Sweat YTT200 PC Spring '25

What is Ashtanga Yoga?

• In Sanskrit: Ashta means 8 and tanga means limb

• 8 limbs of yoga

Who is the founder of Ashtanga?

K. Pattabhi Jois

List the 8 limbs of yoga

Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi.

What is “Yama” ?

• Self restrains, things not to do. Moral disturbances.

• 1st limb of yoga

What is “Niyama”?

• Personal observances, without restraints. Things you should not do.

• 2nd limb of yoga

What is “Asana”?

• Postures, balances, and ease.

• 3rd limb of yoga

What is “Pranayama”?

• Breath, control, restraint, managing our energy.

• 4th limb of yoga

What is “Pratyahara”?

• Sense withdrawal, taking away our control that the senses have over us.

• “Where your mind goes, your energy flows”

• 5th limb of yoga

What is “Dharana”?

• Concentration

• 6th limb of yoga

What is “Dhyana”?

• The actual deep state of meditation

• 7th limb of yoga

What is “Samadhi”?

• Oneness, bliss, enlightenment. Complete dissolution of your ego.

• 8th limb of yoga

How to control your focus, to reach Samadhi?

Practice Yama (personal restraints, things not to do) and Niyama (personal observances, things to do)

List the Yamas (restraints).

1. Ahimsa: Non-violence, compassion for all living things

2. Satya: Truthfulness, not gossiping

3. Asteya: Non-stealing, give credit

4. Bramacharya: Love over lust, be mindful of how you use your energy

5. Aparigraha: Non-possessiveness, letting go

List the Niyamas (do these).

1. Sauchu: Purity/cleanliness

2. Santosha: Contentment

3. Tapas: Self-discipline

4. Svadhyaya: Self-study, turning inward with an objective eye

5. Ishvara Pranidhana: Devotion/appreciation, devotion to your practice.

Meaning of AUM

Ancient mantra believed that as creation began, the divine all -encompassing universal consciousness took the form of the first original vibration manifesting as the sound AUM

“A” in AUM

• “Ahhh”

• The waking state

“U” in AUM

• “Oooh”

• The dream state

“M” in AUM

• “Mmmm”

• The deep sleep state

“Silence” in AUM

• No sound

• The infinite state

Shoulder movements

↑↑ ELEVATION

↓↓ DEPRESSION

→← RETRACTION

←→ PROTRACTION

↖↗ UPWARD ROTATION

↘↙ DOWNWARD ROTATION

List the three planes of movements

Coronal, sagittal, transverse

Coronal plane of movement:

• The coronal plane divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) halves.

• Movements in this plane happen side to side, not forward/backward or rotational.

• adduction(moving a limb toward the body) →← and abduction(away, moving a limb away from the body) ←→ 

Sagittal plane of movement:

• Runs down through the body, dividing the body into left and right portions.

• Involves flexion and extension at the hips, and the motion is front-to-back, not side-to-side.

• flexion → and extension ← (hinge at hips)

Transverse plane of movement:

• Runs horizontally, dividing the body into superior and inferior (upper and lower) portions.

• Rotates and twists (spine, hips)

What are the types of joints?

• Fibrous: Immovable (skill, root of teeth, brain bones)

• Cartilage: Partially moveable (ribs connected to sternum, lumbar vertebrae, public bone)

• Synovial/Fluid: Fully moveable

  • Ball and socket (Hips, shoulders)

  • Condyloid (Fingers, carpals)

  • Hinger (elbows, hips)

  • Pivot (wrists)

  • Plane (ankles)

  • Saddle (thumbs)

What do ligaments do?

They connect bone to bone at the joint

What do tendons do?

They connect muscle to bone

Sprain vs. Strain ?

• Sprain: Injury of tendons and muscles, easier to recover due to more blood flow

• Sprain: Injury of ligaments

What does RICE stand for?

Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate

Tensegrity = ?

• Tension + Integrity

  • No bones touching

  • Need balance in tension, otherwise an imbalance will cause a curved posture

Spinal Column Vertebrae:

• Cervical (7)

• Thoracic (12)

• Lumbar (5)

• Sacrum (5-Fused)

• Coccyx (4-fused)

• Medial: closer to midline of the body → | -   Lateral: away from the midline | →

• Proximal: closer the trunk/midline  → | -   Distal: away | →

• Superior: above/toward the head ↑ -   Inferior: below/away from the head ↓

• Anterior: toward the FR of the bod -   Posterior: toward the BK of the bod

• Ventral: on the FR of the bod -   Dorsal: on the BK of the bod

• Superficial: toward the skin-   - Deep: inside the bod

Where are intercostal muscles?

Middle part of the lungs

Where are clavicular muscles?

Higher portion of the lungs

List the seven branches of yoga.

1. Hatha: Solar (ha) lunar (tha)- Union of body, breath, and mind

2. Raja: Ashtanga and meditation

3. Karma: Self-service/actions

4. Bhakti: Devotion of the divine

5. Jnana: Self-study and reflection

6. Mantra: Word/phrase chanting/repeating

7. Tantra: extend within your edge

What are the seven stages of vinyasa flow design?

1. Sacred Space: Settle in body and mind

2. Ignite the Spirit: Ujjayi breath

3. Light the Fire: Sun Salutes A, B, and C

4. Stoke the Fire: Core and backbends

5. Utilize the Fire: Yin postures

6. Conscious Surrender: Savasana

7. Gratitude: Go in peace

What are the seven principles of movement?

1. Breathe

2. Yield

3. Radiate

4. Center

5. Support

6. Align

7. Engage

What is GRR?

Guide, remind, release

Sutra 1.1

• “Atha Yoga Nushasana” aka “The time for yoga is now”

• Remove all blocks from your mind. Join your inner and outer self. Union/yoke. Connect to your true self.

• How are with in relationship with ourselves and with others?

Sutra 1.2

• “Chitta Vritta Nirodhah” aka “Cessation of the constant fluctuation of the mind

• Yoga is the stillness/calm that subsides the distraction of the mind

What is “Purusha”?

What makes you alive.

List the Bandhas.

• Maha: “great” - all together

• Jalanhara: “ rudra or shakti granthi” -chin/neck

• Uddiyana: “vishnu granthi” -two inches in and down from the navel

• Mula: “root lock” draw enegery through root/sacrum

What is Antara Kumbhaka?

• Breath retention 6/3/6, 8/4/8, 5/2/5

• Baya Kumb, exhale retention

• Antara Kumb: Inhale retention

What is Nadishoda?

• Breath technique, purifies channels of energetic energy