Every technique’s true intent and purpose can only be known when you understand its origin and philosophy. This is very much true in the case of yoga. You must know its roots and philosophies to fully understand the goal.
Vinyasa is a very popular yoga technique practiced by a lot of people in the world. It is important to know its origins and principles to practice it better and this article aims to explore those things.
Vinyasa is a form of Hatha yoga where it additionally includes a sequential movement between poses with synchronized breath control. This technique helps you to become aware by flowing through the sequence. Learning this yoga is not very difficult. You can make use of 200hr yoga teacher training courses to learn as well as know how to teach it to others.
The Vinyasa can be split into the prefix Vi which means special or prescribed while the Nyasa means method or place. Together linguistically vinyasa denotes “a prescribed method”. Since you are doing the poses in a prescribed manner within a set of parameters, it is called Vinyasa yoga.
So, when you incorporate a prescribed set of postures with a special flow while you breathe in a prescribed way in Hatha yoga, it becomes Vinyasa. Sun salutation is an excellent example of Vinyasa yoga which is based on hatha yoga. Each pose in the salutation is derived from Hatha but when it transforms into a sequence it becomes vinyasa.
This yoga doesn’t concern only with the sequence of poses. Rather, it also focuses on proper breathing techniques and control. So, one can improve physical stability as well as increase their focus.
Origin of Vinyasa
This technique of vinyasa was found by Krishnamacharya. He is the teacher of Sri. Pattabhi Jois developed the Ashtanga yoga technique.
Krishnamacharya had a unique habit of making yoga easy for students. So, he devised this dynamic style of yoga in an easy sequential fashion. He used this yoga to achieve two things. One, he developed a unique style with an intelligent sequence that flows between poses. Second, he fashioned it to be stage-wise for the students to pick up gradually.
This means, the students can go from beginner to advanced without feeling any difficulty. His student Jois adopted this concept and developed Ashtanga yoga which doesn’t give any freedom in the sequence or poses.
The true goal of vinyasa is to increase a person’s self-awareness. You cannot achieve anything in this world without knowing yourself. Vinyasa can help you understand your body and mind better. It eases you into a calm and composed state throughout the flow.
Conclusion
Vinyasa yoga is being practiced by many people around the world and it has found higher fame in the Western parts of the world. If you want to master the technique of vinyasa yoga, you must know its ultimate goal and try to get a grasp of its principles. This way you can perform yoga more effectively.