One of my great passions in life is ashtanga vinyasa yoga which I practice 6 days a week at a yoga shala in Clapham, South London. It has taken me to many different countries including India and Thailand.

Having participated in many different forms of exercise over the years I had always intuitively accepted that mental processes could affect the body – what has amazed me with ashtanga is how a focus on the body can enrich your mind.

The links to psychology are really interesting. So much of humanistic psychology is about self realisation or “self actualising” being present and able to enjoy the moment not concerning yourself about the past or the future, all of which lead to a healthy psychological state. I have found in ashtanga a fascinating way of purifying the internal processes of the body and allowing more head space to reflect and explore the concept you have of yourself and to spend precious time away from all those things that take us away from enjoying the here and now.

Our emotions, fears memories are stored throughout the body in our neurology – not just in our grey matter up top! So the contortions or poses (asanas) in ashtanga are designed to free the body of toxins and release emotions blocked up in out neurology. 

Many people start ashtanga for the physical benefits which are many. Ashtanga dispels many myths about yoga. It is a very dynamic set of poses linked together in a state of flowing movement. Each movement is on an inhale or an exhale – this focus on the breath keeps you focused on the flow and quickly generates heat and lots of sweat – purifying the internal organs, burning fat, building aerobic capacity, flexibility, strength and coordination. The American College of Sports Medicine define an effective fitness regime as having 5 parts Cardio, Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Flexibility and Coordination so ashtanga has them all

So for anyone looking for a comprehensive approach to developing and nuturing your mind and body give ashtanga a go – the least that will happen is your fitness will improve and the most well it could even be enlightenment – ever seen that happen in the gym?

As a beginner the book I found to be the best introduction is blah…. John Scott is a brilliant and inspirational teacher. The poses are best learnt at a beginners class pose by pose. Some gyms offer classes be careful they can take you too far too quickly. Beginners classes can be found

www.astangayogalondon.com   www.sanghamyoga.co.uk  or the worldwide site www.ashtanga.com