Part 1.
Some of the many Ashtanga yoga logos from the Internet
Here is my collection of the logos I found on different Ashtanga yoga websites. I am sharing them without criticism, but after strong selection. They are grouped based on the key elements used in the design. As for the colours – I do not remember well if it is due to my personal preferation during the selection process, or – it is true in general, that warm, earthy and rather traditional colours are used throughout yoga logo designs.
Circle
is a symbol of: wholeness and is held in the highest esteem, particularly in meditation, Wheel (Chakras), continuity and, in Ashtanga it also symbolises the series of asanas. In yoga logos it is often combined with the lotus flower, as a symbol of purity and with the Om sign, the sound of the infinite.
Type
Some logos use the power of words, specified to Ashtanga by applying a strong typeface, very often one that mimics sanskrit letters. This might make it less readable for the European eye (although this is not true for the logo in the middle – one of my favourites).
Other Elements
It is also popular to use yoga postures (asanas) in the logos and other elements, such as butterfly (human transformation through Ashtanga?) and different variations to symbolise the 8 limbs of Ashtanga. I really wish to understand the last one in this group – any ideas?
Favourites with Ganesha 🙂
I definitely need the help of the God of Success to move from asana to asana with the ease of an elephant’s walk.
(Yes, the elephant is able to move silently in spite of its great mass! – something I envy during my jump forwards/backs…)
Hi Maria
My friend Seth runs the ashtanga yoga shala and the idea behind his logo is that it is the symbol of a tree, where the branches are the limbs, all equal in value, all connected through the one trunk, so that each one is as important as the next to achieve the state of yoga.
Warmest regards
Scott
Hi Scott,
Thank you very much for the explanation, it is a lovely logo and now its meaning is clear as well. Also thank you for visiting my blog!