Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

Yoga means to unite, reunite, thoroughly fuse.
A clear view on our reality and a free and attentive hearing
lead us to a place of the heart where there is only harmony and love.
It is going back into the unity of the Self no longer separated from the world.
Carla Ricci

Ashtanga vinyasa yoga is an ancient practice and it is one of the traditional forms of hatha yoga.
Its peculiarity is the unity of breath and movement.
This harmonious and dynamic method gives psychophysical well-being, a strong, flexible and light body and a calm and concentrated mind.
It reminds us a dance whose music is breathing, and for this reason it is right for those who love harmony through movement.
A learning by degrees, listening to our body free from judgment and competition, even playing, even with a bit of irony, helps us to experience the practice with joy and gratitude.

The word ASHTANGA means eight (ashtu) limbs or branches (anga), referring to the “Yoga Sutra of Patanjali”, one of the basic texts to which Yoga refers.
Patanjali describes them as:
yama (renunciations), niyama (observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (contemplation).
The eight branches of ashtanga vinyasa yoga are the different aspects of yoga. Even though they have different features, they live together like the branches of a tree and they belong to the same “yoga tree”. Each of these branches produces some fruits. We will be able to enjoy the nourishment and the sweet taste of these fruits only if we are free from identification and attachment to them.

VINYASA means: to combine movement and breath. Breath is the heart of this yoga and it links an asana (posture) to another in a precise order. The unity of movement and breath generates in the body an intense heat that helps the circulation of blood, while toxins are eliminated through sweating. In this way we stimulate the nourishment of all the cells, while our body releases beneficial hormones and mineral salts precious for our health.
The continuity of a deep and uniform breathing is very important in ashtanga vinyasa yoga.
When breathing and movement flow without effort and in perfect harmony, then the practice evolves into the lightness of a meditation in motion.