yoga is a timeless way of life, for all humanity, that can be shared in the smallest of communities, for the purposes of enjoying life, avoiding needless suffering, and developing the capacity to master ourselves.