Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga Yoga is generally thought of as set series of postures that vary in difficulty. The practice has been passed on for generations in the tradition of parampara, or the direct passing of knowledge from one generation to another through the student-teacher relationship. In modern times, the practice was popularized by Pattabhi Jois, and today, Jois’ son and daughter, Saraswati Jois and Manju Pattabhi Jois, his grandson Sharath Jois, and many teachers and students around the world continue the practice in this manner.
The series include the Primary Series, the Intermediate Series, and Advanced Series A-D. Usually, a practitioner is proficient in a posture before moving on to practicing the next posture in each series and proficient in a series before moving on to the next series. However, teachers have varying opinions about when it may be best to move students on to new postures or a new series.