Vinyasa is a movement that either has one inhale or one exhale. This is meant to cleanse the blood, detoxifying all of the toxins that create disease. The body becomes light, healthy, and strong through the use of Vinyasa. Sweat is a by product of practicing as through the release of toxicities in the sweat, the body becomes purified and cleansed.

There are three main components to an Ashtanga yoga practice- physical posture, looking point, and breath. These three are always performed in conjunction with one another. When asana, pranayama, and drishti are practiced together for a long period of time, the practitioner falls into a deep meditative state.

Asanas are the physical postures that we practice on the mat. Asana targets the external as well as the subtler internal parts of the body. The outer appearance of the postures is based on alignment and the internal engagement is created by bandhas, the physical and energetic locks located in the center of the body. Flexibility, strength, and purification of disease is a result of practicing.

Breath is breathing with sound while keeping the mouth closed. When rechaka and puraka, inhale and exhale, are performed steadily and evenly, this helps with purification. Each inhale and exhale should be the same amount of length. Since the breath allows us to create space in the internal body, the bandhas, or internal locks, provide movement for the inner space. As you cultivate a practice and watch it grow with time, your bandhas become more apparent and allow you to control your body and posture with ease.

Drishti is where we look when we perform the postures. Each posture in the Ashtanga method has a specific spot where we direct our attention and let our eyes focus. Drishti stabilizes the wandering actions of the mind to keep the focus internal.

Parampara is knowledge that is passed down from teacher to student. This is knowledge based on direct and practical experience and is at the heart of any lineage. Like other classical teachings, yoga instruction, in order to be complete and fully understood should come from parampara. True knowledge is passed down through verbal, physical, and energetic transmissions through years of dedicated practice with one teacher that has spent years in practice and devotion in their own spiritual practice. The knowledge of the teacher has come from spending years of practice under their teacher.