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ashtanga

ashtanga

9.3
An eight-part spiritual path in yoga that teaches moral and mental practices
  • noun
  • /əˈʃtɑːŋɡə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ashtanga
  • The ancient texts detail the principles of the ashtanga path for those seeking spiritual enlightenment.
  • ashtanga yoga

Examples

  • Conversely, in 2013, evangelical parents in California, Jennifer and Stephen Sedlock, sued the Encinitas Union School District (EUSD) for promoting Hinduism through Ashtanga yoga.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Tim's way of connecting this section of the Yoga Sutras to the practice of Ashtanga was both simple and complex.

    Blog text (10)
  • From the chanting to the eight limbs themselves, yoga (and especially ashtanga yoga) is no mere exercise class.

    Blog text (24)
  • It then examines nominally secular public-school yoga through a case study of Ashtanga yoga.

    Academic text (2018)
  • Many practitioners believe that following the ashtanga philosophy can lead to profound personal growth.

  • In her classes, she emphasizes the eight limbs of ashtanga yoga as essential for holistic development.

Surface Forms

ashtanga singular
ashtangas plural

Etymology

Ashtanga comes from the Sanskrit words aṣṭa ('eight') and aṅga ('limb' or 'part'), and it originally named the classical eight-part path of yoga. That's why ashtanga refers to the eight stages or steps that guide spiritual practice.