First, Miss Bite Size would like to clarify this: When folks talk about ashtanga yoga, they may not be talking about the same thing!

When you go to practice Ashtanga on a mat in a studio or a gym, you’re practicing Pattabhi Jois’s system of Ashtanga Yoga, a school of Vinyasa Yoga. It’s a specific school of physical practice (an awesome, challenging and beautiful one).

The ashtanga I’m talking about here translates as “eight limbs” and comes from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. One diligently practices ashtanga yoga in hope of  achieving a steady, unwavering control of mind.

As quickly discussed in the definition of asana, there are eight limbs one practices. The first are the yamas. There are various numbers of yamas depending on the scripture, but Patanjali prescribes five. One can look at the yamas as the commandments for one’s behavior toward others:

Ahimsa: non-violence. A yogi must not harm or injure living things. This is where the whole vegetarian thing fits in (which shall be discussed ad naseum on this site – trust me). But it’s not just limited to sporting a vegan diet – that would be missing the wider picture. We’re talking about non-violence in one’s words, deeds and thoughts, not just to others but to oneself. A-ha! Now it gets complicated and all Freudian. Awesome.

Satya: truth. Don’t lie. Tell the truth. We all know how hard this is. Who among us mortals only speaks the absolute truth? Not even a little white lie to be polite in public? Liar.

Asteya: no coveting. If it’s not yours, then it’s not yours. Don’t bother thinking about it. It’s only going to disturb your mind. Pretty straight forward, no?

Brahmacharya: abstinence. That’s right. No sex. In today’s Western world, this isn’t exactly applicable to the fullest extent. We also note that most of the gurus we know of were/are married with children. Miss Bite Size has learned from her teachers that basically one must avoid being a total ho and find joy in a meaning partnership. Reasonable, no? Afterall, we’re trying to quiet our minds. Sex, lust, love, relationship dramas all tend to work against that.

Aparigraha: no possessiveness. Don’t grab. Don’t hold on to things. Didn’t your mommy teach you to share? Well, it’s not just about your Barbies. We don’t like to let things, people, emotions go. We define ourselves with what we hold on to. Think about it. Do you want to do that?

Well, guess what? It’s only the first of eight limbs! Better practice.

Etymology

From Sanskrit आसन (”’sitting down’”) < आस (”‘to sit down’”)

Noun

asana (plural asanas)

A body position, typically associated with the practice of yoga.

From wordnet.princeton.edu

(n.) (Hinduism) a posture or manner of sitting (as in the practice of yoga)

From Wikipedia

Asana…is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended primarily to restore and maintain a practitioner’s well-being, improve the body’s flexibility and vitality, and promote the ability to remain in seated meditation for extended periods. These are widely known as Yoga postures or Yoga positions, which is currently practiced for exercise and as alternate medicine.

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asana for detailed information.

From Miss Bite Size

Asana is what people generally mean when they say they practice yoga. I thought yoga IS asana until I read B.K.S. Iyengar’s Light on Yoga and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and learned that asana is the third of the eight limbs (ashtanga) of Raja Yoga (one of many schools of yoga, what we know as Yoga), just one aspect of many steps to enlightenment or union with the universe.

So the eight limbs are (in order) yamas (rules on what not to do), niyamas (rules on what to do), asanas, pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawing of the senses), dhrana (concentration of the mind), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (heightened state of consciousness) – sweet! We’ll discuss the limbs in upcoming articles, but that is the general idea.

Main Entry: yo·ga

Pronunciation: \’yō-gə\

Function: noun

Etymology: Sanskrit, literally, yoking, from yunakti he yokes; akin to Latin jungere to join

Date: 1820

1 capitalized : a Hindu theistic philosophy teaching the suppression of all activity of body, mind, and will in order that the self may realize its distinction from them and attain liberation

2: a system of exercises for attaining bodily or mental control and well-being

From Wikipedia

Yoga …refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in both Buddhism and Hinduism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs its practices.

Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga for detailed information.

From Jim Catapano’s Principles of Yoga

intense and violent martial art… (pronounced “cheez-bur-grr”)

From Miss Bite Size

Yoga, in our modern Western society, initially appears to be a harmless way to get in shape and reduce stress. Then you get sucked in by all the sweet, calm and earth tone-wearing teachers who can bench press a linebacker, bend (forward and back!) to see their own butt crack and trick you into believing you can too. You start out loving the exercise, then move on to obsess about releasing your hamstrings, breathing into weird body parts and quitting your normal daily activities (binge drinking, double quarter-pounders with cheese, judging your neighbor’s choice in jeans…name it) for something “profound.” You want to wear organic cotton, bring world peace and levitate. What the…?! You are an addict.

Beware. Do it only if you want to feel good, be healthy, have fun, meet awesome people who accept you as you are, share your joy with others and experience a glimpse of oneness with the universe. It’s a treacherous discipline. Approach with caution!