A gurgling hiss emanating from your local yoga studio may not be the proverbial sound of one hand clapping, but rather the collective "ujjayi" breathing of a roomful of ashtanga students. This dynamic form of yoga, known for its challenging 90-minute sequence of diagonal twists, leg lifts, forward bends, sustained lunges, push-ups and jumps - and whose devotees, Madonna and Sting, swear by its restorative and energising powers - is fast gaining popularity in Ireland.
Just three years ago, the mention of this sweaty, exotic form of yoga would elicit a "Jeez, this is crazy" response from even the most dedicated yogis, recalls Dublin yoga teacher Orla Punch. Ashtanga has grown gradually since then, but in the past six months, enrolment has soared in classes around Dublin. Health clubs, corporations and community fitness facilities are actively recruiting teachers.
Members of the yoga community in Belfast and Cork are practising ashtanga and, with upcoming workshops taught by some of the world's top teachers, including John Scott and David Swenson, Dublin is finding itself on the ashtanga yoga map. The appeal? "Ashtanga yoga attracts those who wouldn't normally take yoga: people in their 20s, office workers, men," says Dublin yoga teacher, Paula McGrath. "Most are there for the physical benefits, improvement in physique, relaxation, or as an alternative to traditional weight-training programs. It costs virtually no money and requires only a sticky yoga mat. It opens you to the ability within yourself. For some it is a gateway to a spiritual aspect." Among disparate students from Punch's Friday-evening intermediate class is Brian Potts, who took his first ashtanga class 18 months ago when a friend suggested it would improve his rugby game. Sceptical at first, Potts was so amazed by his increased flexibility and endurance that he's now a cheerleader for yoga. "After a hard week, when I leave my Friday night yoga class I feel a whole new person." Maureen Dunne likes ashtanga because "it's great for loosening you up and is quite uplifting".
An Iyengar yoga teacher in her 60s, she observes that ashtanga's quickness is a good complement to Iyengar's emphasis on precision. "Ashtanga is addictive," she adds.
In fact, one group from the class, hard up for space, moves intrepidly around the city in the early mornings, alternatively working out in the lounge of an old-age home and a pottery studio, rather than missing their daily practice. Ashtanga is one of many forms of yoga, the 5,000-year-old discipline that, through the practice of postures or asanas, realigns the spine in preparation for meditation. Ashtanga was allegedly resurrected from ancient Vedic texts by Sri Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India, about 50 years ago, and has been practised in the West for about 25 years.
A typical class - and such a thing exists since ashtanga, unlike the Iyengar and hatha traditions, involves a proscribed sequence of yoga postures - begins with sun salutations. These flowing progressions of movement - from standing to prone to partially elevated to standing again - should be approached as one continuous movement (like the entire practice), suggesting the sinuous folding and unfolding of a flower. The series then moves through some 55 standing and seated postures - similar to those practised in other yoga disciplines - before winding down to a finishing sequence and relaxation. Breath is crucial to ashtanga's fluidity. According to master teacher John Scott ideally, breath and movement should be 100 per cent synchronised. To that end, yogis use a technique called "ujjayi" breathing, in which air is inhaled through the nose and audibly swirled about in the throat before being exhaled through the nostrils. (It sounds a bit like the hissing of a cappuccino machine.)
"Ujjayi" breathing generates heat and creates a soothing meditative rhythm. The great news is that, while it takes years to achieve any kind of yogic expertise, the combination of intense physical activity and concentrated breathing can propel even a beginner into a "zone" of sustained energy and focus. It's not the quantity of ashtanga you do, but the empowerment you gain from practising it at any level, says Punch. Ashtanga is its own reward. "It's cheap, you can do it anytime and anywhere, and it requires no props. In the end, it's just you and your mat."
The following ashtanga teachers can direct you to classes of all levels in the Dublin area: Orla Punch, 01-454-1400; Paula McGrath, 01-473-3216; Tony Purcell, 01-295-5131; 01-835- 1511. Alternatively, see: www.ashtanga.com