Performing it, heat may be your first sensation. It's said, that by this breathing, Yogis can create enough heat to melt snow around them. But this technique also gives you inner energy to master impossible seeming physical efforts. Doing demanding Yoga positions can bee just seen as an result of an huge amount of muscular stamina. But the muscular system gets it s energy for this stamina from Prana and Ujjayi Pranayama gives this Prana to them.

Ujjayi breathing means breathing slowly through your nostrils - about 4 to 5 heartbeats in and about 4 to 5 heartbeats out. Doing this you create a soft and gentle sound in your throat, just like the waves of an inner ocean floating to the coast You hear the same sound inhaling and exhaling. Just listen to this rhythm. You can ride on it gently through your entire practice of Vinyassa Yoga.

The Ujjayi Pranayama will become a guide to tell you about the quality of your practice. A too forceful breathing may point you to a too forceful practice - . a too sleepy and unfocused to an too sleepy and unfocused practice. Keeping the right balance between hard and soft, fast and slow means going in moving meditation.

Bandha
Bandha names a technique which works like a valve for Prana (= Energy).
The Yoga philosophy describes Nadis (= energy channel) and Chakras (= energy centres) in the subtle body. So it is clear that Bhanda indicates a very fine technique, only partly achieved by physical action but mainly by pure concentration. There are some different Bandhas for different regulations in the pranic flow. For Vinyasa Yoga these two are most important: Mulabandha and Uddiyana Banda. ( Are commonly refered to as locks.)

Mulabandha
Mulabandha means contracting the pelvic floor.
Mulabandha leads the energy to the lower end of your spine - to Muladhara Chakra.
Mulabandha connects you with earth-energy.
Mulabandha gives you firmness and steadiness.

You can learn Mula Bandha on the one hand by contracting the anus as if you want to stand from going to the toilet, on the other hand by contracting the genital sphincter like inhibiting peeing. The proper position of Mulabandha is just between this two actions. It needs some time to get the necessary awareness of the perineal muscles. So in beginning just contract your anus. If you need an additional help to get more focus of your perineal muscles use an technique named after Keigel. He invented it for woman after childbirth to tune their pelvic floor again. His training is done while urinating by engaging the perineal muscles to stop the flow of urine and releasing it a view times. In the beginning it is hard to keep concentration and Mulabandha may waver but with practice you will be able to hold it for your entire Ashtanga Yoga session.

Uddiyana Bandha
Uddiyana Bandha means suck in the lower abdomen by creating an vacuum in your chest while breathing in and out.
Translated wordly Uddiyana Bandha means "flying upward".
Uddiyana Bandha arises the Prana upward in your Spine.
Uddiyana Bandha connects you with air-energy.
Uddiyana Bandha gives you lightness and helps you to come over gravity force.
Uddiyana Bandha also protects your lower back, keeping the spine long and preventing against too much backward bending in the lower back.

To learn Uddyana Bandha you can tag on the following exercise:
Breath completely out and press even the last bit of the air out of your lungs. Place your hands on your knees. Then close your throat while expanding your chest. Just like trying an inhalation but not letting any air in through your throat. Through this method an vacuum in your chest is created an your abdomen will be sucked in deeply. Hold your breath this way for a while trying to get your belly even deeper in and to get more feeling of the action. Before the next inhalation swallow once and release your belly first. If you are completely conformable with this technique you can start and try creating such an vacuum, only slighter, during breathing. Please notice, that absolutely no muscular contraction in the abdomen is needed for this Bandha. With practice Uddiyana Bandha will become very natural. It just happens more and more all the time during your practice. - Especially when you try to lift your body up in the air.

Drishti
Drishti is a point of gaze or focus. Drishti mainly means not looking ato an external object but more drawing your consciousness away from the distractions around you, to one point of view. A point from where your concentration is directed inwards.

Classically there are nine Drishtis:
Nasagrai Drishti = tip of the nose
Broomadya Drishti / Ajna Chakra Drishti = third eye
Nabi Chakra Drishti = navel
Angusta Ma Dya Drishti = thumb
Hastagrai Drishti = hand
Padahayoragrai Drishti = big toe
Parsva Drishti = far to the right
Parsva Drishti = far to the left
Urdhva Drishti / Antara Drishti = up to the sky

1. "to place in a special way." When you break down the word into its sankrit roots, "Vi" means "in a special way" and "Nyasa" means "to place". Literally, vinyasa is "to place in a special way."

One posture follows another in a specific and orderly manner. This posture prepares for the next posture or counterbalances the previous posture. The postures build from one to the next revealing an internal logic of body, breath, mind and movement. The postures are well placed and lead to a balanced, complete feeling at the end of the practice.In a class, the teacher usually has selected postures from all the classes of poses: Seated Meditation, Standing, Forward Folding, Lateral Stretching, Balancing, Twisting, Backbending, Rounded Back Poses, Hip Releases, Shoulder and Neck Openers, Floor Postures, Inversions and Resting. All of them are important.

Of course, some days the teacher may emphasize one class of postures to give you a deeper experience of twists, for example. But even in a class that has an emphasis, consideration for balancing muscular groups, front and backbody and the mind is of paramount importance.

2. Another slightly different interpretation of the word vinyasa is "breathing movement system." The emphasis here is on the power of the breath. There is a rhythm and flow to the sequencing of postures that arises out of the free breathing action of the lungs. Breath and movement are seamlessly united in such a way that each action encourages the other. Each movement has a corresponding breath.

Vinyasa practice arises out of the Sun Salutations, a very well tested way of opening and energizing the body. The dynamic movements of the Sun Salutations have a powerful effect, opening, releasing the body, empowering the mind and connecting all the moments. All the inbetween moments are as important as the furthest extension of any particular posture.
When you have your first deep experience of the breath moving the body, then you really begin to enjoy vinyasa practice. Typically, inhalations are linked to upward movements and motions intended to expand the front of the body and create lightness. Exhalations are tied to movements that either compress the belly, as in forward bends and twists, or ground and stabilize us with downward flowing energy. For example, at the beginning of a sun salutation you inhale as you raise your fingertips to the sky and exhale as you fold forward toward the earth.

Sometimes in the counting system of vinyasa there are two following Vinyasas both lead by an inhalation. Or one Vinyasa which has an too long movement for only one inhalation or exhalation. That often leads to confusion. So notice: Every Vinyasa has one inhalation or exhalation to LEAD the position but sometimes some more breathing to do it. Those additional breathings are as well part of the traditional system.

In VinyasaYoga we don't do Vinyasas between Asanas, but Asanas between Vinyasas. The Asanas are pauses between the steady flow of Vinyasa.
Lots of heat is created through this Vinyasa movements.

The VinyasaYogi sees the human body like glass. If you want to bend glass while it is cold, it will break. But if you get glass hot enough it will bend easily. The same it is with the human body. If you want to do Yoga positions with no heat, you may hurt yourself.
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