Astanga according to The Yoga man Patanjali, is the eight parts that need to be followed to reach yoga. Asana or the hatha yoga is just one small component of the entire picture. For whatever reason, Pattabhi Jois (PJ) has redefined the word astanga to mean his vigorous athletic style of Yoga. So, I get into this confusion with all astanga yogis (ayogis), the pretty pale young things, who I come across in Mysore.
I was always aware that this word has been misused. Then it slowly dawns on me that another important word in Yoga has also been redefined. Either by PJ himself or his followers. I keep hearing conversations like, “I practice hatha yoga, not astanga” or the other way around. I ask the ayogis what is the difference. They tell me astanga is where one moves from one asana to the other with a vinyasa thrown in. Hatha is where one stays in a pose longer. Ok, Patanjali would be quite unhappy to hear the ayogis speak like this. Any physical yoga practice is hatha yoga, as far as I know. Flow, astanga, power, bikram, sivananda, Krishnamacharya KYM style, you name it. All of them are hatha yoga. So, astanga is nothing but a “style” of hatha yoga.
Then the next word incorrectly used is Vinyasa. The word Vinyasa according to Sri Krishnamacharya is coordinating movements with proper breathing and the sequencing of the asanas in an intelligent way with a purpose. Each of the important asana is practiced with vinyasas meaning variations and movements.
According to this definition by Sri K, astanga does contain the vinyasa for important poses like pascimottanasana, janu sirsasana, marichyasana and so on. Of course, it is completely based off of Sri K’s sequences. But, PJ has come up with a new definition. The actual Vinyasa is called just an asana and the jump thru has been named the Vinyasa. I really have to wonder why.
Vinyasa according to PJ is the part surya namaskar A or the jump thru (chaturanga, upward dog, downward dog and jump thru) performed between each asana. He could have easily come up with new names for all this and not confuse with the classic definitions. For example, chaturangi-jump-like-a-proud-peacock for his vinyasa or chaturangi-fly-like-a-feather.
I am so not happy with PJ for getting three important words or concepts completely wrong. I know most people don’t care about such things, but I do.
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Vinyasa in Sanskrit means arrangement or composition.
http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?script=HK&tinput=vinyaasa&country_ID=&trans=Translate&direction=AU
From the meaning of the word, it is clear that when applied to Yoga, vinyasa means a sequence of asanas, rather like a symphony is composed of individual movements and instruments. However, all living languages change and evolve. The evolution may not be in a direction that one likes, but change is better than stasis, which for languages no less than organisms, means death. A few decades from now, given that more Westerners practise Yoga than Indians, it’s possible that vinyasa will mean whatever uber-McYogi Bikram says it means. The narrative of a practice is shaped by its practitioners, and sadly, today the likes of Bikram shape the narrative for Yoga.
You know, I would not be so pissed if Bikram or any McYogi had come up with this new terminology. Pattabhi Jois was a student of Sri K for so many years. Astanga yoga is just the same sequence that Sri K taught in Mysore in his younger years and to Pattabhi Jois.
So, for such a student to go about changing classic definitions is unacceptable. If anyone else had done it, it is ok. I can attribute it to limited knowledge or ignorance. But, not PJ, having known and studied with the source of it all.
I agree with you that languages change over time.
And, thank you Papi for giving in another meaning for Vinyasa. Yes, Sri K’s vinyasa yoga is like a symphony, composed of individual movements contributing to a beautiful song.
Here’s a problem with redefining words. In astanga style yoga, one of the sayings is repeated in every book and print out containing the astanga primary series or others. It says, “Yogi, never do yoga without Vinyasa”. This is said by a famous yogi from the past. In the astanga context, what this means is that, do any number of jump thru’s. Jump thru’s are what is defined is Vinyasa, which is totally wrong from the actual meaning of doing asanas in a proper sequence. So, redefining something classic is not to be taken slightly.