IF YOU REGULARLY PRACTICE NEW SKOOL ASHTANGA AND YOU’RE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE POSES IN CLASSIC ASHTANGA INTERMEDIATE SERIES, CONNECT WITH WITH MARLENE AND KRISTIN ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PARTICIPATING IN AN ASHTANGA PLAYDAY ON THURSDAY AFTERNOONS!
Intermediate series ashtanga is a sequence of postures that cleanse the nervous system through a dynamic combination of back-bending, twisting, and hip-opening. Intermeditate series ashtanga is traditionally learned after a practitioner has an intuitive feel for and regular practice of the postures in primary series ashtanga.
Because the postures in primary series ashtanga are so heavily focused on forward folding, practitioners may greatly benefit from the counter back-bending emphasis in intermediate series ashtanga. These poses can also re-inspire a practitioner’s connection to asana practice and their body by exploring something new, helping to shift settled patterns, shake up stuckness, and grow insight.
WHAT TO WEAR & BRING
We recommend wearing comfortable layered clothing to help regulate preferred body temperature. If you have postural practice supports like mats, blankets, bolsters, blocks, and straps, please bring them with you. We have community practice supports for you to use as well. Feel free to borrow any community practice support to facilitate and enhance your practice. We also suggest bringing water to maintain hydration after practice.
A NOTE ON THE ORIGINS OF ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA
Ashtanga vinyasa yoga originated from a sequence of poses created by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya based on what he learned from Rama Mohan Brahmachari in the early 1900s. Krishna Pattabhi Jois, a student of Krishnamacharya, began teaching the sequence in led classes that emphasized synchronized group movement. Jois coined the term “ashtanga yoga” to describe his sharing of postural practice in this way. The practice spread through the efforts of many of Jois’ early students, including David Swenson and Richard Freeman, and influenced many current styles of postural practice, including all types of vinyasa flow and power yoga practices. Over time, this style of yoga has evolved, leading to various interpretations of the practice.