Ashtanga vs vinyasa: how the two styles differ

Ashtanga and vinyasa look alike from the outside. Both link movement to breath, both use Sun Salutations and both get warm. The real difference is in the sequence: whether it is fixed, or whether it changes every class.

What is ashtanga yoga?

Ashtanga, in the sense used on a timetable, is the method taught by K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India, from the middle of the twentieth century. You practise a set series of poses, always in the same order, starting with the Primary Series. Each movement is matched to a breath, with steady ujjayi breathing, a fixed gazing point for each pose, and short linking movements between poses.

It is often taught Mysore style: you learn the sequence a few poses at a time, then practise at your own pace in a shared room while the teacher moves between students. Led classes, where the teacher counts the breaths aloud, are also common. The page on Ashtanga yoga and the two meanings of its name covers its history and the eight limbs it is named after.

What is vinyasa yoga?

Vinyasa means placing in a special way. In a studio, a vinyasa class strings poses together into a flow, one movement to each breath. Much of modern vinyasa grew out of ashtanga, but the teacher designs a new sequence for each class, often around a theme: hips, twists, a peak pose or a slower day.

So two vinyasa classes, even with the same teacher, rarely look the same. The pace can be strong and quick or slow and gentle.

Ashtanga vs vinyasa at a glance

Which is better for a beginner?

Neither is better in itself. It depends on how you like to learn.

Choose ashtanga if you like structure. Repeating the same sequence lets you measure change over months, and a Mysore room gives you personal attention while you learn. It asks for commitment, because the method is designed around regular, frequent practice.

Choose vinyasa if you like variety, music and a class that feels a little different each time. A gentle or beginner vinyasa class is an easy first step, and the strong classes are there when you want them.

If you are new to yoga altogether, a slower held class may come first. The comparison of hatha vs vinyasa explains the difference between holding shapes and flowing through them.

What do the two have in common?

Both start, as a rule, with Sun Salutations. Learning the Sun Salutation, step by step prepares you for either class, and the sun salutation timer can pace your rounds at home. Both use the same kind of breath-linked transition through plank, a low push-up and an upward dog or cobra. Both build heat, strength and stamina.

Both also ask you to listen to your body. Bend your knees in forward folds, skip any linking movement that strains your wrists or shoulders, and come out of a pose that causes sharp pain. If you are pregnant, injured or managing a health condition, check with your doctor and tell your teacher before class.

How do you choose your first class?

Try one of each. Notice how you feel afterwards, and which one you want to go back to. The yoga style quiz can also suggest a starting point, and the main types of yoga puts these two beside the other common styles. When you are ready, browse yoga studios across the Philippines for ashtanga and vinyasa classes near you.