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Background and Training of Practitioners
Because Ashtanga Yoga was “rediscovered” in India only within the last 75 years or so and introduced to the West even more recently than that, it is still a relatively new approach to yoga in the West. Unlike the other major styles of yoga that are associated with established institutes and training centers, there is no central organization that trains and certifies teachers of Ashtanga Yoga.
Because of its increasing popularity, however, you should have no trouble finding a teacher of Ashtanga, or Power, Yoga. In evaluating a prospective teacher of Ashtanga Yoga, be discriminating. Ashtanga Yoga is a physically challenging and demanding approach to yoga. The practices of which it is comprised, such as ujjayi breathing and the application of the yogic seals, can take many years of experience to perfect. In searching for a teacher of Ashtanga Yoga, as in any other style of yoga, check teachers’ backgrounds carefully. Find out how long they have been studying this style of yoga, with whom they studied, and how regularly and actively they practice themselves. In addition, you might check with other people who have studied with a prospective teacher as well as sit in on or attend a single class before committing to a program of study with a particular teacher.
