Ashtanga yoga was developed by yoga master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and incorporates regulated breathing in a series of asanas (positions) to raise the body’s core temperature, which releases toxins from the system. This technique enhances the body’s circulatory system, improves overall health and clears the mind.

Ashtanga yoga is based on the Yoga Korunta, an ancient text written by yogi Vamana Rishi. In 1927, Pattabhi Jois studied the text and, through his interpretation, began teaching its principles to students in 1948 at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute. Ashtanga, or eight-limbed, yoga follows the eightfold path, which first appeared in the Yoga Sutras from the Classical period in the 1500s. Read the rest of this entry →

Bikram yoga also goes by the misnomer of “hot yoga” although the two methods are performed differently yet both conducted in very high temperatures. Bikram yoga is performed with the strict 26 “asana” series of postures established by Bikram Choudhury while “hot yoga” uses the “vinyasa” technique that transitions the poses between breaths.

After suffering a debilitating knee injury in his teens, Bikram Choudhury, India’s ranking yoga champion, developed a program with guidance from his mentor, yogi Bishnu Ghosh, to resolve chronic pain and restore function to musculature. Bikram yoga is an ideal way to recover from sports injuries during the off season and promote healing and blood flow to chronic, aching areas of the body. Bikram yoga has a devoted following; and since 1974, yogi Choudhury’s studio in Beverly Hills has spawned a wave of certified practitioners of his method.

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