Ashtanga Yoga
To begin our exploration of the various types of Yoga , we will talk today about Ashtanga Yoga . Praised for many years across the Atlantic by our American friends, Ashtanga Yoga is gradually making its mark in Europe and Yoga schools are flourishing across France, much to our delight. Ashtanga Yoga, much more than a meditative activity, can today be considered a physical activity in its own right . Ashtanga Yoga is in fact a dynamic and physical Yoga which engages the body as a whole and provides it with all the benefits of gentle but complete and deep gymnastics. At the heart of the practice of Ashtanga Yoga is breathing . Practitioners must learn to become aware of their breath and work on their breathing. Thus, the postures and movements of Ashtanga are accompanied by deep inhalations and exhalations underlined by light throat sounds. The rib cage inflates and deflates while the belly is held, thus increasing its tone. Working on breathing requires a lot of concentration. ...