"The Sanskrit word Vinyasa comes from a prefix vi, which means variation, and a suffix, nyasa, which means 'within prescribed parameters.'" Srivatsa Ramaswami, student of Krishnamacharya for more than thirty years.
He goes on to refer to classical yoga, from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, for the specific parameters:
• Steadiness (Sthira)
• Comfort (Sukha)
• Smooth and Long Breathing (Prayatna Sithila)
The term Vinyasa is derived from nyasa, meaning "to place," and vi, meaning "in a special way." This indicates that we are not "throwing our bodies around" but are bringing consciousness to each movement in each moment.
Shiva Rea adds, "Vinyasa in its original meaning from the early Tantras is understood as the 'sequence of consciousness,' or how life unfolds from…the creative pulse of life."
Vinyasa can be defined as our external movements that are an expression of how we think and feel.