What happened to Vinyasa Krama?

I actually do think I'm still practicing Vinyasa Krama. It's just that the asanas and sub-routines that I've chosen to practice every day are the same as in Ashtanga's Primary and Intermediate series. The daily VK practice routine I was honing was becoming more and more like Ashtanga anyway so why not go the whole nut roast.

The approach to the breath is the same in VK as in Yoga Mala, as is the longer time spent in the same key asanas. Although I do tend to replace Janu C with a ten breath a side Maha Mudra.

According to Manju Jois, his father employed some variation and flexibility in his teaching of asanas which is in keeping with the flexibility inherent in Vinyasa Krama, accordingly I might throw in the occasional extra asana if I feel the need, some extra poses before LBH say or a little Tadasana routine before the Surys or Drop backs.

The only major difference perhaps is the vinyasa, the transitions between asanas. In Vinyasa Krama this comes at the beginning of a sequence, while in Ashtanga you'll find one between each and every asana. However in Vinyasa Krama you do tend to come back to samasthiti between most asanas, in the Asymmetric seated sequence this would just be a case of sitting back up in a variation of Dandasana. I've gone back to Yoga Mala and indeed Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda and employ the full vinyasa transition back to standing samasthiti. I do it mindfully on the breath with long steady inhaling and exhaling, calmly setting myself up for the next asana, this seems to be in keeping with the spirit of Ramaswami and the latter Krishnamacharya's Vinyasa Krama.

But why not just go your own way with Vinyasa Krama rather than trying to practice Ashtanga in a VK way. Well, I kinda was and then just happened to practice Primary one evening and remembered why I loved it so much. It is a wonderful sequence. I was also irked by Ramaswami's characterization of Ashtanga in his book. He writes

'Ashtanga followed a system of rapid movements strung together in a sequence, although it lacked the slow deliberate, smooth and coordinated breathing central to Krishnamacharya's Method.' P xiv Complete book of Vinyasa Yoga

Really? that seemed a little strong. Some power vinyasa dancy flow yoga perhaps but Ashtanga? I went back to Yoga Mala which surely Mr Ramaswami must have read and that really is a misrepresentation of SKPJ presentation. In fact I was surprised how strongly the breath is stressed in Yoga Mala as well as much else found in Ramaswamis Vinyasa Yoga. Perhaps Ashtanga has changed a little in how it's practiced now but it seemed like it might be possible to bring together the Early and late Krishnamacharya and I guess that's what I've been playing with for the last couple of weeks.