Vinyasa , is a Sanskrit term often employed in relation to certain styles of yoga

Yoga

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...

. The term vinyasa may be broken down into its Sanskritic roots to assist in decoding its meaning. Nyasa denotes "to place" and vi denotes "in a special way." Like many Sanskrit words, vinyasa is a term that has many meanings.

Description

Lori Gaspar (2003) states:

There are four basic definitions of vinyasa: 1) the linking of body movement with breath; 2) a specific sequence of breath-synchronized movements used to transition between sustained postures; 3) setting an intention for one's personal yoga practice and taking the necessary steps toward reaching that goal; and 4) a type of yoga class.

Maehle (2007: p.294) defines vinyasa as:

Sequential movement that interlinks postures to form a continuous flow. It creates a movement meditation that reveals all forms as being impermanent and for this reason are not held on to.

It denotes a flowing, dynamic form of yoga, connected to breath or pranayama

Pranayama

Pranayama is a Sanskrit word meaning "extension of the prana or breath" or more accurately, "extension of the life force". The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and "āyāma", to extend, draw out, restrain, or...

 in which yoga and mudra

Mudra

A mudrā is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers...

 transitions are embodied as linkages within and between asana

Asana

Asana is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still, with the spine as a conduit of biodynamic union...

. Indeed, this process entrains the mindstream

Mindstream

Mindstream in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment "continuum" of awareness. There are a number of terms in the Buddhist literature that may well be rendered "mindstream"...

 with the bodymind of the aspirant, and fuels the samādhi

Samadhi

Samadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....

 of Mystery in the adept; in affirmation that no value judgment

Value judgment

A value judgment is a judgment of the rightness or wrongness of something, or of the usefulness of something, based on a comparison or other relativity. As a generalization, a value judgment can refer to a judgment based upon a particular set of values or on a particular value system...

 between the importance or ascendancy of the asana or the transitions between asana is held. This view of non-judgement is grounded, founded and based in the Shunyata

Shunyata

Śūnyatā, शून्यता , Suññatā , stong-pa nyid , Kòng/Kū, 空 , Gong-seong, 공성 , qoγusun is frequently translated into English as emptiness...

 Doctrine which informed the development of vinyasa styles.

Vinyasa is also employed as a noun to describe the sequence of poses that are performed between Adho Mukha Svanasana

Adho Mukha Svanasana

thumb|right|Downward-Facing DogAdho Mukha Svanasana, Adho Mukha Shvanasana , Downward-Facing Dog Pose, Downward Dog, or Down Dog, is an asana.- Etymology :...

 or Downward Facing Dog as part of a Surya Namaskara

Surya Namaskara

Surya Namaskara , known in English as Sun Salutation , is a common sequence of Hatha yoga asanas. Its origins lie in a worship of Surya, the Hindu solar deity...

or Sun Salutation sequence. Though this is more correctly termed half-vinyasa as full-vinyasa returns to complete standing asana or positions.

Srivasta Ramaswami, author of The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga and the direct disciple of the legendary Yoga teacher Krishnamacharya, brings forth the essence of Vinyasa in asana practice in the following way,

"My guru believed that the correct vinyasa method is essential in order to receive the full benefits from yoga practice. The following quote, which I translated from Yoga Makaranda, perfectly captures this sentiment."From time immemorial the Vedic syllables...are chanted with the correct (high, low, and level) notes. Likewise, sruti (pitch) and laya(rhythm) govern Indian classical music. Classical Sanskrit poetry follows strict rules of chandas (meter), yati(caesura), and prasa (assemblage). Further, in mantra worship, nyasas (usually the assignment of different parts of the body to various deities, with mantras and gestures) - such as Kala nyasa, Matruka nyasa, Tatwa nyasa - are integral parts. Likewise yogasana (yogic poses), pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), and mudras (seals, locks, gestures) have been practiced with vinyasas from time immemorial. However, these days, in many places, many great souls who teach yoga do so without the vinyasas. They merely stretch or contract the limbs and proclaim that they are practicing yoga..."" Ramaswami further goes on to add, "Just as music without proper pitch (sruti) and rhythm (laya) will not give happiness, yogasana practice without the observance of vinyasas will not give health. That being the case what can I say about the long life, strength and other benefits?"

External links

• http://www.jivamuktiyoga.com/focus/focus.jsp?viewFocusID=6 (Vinyasa Krama

The Forgotten Language of Sequencing Postures)

• http://www.yogacards.com/Vinyasa.html (Accessed: Friday June 8, 2007)
• http://www.baronbaptiste.com/ (Accessed: Friday June 8, 2007)
• http://www.FlowWithYourBreath.com