Of all the major yoga traditions, Ashtanga may be the most misunderstood. People hear that it's physically demanding and assume it's not for them. They see photos of advanced practitioners in extraordinary postures and conclude that it belongs to a different category of human being. Both assumptions miss the point of what Ashtanga actually is.
This piece is about what makes an Ashtanga-based teacher training different — in structure, in philosophy, in what it asks of you — and who it is genuinely right for.
What Is Ashtanga Yoga?
Ashtanga is a system of yoga codified by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India, in the twentieth century. It consists of a fixed sequence of postures — the Primary Series, Second Series, and so on — practised in a specific order, linked by breath (vinyasa), and accompanied by specific gaze points (drishti) and energy locks (bandha).
The defining characteristic of Ashtanga is its sequenced, systematic nature. Unlike Vinyasa or Hatha, where the teacher constructs the class sequence, Ashtanga practitioners follow the same series every time. The sequence does not change. The practitioner changes.
"Ashtanga is a practice you do with your body every day for years. It is not a collection of postures. It is a method — and the method is the teacher."
Mysore Style: The Heart of Ashtanga Teaching
Ashtanga is most traditionally practised in what is called Mysore style — a self-paced, individualised format where each student practises the sequence at their own pace while the teacher moves around the room, offering adjustments, corrections, and new postures as each individual is ready.
This format is radically different from a led class. There is no instruction from the front. Students know the sequence and move through it independently. The teacher's role is observation, adjustment, and individual guidance. A Mysore room of 20 students might have 20 different practices happening simultaneously, each at a different place in the sequence.
Understanding Mysore style is essential for anyone considering an Ashtanga-based teacher training — both because it is the primary teaching format you will learn to deliver, and because practising in it is one of the most powerful ways to develop your own practice.
How an Ashtanga YTT Differs From Other Styles
The sequence is the curriculum
In a Vinyasa or Hatha YTT, a significant portion of teaching methodology focuses on how to construct a sequence — which postures to choose, how to build toward a peak, how to balance effort and release. In an Ashtanga training, the sequence is fixed. This frees the curriculum to go much deeper into how each posture is taught — the biomechanics, the breath pattern, the preparatory work, the adjustments, the contraindications.
The result is often a more technically rigorous education in the postures themselves. You learn each one in depth rather than learning to arrange many at a surface level.
The emphasis on daily practice
Ashtanga is designed to be practised six days a week. The tradition is built around daily practice in a way that other styles are not. An Ashtanga-based training reflects this — the morning practice is not optional, not occasional, but the anchor of every day. This builds a relationship with consistency that shapes how you understand and teach the practice long after the training ends.
Adjustment as a core skill
Physical adjustments are central to Ashtanga teaching in a way they are not in all styles. Learning to adjust well — safely, sensitively, effectively — is a significant portion of the curriculum. This has real value beyond Ashtanga: the hands-on skills you develop translate into any style you teach.
Breath as the primary tool
Vinyasa — the linking of movement with breath — is not unique to Ashtanga, but Ashtanga treats it with particular precision. The breath count for each movement is defined. The quality and length of the breath is fundamental. This precise relationship with breath tends to produce practitioners who have a deeper understanding of pranayama and its role in practice than those trained in styles where breath is given less structural importance.
Common Misconceptions
"You need to be very advanced to do Ashtanga"
This is the most persistent misconception. The Primary Series — the starting point for every Ashtanga practitioner — is a complete, accessible practice. Many of its postures are straightforward. The sequence is challenging, but it is challenging in the way that any committed daily practice is challenging: it asks for consistency, patience, and the willingness to meet yourself honestly rather than perform for a teacher.
"Ashtanga is only for people who want to do advanced postures"
Advanced postures exist in Ashtanga, as they do in every tradition. But they are the result of years of practice, not the goal. The tradition explicitly discourages chasing advanced postures before the foundation is solid. The most senior Ashtanga teachers often say that the Primary Series — which many practitioners have been doing for decades — is enough for a complete life of practice.
"Ashtanga is rigid and traditional"
The sequence is fixed, but the way the sequence is taught is not. Great Ashtanga teachers are responsive, adaptive, and deeply attentive to the individual in front of them. The structure of Ashtanga is not a cage — it is a container that allows a particular kind of depth to develop.
Who an Ashtanga YTT Is Right For
- Practitioners who want a technically rigorous foundation in one tradition rather than a broader survey of styles.
- People drawn to the idea of a daily, sequential practice they can develop over years.
- Teachers who want to develop strong hands-on adjustment skills.
- Anyone interested in the traditional lineage and philosophy of yoga — Ashtanga is one of the traditions most directly connected to its source.
- Practitioners who are physically active and want a practice that challenges them consistently over time.
Who It May Not Be Right For
- Practitioners who want to teach multiple styles and need a broad overview curriculum.
- Those with significant injuries that make a sequential daily practice difficult — though modifications are always possible.
- People who prefer a more freeform, creative approach to sequencing and class design.
At Nest Yoga
Our programmes are led by Antonio Loddo, who has practised and taught Ashtanga for over a decade. The 200h YTT draws significantly on the Ashtanga tradition — in the morning practice structure, the technical depth of asana instruction, the emphasis on breath, and the hands-on adjustment curriculum.
Our 30h Advanced Asana Training is an intensive for certified teachers wanting to go deeper into advanced postures — the second and third series territory that opens when the Primary Series foundation is solid. It is among the most technically demanding short programmes available on Koh Phangan.
"The sequence is the same every day. What changes is you — and that is the entire point."
View Our Programmes at Nest Yoga →A Final Word
Ashtanga is not for everyone. No single tradition is. But for practitioners who are drawn to depth over breadth, to consistency over variety, and to a method that has been tested over generations — it offers something that is difficult to find elsewhere.
If you are considering an Ashtanga-based teacher training, come with an open mind, a willingness to be a beginner, and a commitment to showing up every morning. The practice will meet you there.