So what exactly is vinyāsa?
- flowerchen77
- Mar 26
- 8 min read
The most common terms used in yoga schedules are vinyāsa yoga, hatha yoga, flow yoga, power yoga...etc. We are motivated to write this article to clear up the confusion.
To begin with, for “vinyāsa”, please choose one among the following.
(1) Move fluidly, without staying in a specific yoga posture.
(2) Breathing coordinated with the movement, rather than emphasizing the speed of the breath.
(3) Moderate intensity yoga postures that work up a sweat.
(4) All of the above.
(5) None of the above.
Thank you for your reflections, and now on to the topic.
Many people claim that “vinyāsa” means “with the breath”. Although breathing is an important part of yoga asana practice, but vinyāsa does not only mean breathing.
« Vinā vinyāsa yogena āsanādin na kārayet »,
quoted Vamana Rishi, the author of the ancient yogic text, the “Yoga Korunta.”
Pattabhi Jois in his 1962 book “Yoga Mala” as having said: “Oh yogi, do not do asana without vinyāsa”.
Krishnamacharya: “Do not do asana and other practices without the proper application of structured goals and steps (vinyāsa) and without yoga (mindfulness and stillness of mind)”. According to capacity, the practitioner should be done with krama (logical, appropriate progression).
It is clear that Krishnamacharya's definition of vinyāsa is more integral.
Vinyāsa, as commonly understood, consists of moving from one asana or body position to another, combining breathing with the movement. This is a word popularized by Krishnamacharya in his teachings and has become part of the yoga lexicon.
Vinyāsa as envisioned by Krishnamacharya is meant to have a much wider scope and depth, however. That is why he used to say, “Do not practice asanas and other disciplines without vinyāsa (orderly steps).”
The deeper import of the word vinyāsa is to place things where they belong or are appropriate. The concept is to take orderly steps, each step placed correctly, while considering the person and goal so that progress is consistent and steady.
It applies not only to the body but to the breath, senses, and mind as well. Without progressive steps in deepening mental focus, there is no vinyāsa at the mental level in asana practice. Since yoga is itself about bringing the mind to stillness, vinyāsa necessarily implies orderly steps toward a steady mind.
Vinyāsa is not just a fixed order of practicing asanas. It is to place movements and breathing where they are most appropriate. We combine them and order them however they are best suited to the student. Every asana can have many vinyāsas leading to it and out of it. And many asanas can come together to create vinyāsas for various purposes. This teaching is central to understanding Sri Krishnamacharya’s insights on asana and hatha yoga. It is also the most logical and effective way to approach one’s personal practice.
- - A.G. Mohan
It is important that yoga practice be planned in a sensible, organized way. When we practice asanas, as with anything in life, we have a starting point. Our condition before beginning the practice, which we discover through some investigation, is this starting point. We then ascend gradually; that is, we prepare the body by warming up, getting proper breathing started, etc. After we slowly ascend to the “crown” or apex of our day’s practice, we slowly descend. This is the concept of yoga practice, whether it is asanas, pranayama, or any other aspect. We start where we are, gradually ascend and then descend. Suppose we do the headstand and then stop our practice abruptly. We may feel dizzy, we may get stiff necks. Not only must we ascend to a particular point, we must come back to a point from which we can function in the world. This applies to the practice of a single asana as well as the progress of an entire sequence spanning a year. The point to be emphasized is that we should proceed very gradually. If in cold weather we cannot easily to paścimatānāsana (sitting, bending forward), we should not try to force our legs and push our heads down to attain the posture. There is no need, nor will there be any point. Wait. Little by little the body will give in. We must always go by progressions in yoga. Each day’s practice must have a gradual ascent and descent. There is one more point. The way we plan a course will also depend, in addition to the starting point, upon our activities following the course. A course of asanas designed to prepare the body to play tennis will be different from a course designed to help us relax without being drowsy in the office.
In Sanskrit, this concept of intelligently conceived steps in order to reach a desired point is called vinyāsa. If we want to do a particular posture, we need to find out what is involved in the posture, the prepare the body and breath so that the posture can be done without strain.
- - TKV Desikachar
My Guru, Krisnamacarya used the vinyāsas very effectively and made yoga accessible to many others who could benefit by practicing yoga, like the young, the old, the sick, the handicapped, obese, the agitated, the depressed, the faithful, the non believer and many many more. It is not possible to make yoga's benefit reach everyone if yoga teachers would teach only a couple of dozen asanas or half a dozen inflexible sequences made up of many difficult asanas and vinyāsas. He used the enormous resources of Yoga, the hundreds of vinyāsas, scores of asanas, a variety of yogic breathing routines/pranayama, traditional philosophy like the yoga sutras, upanishads, the Gita, appropriate mantras and chants, religious practices to the faithful. He made yoga accessible to almost everyone in whatever condition or age one may be in. He used vinyāsas as art form of yoga but also used them judiciously for varied individual requirements for physical and mental health. Krisnamacarya's teaching is very rich indeed.
- - September 2013 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami—Vinyāsa
‘Vinyāsa’—
‘Vi’ translates as ‘in a special way.’
’Nyāsa’ is to place.
Thus, a Vinyāsa Krama is ‘an intelligent arrangement’ of Asana steps done in a systematic manner, taking one not only in the right direction but also in the right way. This is the foundation of a correctly designed practice of Yoga asana.
Breathe at a precise pace
What is the procedure one follows for yoga?
Answer by Krishnamacharya: Asanas are the means of reducing illness and for promoting health. The practice of asana makes a person agile. The asana should be taught according to the individual’s requirements and must be taught in vinyāsa. There should be a niyama in the breathing while practicing asanas. Inhalation and exhalation should be decided according the the movement of the body. The length of recala(exhalation) or puraka(inhalation) depends on the asana and this what helps the healing of illness. If the correct breathing is not done the practice is a waste of time. It is important to learn from a guru. If a person learns from a book then there is no point in blaming the shastras fro not realizing the benefits mentioned therein.
Should the asana practice be done fast and why not?
Fast movement will distort both the blood circulation and the respiration. This results in crookedness of the body and injury to the different parts of the body. Slow practice of asana with proper respiration will not only remove the defects in the body but result in citta ekagrata (one-pointed mind). However, I must insist that this practice should be done from the direct instruction of a teacher.
(Book: Sri Krishnamacharya the Purnacarya. Published by Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai, 1997)
During asana it is important that the breath remain relaxed, holding not tension ( Note that a common sign of tension — occurring spontaneously in fright or when one is exerting great effort, for example — is holding the breath.) Ideally, therefore, one’s breathing during asana should be smooth, slow, and steady. Speed can be misleading because, despite being outwardly impressive, it may be less demanding than slow motion.
In general, quick activity allows the mind to wander; an event is over before the mind can do anything about it. An action done with awareness and control, on the other hand, requires sustained attention throughout its entire duration. This focus, the linking of the body, breath, and mind during entire duration. This focus, the linking of the body, breath, and mind during a series of movements or postures, is the main priority in asana. The interaction of your body and breath sets in motion the process necessary for transformation. If your entire being is involved, the movement or posture will have a much greater impact.
- - A.G. Mohan
You can practice yoga at any age, as long as your practice is done correctly. You simply need to evaluate the feasibility of your goals according to your age. Your practice must also reflect your physical and mental capabilities and limitations.
Although the elderly and the young should not be doing the same practice, there is no reason why their reason why their respective practices can’t be equally productive and rewarding. In general, the proportion of a practice devoted to reflection will increase with age. Children will spend little, if any, time in quiet meditation or breathing techniques, while the elderly will perhaps devote the majority of their practice to these aspects.
For children, asana should be growth-oriented. An asana practice for children should include dynamic postures which demand ability and are somewhat challenging. Children like to practice in groups, where healthy competition develops an excitement and interest that will aid the momentum of learning. Often, the postures are strung together in a sequence to keep the student’s attention. At this age the attention span is relatively short, and long periods of instruction or talking are boring. Concentration is then lost. It is therefore best to keep children physically active, directing their seemingly boundless energy into areas that are both useful and enjoyable for them, helping them grow.
- - A.G. Mohan
Q : Very often we find our children doing the asanas very fast. Is there no effect at all if asanas are done fast? If so, how do we make them do the asanas slowly?
TKV Desikachar : We cannot say that children must always do the asanas slowly; nor can we say that children must do asanas fast. We are now dealing with children who have certain shortcomings. To be excessively alert is also a short coming. If an asana is difficult and if they can do it fast, it is an achievement - achievement in balance, achievement in strength and an achievement by itself. So, sometimes it is not a bad idea to encourage them to do it fast. If by habit, they do things fast, like hyperkinetic children we must use some means by which they can practice slowly.
We also use some long passages for chanting during movement in asana as a substitute for long exhalation. If on the other hand, they are able to repeat a passage that is difficult to chant fast, it means that their speech is improving. In conclusion, fast movement as well as slow movement is part of training.
- - Darasanam, March 2019. A Quarterly Journal on Yoga and Yoga-cikitsā from Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram.
“The asana are presented in Vinyāsa, the way it was taught to children in the Yogaśāla (India Mysore Palace 1933-1948). This should not create the impression that T. Krishnamacharya taught in this manner to everyone.”
– TKV Desikachar Introduction to Yoga Makaranda
Conclusion
What we can understand is that all too often these days people interpret without experience and reflection by copying, reading from a book or repeating what a teacher has said without any thought even on their part. Eventually, things get passed on, distorted and generalized. We can see in most yoga schools or on the Internet that vinyasā translates as movement - synchronized breathing. Already, if it could start with breathing first and then movement, it would be more qualitative, but we can see that with a little study of Sanskrit, Krishanamcharia’s reflections, and the qualitative practice they imply, have a much fuller and richer meaning. It's a collection of things that must be brought together intelligently and thoughtfully, in order to develop intelligence. Nature itself is a whole of things, nothing works by separating and using only a part, understanding can only come from the whole. This is a principle of unity. Separating things only leads to complication. And as always, without a certain quality, it becomes useless; it implies attention with one's whole being.
We can translate Vinyasā as:
organization by taking each thing into account
This implies developing sequences adapted to each individual in the moment.
Breathing is not specifically specific to vinyasā, but is an integral part of yoga.
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