Primary Series

YOGA CHIKITSA

योगचिकित्सा

Yoga-Cikitsā

YOGA THERAPY - PRIMARY SERIES

Info about sequence|Asana overview|Vinyasa overview

Utthita Hasta Padangushthasana

Utthita Parshvasahita

Utthita Hasta Padangushthasana B

Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana

Utkatasana

Virabhadrasana A

Virabhadrasana B

Dandasana

Paschimottanasana A

Paschimottanasana B

Paschimottanasana C

Paschimottanasana D

Purvottanasana

Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana

Tiryam Mukha Eka Pada Paschimottanasana

Janu Shirshasana A

Janu Shirshasana B

Janu Shirshasana C

Marichyasana A

Marichyasana B

Marichyasana C

Marichyasana D

Navasana

Bhuja Pidasana

Kurmasana

Supta Kurmasana

Garbha Pindasana

Kukkutasana

Baddha Konasana A

Baddha Konasana B

Baddha Konasana C

Upavishtha Konasana A

Upavishtha Konasana B

Supta Konasana

Supta Padangushthasana

Supta Parshvasahita

Ubhaya Padangushthasana

Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana

Setu Bandhasana

Urdhva Dhanurasana

Chakrasana

Paschimottanasana

Ashtanga Series

YOGA POSITIONS (ASANA, POSES, POSTURES) AND DYNAMIC MOVEMENT (VINYASA) FOR ASHTANGA

The complete system of Yoga positions (Asana) and dynamic movement (Vinyasa) from Ashtanga Yoga. This includes detailed pictures of all poses as well as explanations. Let it flow!

Yoga is 99 % practice and 1 % theory. Asanas give the body a new shape and allow us to excel beyond our limitations. Thereby the physical practice symbolizes our spiritual way: the willingness to refine ourselves and the confidence to change. Yoga allows us to think outside the mat. After all, a posture is not what you have, but something you make. 

You should use the Ashtanga series as a guideline and with an experienced teacher only. During your practice, pay careful attention to the instructions regarding the level of experience needed for each series.

SURYA NAMASKARA A - SUN SALUTATION A- ASHTANGA YOGA PRACTICE

Surya Namaskara A - the first sun salutation –performed in five rounds at the start of practice of Ashtanga Yoga. Its nine movements are shown here with pictures and text. more »

SURYA NAMASKARA B - THE SECOND SUN SALUTATION IN ASHTANGA YOGA PRATICE

Surya Namaskara B extends the flow of first sun salutation. Here we continue the Ashtanga Yoga practice with five repetitions, each consisting of 17 movements. more »

SIX STANDING POSES BECOME FUNDAMENTAL POSITIONS FOR ASHTANGA YOGA

Yoga for beginners and advanced: Six standing positions compose, just after sun salutations, the fundamental positions for the Ashtanga Yoga practice. more »

THE FINISHING SEQUENCE: THE ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA PRACTICE ENDS

The finishing sequence rounds off each and every Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice. These 16 Asanas are practiced systematically and provide a harmonious flow of energy. more »

PRIMARY SERIES OF ASHTANGA VINYASA YOGA: YOGA CHIKITSA (CIKITSA)

Learned the basics? Now add primary series, Yoga Chikitsa (Cikitsa), in the middle of your Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice - one by one you will learn 41 asanas. more »

NADI SHODHANA (SODHANA): THE INTERMEDIATE SERIES OF ASHTANGA YOGA

Familiar with the primary series? - intermediate Series, also Shodhana Nadi (Nadi Sodhana), opens with 40 yoga asanas, an energetic dimension of Ashtanga Yoga. more »

ASHTANGA YOGA ADVANCED A SERIES: STHIRA BHAGA - FOR ADVANCED ONLY

Ashtanga Yoga for advanced practitioners: 35 tough Asanas of third series (Advanced A) play with gravity. The reward: Sthira Bhaga, sublime serenity. more »

CHEAT SHEETS FOR THE ASHTANGA YOGA SERIES (PDF)

The perfect cheat sheet to place next to your yoga mat: Asana sequences in a small and practical format for downloading and printing. These cheat sheets contain photos of the fundamental poses as well as pictures of the first, second and third Ashtanga yoga series. more »

ASHTANGA YOGA - LED CLASS WITH RONALD STEINER (MP3)

Let Ronald Steiner guide you through your Ashtanga yoga practice. The Ujjayi breathing can help you find the right rhythm for your practice. If you are looking for a more precise guideline, the lead classes on five more MP3s help you through the whole Ashtanga practice. more »

Classical vs Modern Yoga Practise

Classical Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga Yoga is often called Classical Yoga. The sage Patañjali defined Ashtanga Yoga in an ancient text he wrote called the Yoga Sutras.

Patañjali codified and taught these practices from the existing yogic knowledge of his time.

In the Yoga Sutras, Patañjali gives the classical definition of yoga and then defines the Yogic Practices or the 8 Limbs necessary to achieve the goal of Yoga.

So, Patañjali was the first Guru of "Ashtanga Yoga"; daily he is given thanks for the practices in the opening chant or prayer.

Modern Day Ashtanga Yoga

Patañjali's third limb or Āsana is the basis of the modern practice as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois .

This practice traces its more recent origins back to Pattabhi Jois' very gifted and influential teacher Sri Tirumali Krishnamacharya.

When Krishnamacharya studied with his Guru, Rama Mohan Brahmachari, he learned many ancient yogic practices, and memorized many yoga texts, including an ancient manuscript called the Yoga Korunta.**

This knowledge from the Yoga Korunta was then passed to Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and he has taught this yoga practice for over 65 years.

This practice as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois is sometimes also referred to as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. It emphasizes āsana as the starting point into the rest of Patañjali's 8 Limbs.

Modern Ashtanga Yoga Practices

What is Ashtanga Yoga practice today? There are two teaching methods.

Led Classes are a worldwide phenomenon and this is often a wonderful introduction to yoga. However, many people are participating in vinyasa-flow style led yoga classes and believing this to be Ashtanga Yoga.

Although led classes or guided classes are a part of the current teaching in Mysore - led primary series on Fridays, led primary or intermediate series on Sundays - the traditional method of teaching has always been affectionately called the Mysore Style.

Mysore Style is the traditional teaching method used by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, South India. This Mysore Method teaches students to develop an independent Yoga Practice.

Students learn one posture at a time and only after a student has established proficiency in the āsana(s) given to them by their teacher - the necessary strength or flexibility of body and/or mind - are they advanced further into a series and their own personal practice.

Mysore Class or Mysore Method are simply interchangeable terms used to describe the traditional delivery of the practice. This student- teacher relationship is the heart of all true Yoga teaching and the
Yoga Paramparā.

**End Note on the Yoga Korunta The teachings of the Yoga Korunta, are attributed to the sage Vamana. Little is actually known about this text, but it is said to have contained detailed instruction on both āsana and prāṇāyāma practices, describing the method of vinyasa (a breath and movement system), ḍṛiṣṭhi (specific gazing points) and bandhas (energetic locks found in the subtle body). Accordingly, the particular sequence of postures that comprise the modern Ashtanga Yoga practice of Pattabhi Jois, is thought to have originated from this source. Sri Pattabhi Jois is often heard quoting the Yoga Korunta, “Vina vinyasa yogena āsanadin na karayet,” which, when translated says, “O yogi, do not do āsana without vinyasa.” Consequently, the system of Vinyasa is an essential component of the Ashtanga Yoga practice.

Ashtanga Yoga . com

http://www.ashtanga.com/html/background.html

			Ashtanga yoga is a system of yoga transmitted to the modern world by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009). This method of yoga involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures—a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind. Ashtanga Yoga Background Ashtanga yoga is a system of yoga recorded by the sage Vamana Rishi in the Yoga Korunta, an ancient manuscript "said to contain lists of many different groupings of asanas, as well as highly original teachings on vinyasa, drishti, bandhas, mudras, and philosophy" (Jois 2002 xv). The text of the Yoga Korunta "was imparted to Sri T. Krishnamacharya in the early 1900's by his Guru Rama Mohan Brahmachari, and was later passed down to Pattabhi Jois during the duration of his studies with Krishnamacharya, beginning in 1927" ("Ashtanga Yoga"). Since 1948, Pattabhi Jois has been teaching Ashtanga yoga from his yoga shala, the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (Jois 2002 xvi), according to the sacred tradition of Guru Parampara [disciplic succession] (Jois 2003 12). Ashtanga yoga literally means "eight-limbed yoga," as outlined by the sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. According to Patanjali, the path of internal purification for revealing the Universal Self consists of the following eight spiritual practices: Yama [moral codes] Niyama [self-purification and study] Asana [posture] Pranayama [breath control] Pratyahara [sense control] Dharana [concentration] Dhyana [meditation] Samadhi [absorption into the Universal] (Scott 14-17) The first four limbs—yama, niyama, asana, pranayama—are considered external cleansing practices. According to Pattabhi Jois, defects in the external practices are correctable. However, defects in the internal cleansing practices—pratyahara, dharana, dhyana—are not correctable and can be dangerous to the mind unless the correct Ashtanga yoga method is followed (Stern and Summerbell 35). For this reason, Pattabhi Jois emphasizes that the "Ashtanga Yoga method is Patanjali Yoga" (Flynn). The definition of yoga is "the controlling of the mind" [citta vrtti nirodhah] (Jois 2003 10). The first two steps toward controlling the mind are the perfection of yama and niyama (Jois 2003 10). However, it is "not possible to practice the limbs and sub-limbs of yama and niyama when the body and sense organs are weak and haunted by obstacles" (Jois 2002 17). A person must first take up daily asana practice to make the body strong and healthy (Jois 2003 10). With the body and sense organs thus stabilized, the mind can be steady and controlled (Jois 2002 16). With mind control, one is able to pursue and grasp these first two limbs (Flynn). To perform asana correctly in Ashtanga yoga, one must incorporate the use of vinyasa and tristhana. "Vinyasameans breathing and movement system. For each movement, there is one breath. For example, in Surya Namskarthere are nine vinyasas. The first vinyasa is inhaling while raising your arms over your head, and putting your hands together; the second is exhaling while bending forward, placing your hands next to your feet, etc. In this way allasanas are assigned a certain number of vinyasas" ("Ashtanga Yoga"). "The purpose of vinyasa is for internal cleansing" ("Ashtanga Yoga"). Synchronizing breathing and movement in theasanas heats the blood, cleaning and thinning it so that it may circulate more freely. Improved blood circulation relieves joint pain and removes toxins and disease from the internal organs. The sweat generated from the heat ofvinyasa then carries the impurities out of the body. Through the use of vinyasa, the body becomes healthy, light and strong ("Ashtanga Yoga"). Tristhana refers to the union of "three places of attention or action: posture, breathing system and looking place. These three are very important for yoga practice, and cover three levels of purification: the body, nervous system and mind. They are always performed in conjunction with each other" ("Ashtanga Yoga"). Posture: "The method for purifying and strengthening the body is called asana" (Jois 2002 22). In Ashtanga yoga,asana is grouped into six series. "The Primary Series [Yoga Chikitsa] detoxifies and aligns the body. The Intermediate Series [Nadi Shodhana] purifies the nervous system by opening and clearing the energy channels. The Advanced Series A, B, C, and D [Sthira Bhaga] integrate the strength and grace of the practice, requiring higher levels of flexibility and humility. Each level is to be fully developed before proceeding to the next, and the sequential order of asanas is to be meticulously followed. Each posture is a preparation for the next, developing the strength and balance required to move further" (Pace). Without an earnest effort and reverence towards the practice ofyama and niyama, however, the practice of asana is of little benefit (Flynn). Breathing: The breathing technique performed with vinyasa is called ujjayi [victorious breath] (Scott 20), which consists of puraka [inhalation] and rechaka [exhalation] ("Ashtanga Yoga"). "Both the inhale and exhale should be steady and even, the length of the inhale should be the same length as the exhale" ("Ashtanga Yoga"). Over time, the length and intensity of the inhalation and exhalation should increase, such that the increased stretching of the breath initiates the increased stretching of the body (Scott 21). Long, even breathing also increases the internal fire and strengthens and purifies the nervous system ("Ashtanga Yoga"). Bandhas are essential components of the ujjayi breathing technique. Bandha means "lock" or "seal" (Scott 21). The purpose of bandha is to unlock pranic energy and direct it into the 72,000 nadi [energy channels] of the subtle body (Scott 21). Mula bandha is the anal lock, and uddiyana bandha is the lower abdominal lock ("Ashtanga Yoga"). Both bandhas "seal in energy, give lightness, strength and health to the body, and help to build a strong internal fire" ("Ashtanga Yoga"). Mula bandha operates at the root of the body to seal in prana internally for uddiyana bandha to direct the prana upwards through the nadis (Scott 21). Jalandhara bandha is the "throat lock" (Jois 2002 23, n.27), which "occurs spontaneously in a subtle form in many asanas due to the dristi ("gaze point"), or head position" (Scott 23). "This lock prevents pranic energy [from] escaping and stops any build-up of pressure in the head when holding the breath" (Scott 23). Without bandha control, "breathing will not be correct, and the asanaswill give no benefit" ("Ashtanga Yoga"). Looking Place: Dristhi is the gazing point on which one focuses while performing the asana ("Ashtanga Yoga"). "There are nine dristhis: the nose, between the eyebrows, navel, thumb, hands, feet, up, right side and left side.Dristhi purifies and stabilizes the functioning of the mind" ("Ashtanga Yoga"). In the practice of asana, when the mind focuses purely on inhalation, exhalation, and the drishti, the resulting deep state of concentration paves the way for the practices of dharana and dhyana, the six and seventh limbs of Ashtanga yoga (Scott 23). Instruction in pranayama can begin after one has learned the asanas well and can practice them with ease (Jois 2002 23). "Pranayama means taking in the subtle power of the vital wind through rechaka [exhalation], puraka[inhalation], and kumbhaka [breath retention]. Only these kriyas, practiced in conjunction with the three bandhas[muscle contractions, or locks] and in accordance with the rules, can be called pranayama" (Jois 2002 23). The three bandhas are "mula bandha, uddiyana bandha, and jalandhara bandha, and they should be performed while practicing asana and the like" (Jois 2002 23). "When mula bandha is perfect, mind control is automatic" ("Ashtanga Yoga"). "In this way did Patanjali start Yoga. By using mulabandha and by controlling the mind, he gradually gained knowledge of Yoga" (Jois 2003 11). Practicing asana for many years with correct vinyasa and tristhana gives the student the clarity of mind, steadiness of body, and purification of the nervous system to begin the prescribed pranayama practice (Flynn). "Through the practice of pranayama, the mind becomes arrested in a single direction and follows the movement of the breath" (Jois 2002 23). Pranayama forms the foundation for the internal cleansing practices of Ashtanga yoga(Flynn). The four internal cleansing practices—pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi—bring the mind under control (Stern and Summerbell 35). When purification is complete and mind control occurs, the Six Poisons surrounding the spiritual heart [kama (desire), krodha (anger), moha (delusion), lobha (greed), matsarya (sloth), and mada (envy)]—"will, one by one, go completely" (Stern and Summerbell 35), revealing the Universal Self. In this way, the correct, diligent practice of Ashtanga Yoga under the direction of a Guru "with a subdued mind unshackled from the external and internal sense organs" (Jois 2002 22) eventually leads one to the full realization of Patanjali's eight-limbed yoga. Works Cited "Ashtanga Yoga." Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute: Method. 2001. 11 June 2003 <http://www.ayri.org/method.html>. Flynn, Kimberly. "FAQ." Ashtanga Yoga Shala: Articles. 2001. 11 June 2003 <http://www.ashtangayogashala.com/articals-faq.html>. Jois, Sri K. Pattabhi. "An Informal Public Talk on Traditional Yoga." NAMARUPA Spring 2003: 9-12. Jois, Sri K. Pattabhi. Yoga Mala. New York: North Point Press, 2002. Pace, Annie. "Ashtanga Yoga in the Tradition of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois." Ashtanga.com: Articles. 1998. 11 June 2003 <http://www.ashtanga.com/html/AYarticle.html>. Scott, John. Ashtanga Yoga: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide to Dynamic Yoga. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2000. Stern, Eddie, and Deirdre Summerbell. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois: A Tribute. New York: Eddie Stern and Gwyneth Paltrow, 2002.