Ashtanga

noun

Ash·​tan·​ga ash-ˈtäŋ-gə How to pronounce Ashtanga (audio)
variants or Ashtanga yoga or less commonly ashtanga or ashtanga yoga
: a system of yoga in which the practitioner moves through a series of poses usually in a prescribed order
Ashtanga yoga is definitely an energy-raising practice. The constant flow of movement and breath is designed to detoxify and enliven, ideally bringing your metabolic rate back to normal through the finishing poses.—Sarah Powers, Yoga Journal, July/August 2003

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Sanskrit aṣṭāṅga (in aṣṭāṅgayoga) "eight-limbed, having eight members," from aṣṭā "eight" + aṅga- "limb, member"

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Ashtanga was in 1874

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Dictionary Entries Near Ashtanga

Ashtabula

Ashtanga

Ashtangi

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Ashtanga.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Ashtanga. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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