In most people’s minds Ashtanga equals strength and flexibility. These are among the first benefits any practitioner or teacher would mention if asked, and rightfully so. Ashtanga is a dynamic practice that helps build muscle strength and improve flexibility. These benefits appear quickly to most practitioners and are hard to miss – toned and defined arms, a strong and upright spine, increased capacity to reach the toes or bend backwards.
Many people start practicing Ashtanga Yoga to increase strength and flexibility. This is an absolutely legitimate reason to begin. But these are not the only benefits of this transformative practice. Several others are often overlooked, yet far more life-changing than strong arms or a bendy back.
Let’s have a look at a few other ways Ashtanga can improve your quality of life:
1. Digestive health
Ashtanga Yoga (especially the Primary Series) is a natural remedy for many digestive issues such as bloating, indigestion, constipation, and sluggish metabolism. Ashtanga wakes up your entire system, works as a natural detox, and offers a great antidote to the common digestive problems caused by sedentary life.
Why is this practice so effective? Forward folds and twists act as an internal massage of the digestive tract, stimulating the organs. Jumping back and through and following all the vinyasas keeps the heart rate elevated. As a result, body fat is burned and metabolism speeds up. Last but not least, correct diaphragmatic breathing activates the bandhas (especially mula and uddiyana bandha) and ignites the Agni, our digestive fire. Agni, according to Ayurveda, is the primary indicator of good health.
That being said, Ashtanga alone won’t do much if it’s not complemented with proper nutrition. You can’t expect your digestion to work properly if you eat unhealthily. Which brings me to the next point…
2. Mindful eating
This is one of the most significant and beneficial ways Ashtanga changed my life: it helped me establish a healthy relationship with food. Before this practice, I would either starve myself to manage my weight or overeat out of anxiety and regret it immediately after. The practice, like a mirror, reflected back my patterns and the negative impact they had on my health.
After a few months of daily practice, I got to know my body so well that I would literally feel every morning the effects of what I ate the night before:
Large greasy meal? I felt heavy like a rock. A few glasses of wine? I couldn’t focus. Too much coffee? My anxiety spiked and I struggled to stay still in poses. Skipping meals and following restrictive diets? I felt depleted and weak.
The practice allowed me to befriend my body instead of punishing it. It revealed how destructive my eating habits were and how they drained my energy and vitality. It taught me the value of intuitive and mindful eating.
Because in Ashtanga we practice the same sequence day after day, we get the chance to pause, reflect, feel, and truly get to know our body. Everyone tells you to “listen to your body,” but how can you listen with your ears shut? Our modern culture of autopilot living doesn’t teach us to listen. Ashtanga Yoga holds us accountable and pushes us to make sound choices around food and lifestyle.
3. Enhanced body awareness
Have you heard the word “proprioception”? It means awareness of the body’s position and movement in space. It’s what allows you to stand on one leg, balance on your head, stand up from a dropback, or climb over rocks with the agility of a cat. It’s what makes movement precise and steady, and it goes far beyond mere strength.
Ashtanga, especially through its balancing poses, dramatically boosts body awareness and proprioception. After several years of practice, you reach a point where you can control your body and your movements to an optimal degree. Once again, the set sequence and daily repetition make all the difference.
Body awareness and proprioception matter at every age, but they become critical as we get older. The better your coordination and balance, the less likely you are to trip while walking on the street, stumble upon things, or make an unsafe movement and throw your back out. Body awareness guarantees a better quality of life. It’s as simple as that.
4. A strong and resilient nervous system
Agility isn’t everything.You can be in great physical shape, but if your nervous system is off balance, life will still bring you to your knees. Ashtanga Yoga — especially the Intermediate Series — strengthens and purifies the nervous system, building resilience.
The Intermediate Series works on an energetic level, releasing tension and blockages from the nerve channels along the spine. This is why it emphasizes extreme spinal extension and flexion. Bending the spine in opposite directions allows stuck energy to circulate freely and has a deep purifying effect on the nervous system. The first few months of Intermediate Series are challenging for most students, but once you move past that stage, you start experiencing waves of energy, vitality, and a feeling of deep peace at the same time.
A gift that keeps on giving
Ashtanga is a demanding practice — physically and mentally. There’s no doubt about that. It requires discipline, hard work, repetition, and following a certain lifestyle. But it’s those same demands that make it so rewarding.
It’s through practicing the same sequence every day that you get to detect even the smallest changes and feel the impact of the food you eat and your daily habits. It’s through the incredibly tough poses that you slowly develop optimal body control and awareness. It’s thanks to Ashtanga’s structure and discipline that you strengthen your nervous system and become resilient.
Ashtanga Yoga makes you strong and healthy in more ways than one. It gives you courage to face things that scare you. It teaches you how to stay calm in discomfort, and how to accept pain and hardship as an unavoidable part of growth.
Ashtanga is the gift that keeps on giving — for everyone willing to stick with it, even when it gets hard.
