Yoga Korunta

Yoga Korunta is a hypothesized lost text central to the Mysore style of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. It is believed to have been compiled sometime between 500 and 1500 years ago by Vamana Rishi. The text is said to have detailed the vinyasa system, including the specific order of asanas (postures), breathing techniques (pranayama), and bandhas (energy locks) that characterize the Ashtanga practice.

The primary source for information about the Yoga Korunta comes from the teachings of Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and his student, K. Pattabhi Jois. Jois claimed to have studied the Yoga Korunta under Krishnamacharya at the Mysore Palace library. He asserted that the text contained detailed instructions for performing the Ashtanga series.

The physical existence of the Yoga Korunta has been debated within the yoga community. No original manuscript has ever been definitively located and verified by independent scholars. Skeptics question its authenticity, suggesting that the Ashtanga Vinyasa system may have been developed through Krishnamacharya's own experimentation and understanding of existing yoga texts rather than being directly derived from a single, ancient source. Proponents argue that the text may have been lost, destroyed, or remains hidden within a private collection.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding its physical existence, the Yoga Korunta remains a significant concept within the Ashtanga tradition. It serves as a foundational narrative, providing a historical and textual basis for the system's unique methodology and lineage. The belief in the Yoga Korunta reinforces the idea that the Ashtanga Vinyasa system is not a modern invention but a practice rooted in ancient yogic wisdom.