“Kino

MacGregor is gifted not only as a practitioner of

asana but also as a writer and portrayer of the deeper
aspects of yoga. She easily traverses such diverse terrains
as spirituality, scripture, health, relationships, anatomy,
and of course postural alignment and technique.”
—Gregor Maehle, author of Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and
Philosophy and Pranayama: The Breath of Yoga

“An excellent, well-researched book that explores the

philosophical, spiritual, and physical dimensions of
Ashtanga Yoga in a way that is informative, inspirational,
non-dogmatic, and easy to understand.”
—Tim Miller, Director of the Ashtanga Yoga Center,
Encinitas, California

“I highly recommend The Power of Ashtanga Yoga. Not

only is it chock-full of practical advice and tips for the
beginner and for those with injuries or obstacles, it also
treats asana practice as a fine contemplative art by its
emphasis on smooth, focused movement in and out of the
postures in sync with the breath. Its presentation of the
subtle and deeper aspects of yoga is clear and accessible,
making this book useful for all types of practitioners.”
—Richard Freeman, author of The Mirror of Yoga

“In this marvelous book, Kino MacGregor shows us why she

is so highly esteemed worldwide among Yoga teachers. Not
only is she a miraculously proficient practitioner, she is
also a skilled and compassionate teacher who knows the
heart and essence of Yoga as a spiritual path leading to
enlightenment.”
—Jack Forem, author of Transcendental Meditation

“Kino MacGregor is a dedicated student and teacher of

Ashtanga Yoga and she has wonderfully shared her
insights, thoughts, and guidance in this book.”
—David Swenson, author of Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice
Manual

“Anyone with an interest in yoga—from a bookstore

browser to a dedicated practitioner—will find something to
engage their mind, open their heart, and nourish their
spirit in The Power of Ashtanga Yoga. Inspirational,
heartfelt, and practical, it is an invaluable roadmap to your
infinite potential.”
—Frances Cole Jones, author of How to Wow

“The Power of Ashtanga Yoga accomplishes something

fantastic. . . . Kino manages to incorporate everything you
ever wanted to know from a yogi. She seamlessly
incorporates personal experiences, useful gems of wisdom,
and detailed technical knowledge of the practice.”
—Huffington Post

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ashtanga Yoga is a graceful, athletic type of yoga that has
become extremely popular in recent years. Here, Kino
MacGregor, a disciple of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the great
modern guru who developed Ashtanga Yoga, gives a
comprehensive view of the practice and shows how
Ashtanga is fundamentally a path of spiritual
transformation and personal development.
MacGregor delves into the history and tradition of
Ashtanga Yoga and reveals how its philosophy manifests in
contemporary lifestyle and dietary choices. She also
explains the essential connection of breath, posture, and
gaze that is the core of the practice. Her clear, step-by-step
instruction of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series—including
standing, seated, backbending, twisting, hip-opening, and
closing postures—is a wonderful initiation for those who
are new to the practice, and it will motivate experienced
yogis toward perfection of the form. Throughout,
MacGregor shares her own personal yoga journey and her
devotion to yoga as a path of self-realization in a way that
will inspire all practitioners.

KINO MACGREGOR is one of only fourteen people—and

the youngest woman—in the United States to receive
certification to teach Ashtanga Yoga from its founder Sri K.
Pattabhi Jois. She has an international following of her
own, and a busy schedule of teaching gigs at seminars and
yoga conferences worldwide. She is a life coach and has a
Master's Degree from New York University. MacGregor
and her husband, Tim Feldmann, are the founders of the
Miami Life Center (www.miamilifecenter.com), where they
teach daily classes, workshops, and intensives together.
MacGregor was featured in Yoga Journal as one of the top
twenty-one rising stars of yoga. Her website is
www.kinoyoga.com.


Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala

Publications.

Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala.

The Power of
ASHTANGA YOGA
Developing a Practice That Will Bring You Strength, Flexibility, and Inner
Peace

Kino MacGregor

SHAMBHALA
Boston & London • 2015
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horticultural Hall

300 Massachusetts Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 02115
www.shambhala.com

© 2013 by Kino MacGregor Cover photograph by John Miller Cover design by

Kathleen Lynch/Black Kat Design All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data MacGregor, Kino

The power of ashtanga yoga: developing a practice that will bring you strength,
flexibility, and inner peace / Kino MacGregor Pages cm
eISBN 978-0-83483041-7
ISBN 978-1-61180-005-0 (pbk.: alk. paper) 1. Ashtanga yoga. I. Title.
RA781.68.M32 2013
613.7′046—dc23
2012038267
This book is an offering to every sincere student of yoga. I dedicate this book to my teachers Sri
K. Pattabhi Jois and R. Sharath Jois, to my parents for their constant support, and to my husband
who will always be my hero. Special thanks to John Miller for awesome photos, Jack Forem and
Greg Nardi for editing, and my agent Bob Silverstein—without your hard work and faith in me this
book would not exist.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction: How to Use This Book

PART ONE: THEORY

1. Getting Started with Ashtanga Yoga History and Tradition
2. Heart of the Method: Breath, Pose, and Gaze
3. The Ashtanga Yoga Diet
4. The Spiritual Journey of Asana: Yoga beyond Bending

PART TWO: PRACTICE

5. Sun Salutation: Where It All Begins
6. Standing Poses: Build Your Foundation
7. Seated Poses: Grow Your Lotus
8. Backbends: Open Your Heart
9. Finishing Poses: Entering the Inner Space
10. Strength: The Yoga of True Power

Appendix A: Mantras
Appendix B: Sanskrit Vinyasa Count
Appendix C: The Complete Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series
Glossary
Resources
E-mail Sign-Up
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I CONSIDER IT TRUE GRACE AND GOOD FORTUNE THAT I met Sri K.

Pattabhi Jois and his grandson R. Sharath Jois when I had been
practicing Ashtanga Yoga for less than a year. Always joyful to
see a new student, Jois beamed with the true joy of a man who
has touched the heart of yoga. It was his contagious laugh,
forgiving grace, unparalleled urgency, and depth of wisdom
that gave me faith to practice Ashtanga Yoga six days a week
over the last twelve years through pain and injury and into
healing. Whenever I studied with Jois as he traveled and taught
Ashtanga Yoga around the world, I felt the unique blend of
peaceful happiness emanating from his heart. Over the ten
years I spent training with him, I always saw him full of energy,
love, and enthusiasm for his students. There will never be
another teacher or person exactly like him, and we should not
seek to replace him. Instead, I hope only to continue practicing
and teaching the tradition of yoga that I was lucky enough to
receive from him.
I thank my first Ashtanga Yoga teachers, Ryan Spielman and
Govinda Kai. I also had the support of my mom and dad, who
recognized the healing power of yoga in my life and believed in
my dream of sharing yoga with the world. My husband has
been a constant source of teaching, evolution, and love.
Throughout my journey into Ashtanga Yoga, I have had many
angels who guided my way, and I bear a torch of gratitude to
everyone who has been a teacher to me. I would not have the
legacy of Ashtanga Yoga to share with you if it were not for the
generation of Ashtanga Yoga teachers who first traveled to
Mysore in the 1970s when I was just a baby. It is because
people like Tim Miller, Nancy Gilgoff, and David Swenson
dedicated their lives to Ashtanga Yoga that I was able to find it
as early as I did.
The journey of a spiritual seeker never ends, and the best
teachers always have the open minds of new students. But no
matter how much support and help you have, the spiritual
journey is a lonely quest that must be walked alone; you are
directly accountable for each step you take in any direction. It
is your own strength that you discover along the way, and no
one but you can truly find that.
 INTRODUCTION

How to Use This Book

IF, INSTEAD OF READING THIS PAGE, YOU WERE SITTING with me in a

practice room at my South Beach, Florida, wellness center, the
first thing I’d say would probably be, “Welcome! Thanks for
coming today.” Because I’d be happy to see you and because
yoga is my life and my passion, I’m always grateful for the
chance to share it.
I’d also probably say, “Congratulations for doing this,”
whether it’s your first step into the world of yoga or the next
step to deepening and enriching your ongoing practice. I know
from my own experience and that of my students that regular,
daily practice leads to real and lasting peace. It is a path lit by
the torch of your own consciousness, guarded by a lineage of
teachers that starts with the sages of India’s historic past and
culminates in the millions of people who practice yoga today.
When your body, mind, and soul come to rest in the sacred
movements of yoga, you join an international community
dedicated to living life fully at peace. The real magic of yoga
lies not in any specific movements but in its universal ability to
transform the lives of its practitioners—including you. So I
welcome you today and congratulate you for your good fortune
(or perhaps, good karma) in discovering and embracing this
transformative knowledge.

MY YOGA JOURNEY

Like many Americans, I was introduced to yoga at a gym. When

I was nineteen and more interested in fitness than spirituality, I
noticed that some of my fellow aerobicizers attended the gym’s
yoga class; they had more defined arm muscles and were able
to do headstands. This piqued my curiosity. Observing the
class, I couldn’t make much sense of the stretching, breathing,
and bending. Yet something within me was drawn to these
somehow-familiar movements. So I decided to try.
Back then, I had no idea that there were different types of
yoga, but I know now that the first class I took was from the
Sivananda tradition. Focusing on gentle stretches, relaxation,
and deep breathing, this class was calm, peaceful, and (to my
young and restless mind) totally boring. So boring, in fact, that
I never went back. But something about it had resonated with
me, because when I injured both of my Achilles tendons about
a month later, I turned to yoga to help me heal. I had no clue
that I was about to reconnect with my inner self and begin a
lifelong journey.
My injury was so debilitating that I had a hard time walking
without the support of air casts. The sports medicine doctors I
consulted recommended surgery. Instead I bought books on
yoga from the Sivananda tradition and other Hatha Yoga
schools, canceled my gym membership, and began the slow
road to recovery that has taken more than a decade. This road
became a pathway of discovery that involved far more than just
physical health. The practice of yoga provided me with such
profound emotional and spiritual healing that I have devoted
my life to sharing this remarkable, transformative tradition.
The series of poses in this book are an accessible
introduction to the lineage of Ashtanga Yoga that I learned
directly from my teachers, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and R. Sharath
Jois. I hope you are inspired to begin your own yoga practice at
home and then continue under the guidance of a qualified
teacher. I am honored to be your guide for this initiation to the
yoga that has changed my life so completely, and I hope you
will join me on the yoga journey, which is ultimately the
journey to yourself.
With the wisdom gained through true self-awareness, you will
come to know yourself deeply, directly, and powerfully. With
regular daily practice, you will see your body transform, feel
more energetic, and actually be happier and more
compassionate.
No matter how often you practice these movements, you will
never get to the end of your yoga journey. If you have looked
ahead at some of the pictures or had a chance to watch any of
the DVDs in which I demonstrate the various levels of Ashtanga
Yoga, you may feel there is no way you will ever be able to
accomplish these poses. I could easily have said that when I
first started. But I hope you will be inspired to give it your best
shot, remembering that all yoga teachers and advanced
practitioners were once beginners. We all had our doubts, our
moments of wanting to quit, our pain and fatigue. But we kept
going, and that is the great lesson and the great achievement.
The eternal wisdom of yoga places emphasis not on perfection
of the asanas for their own sake, but on the state of equanimity
achieved after many years of devoted practice. Achieving that
inner calm and balance is fueled by your inspiration,
dedication, heart, and soul.

THE HEART OF ASHTANGA

It wasn’t just the life-changing injury that propelled me to look

more deeply at yoga. I wanted a way out of the pain and
suffering of my past. I felt lost and alone in the world and did
not know anyone or anything that helped me find a direction
for my life. My body cried out for health and healing, my heart
yearned for a more peaceful life, and the only thing I felt I
could turn to was yoga.
Joining a class at a yoga center seemed to carry a whole new
depth of commitment, much more than a yoga class at a gym or
following pose sequences out of a book at home. As I walked
through the courtyard that led to the Miami Beach center
where I took my first Ashtanga Yoga class, I was transported
into an alternate reality. A small fountain bubbled gently, and
incense wafted through the open doors. I bought a drop-in
class for fifteen dollars, rented a yoga mat for a dollar, and
took my postgym competitiveness into the practice room for a
proper schooling.
 The friendly people at the front desk directed me through the
doors to the yoga room. Exotic, unfamiliar statues and flowers
in a vase on an altar that held photos of Indian men had me
wondering what on earth I was getting myself into. I was in
totally new territory, unsure of myself and excited at the same
time. Then the instructor arrived, and his dark curls and soft-
spoken manner disarmed me as he asked if I had ever tried
Ashtanga Yoga before. When I said that I hadn’t, his response
of “Well, do what you can” and a slightly sardonic smile made
me doubt that I had indeed made the right decision in joining
this class.
Just as the inner cynic inside me was about to win the debate,
roll up the rental yoga mat, and go home, the teacher began
the class by intoning, “om.” We hopped on the Ashtanga Yoga
train, and it didn’t stop for nearly two hours. Thinking myself
relatively fit despite my injured ankles, I thought I would be
fine. Little did I know how weak, stiff, and uncoordinated I was
until I tried getting through that class! From the start, when I
attempted my first Sun Salutation, I bellyflopped my way
through the push-up poses and floundered around like a fish
out of water. I couldn’t lift my body weight off the ground,
steady my mind, breathe freely, touch my toes from standing,
or accomplish any of the other movements the teacher made
seem so effortless. Halfway through the class, I saw another
student hoist his hips off the ground from a seated position and
enter a half-handstand. I felt like I was watching the circus.
When I tried it, I felt like my body was permanently glued to
the ground. I couldn’t even catch an inch of air.
By the time we got to the headstand, I was desperate; my
arms were shaking, and I didn’t have an ounce of strength left.
The teacher came and gave me a pass, instructing me to rest. I
was never so thankful to anyone! When we were finally
finished, I was lying in a pool of my own sweat. Yet I remember
feeling truly happy and free for the first time in my life. My
mind cleared, my breathing deepened, a soft smile crossed my
lips, and a pulsing sensation arose in the base of my spine and
traveled all the way to the top of my head. My soul seemed to
have an answer to questions it had been asking for years. My
heart felt at home in my own skin. I walked out and purchased
my first yoga mat and a class card good for ten yoga sessions. I
practiced every Tuesday and Thursday until I moved to New
York City to complete my graduate studies at New York
University.
After my move, I joined a traditional Mysore-style Ashtanga
Yoga practice group. The first week that I practiced six out of
seven days, as the tradition recommends, I was so sore that I
couldn’t lift a glass of water without my arms shaking. I had to
rest my elbow on the edge of the sink to put on my mascara.
But it was wonderful, because I was really feeling my body’s
innate potential for the first time. It was like graduating to a
new level of yoga, and I loved every moment of it.
In New York, I learned that this tradition of yoga was taught
by the then-living master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, who lived in a
small city in South India called Mysore (Karnataka). I read his
book, Yoga Mala, every night before bed. I wanted to let his
wisdom and knowledge sink deeply into my psyche, so I took
my time, reading and digesting each word. The night I finished
reading the book, I dreamed of Jois although I hadn’t yet met
him. I woke up with the words “I have to go to India” on my
lips. I bought my ticket two weeks later. Instead of completing
the New York internship I had planned for the two-month
summer break, I found myself on the first of many trips to
India.
When I arrived in Mysore, far from my own culture, I had no
idea what to expect. A student of 2001 academe, I was
skeptical of the idea of a guru. The nearly thirty-hour journey
took me across two continents, through three airports, and
down old dirt roads where cows wandered freely. A taxi finally
dropped me off at the Ashtanga Yoga Nilayam in the old
neighborhood of Lakshmipuram. I walked up the steps to the
back-alley entrance and found Sri K. Pattabhi Jois teaching a
group of twelve sweaty yogis; many more were waiting their
turn. He turned, looked me in the eyes, and asked if I was there
to practice. Before doubt surfaced, my heart opened. I fell to
my knees, saying, “Yes, I’m here to practice. Thank you,
Guruji.” I knew I had met my teacher—not only because I had
seen him in a dream but because his very presence opened my
heart, eased my pain, and brought me peace. From that day
forward, I called him Guruji, an honorific title that students use
to indicate acceptance of their teacher as their spiritual guru.
For the remainder of this book, I will refer to him as Jois for the
sake of clarity, but in my heart, he will always be Guruji.
Jois’s teaching—that each student must work the sometimes
arduous path of Ashtanga Yoga to find lasting peace—
resonated with me. He never promised to be a magical healer.
Instead, he always said that he was just a simple man teaching
the yoga that his teacher, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, had taught
him and always stressing that yoga is for everyone.
It never occurred to me that I would be a yoga teacher. When
I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a Supreme Court justice, a
politician, or some force for social change in the world. Much
to my surprise, after my first trip to India, people started
asking me to teach. Though I felt unworthy and tried to direct
these inquiries toward instructors I believed were more
qualified, people persisted in asking me, so I began to teach.
During my second trip to India in 2002, a fellow practitioner
with a yoga center in Ireland invited me to lead a workshop. I
was both honored and shocked, and I humbly accepted. Today,
my husband and I own a yoga center in South Beach, and I
travel the world sharing the tradition of yoga that has changed
my life. Every day when I walk into the center we have built, I
smell the fragrance of nag champa incense and feel the
welcoming atmosphere created by hundreds of students who
practice there every week.
I have been teaching Ashtanga Yoga for about twelve years.
My annual teaching schedule takes me to about thirty-five
cities in twenty countries, in addition to my regular classes in
Florida. So it is no exaggeration to say that I have worked with
thousands of students of all ages and at all stages of practice—
from absolute beginners to advanced practitioners—throughout
North and South America, Asia, and Europe. I have also, of
course, put in many thousands of hours of personal practice,
advancing slowly but surely from that first eye-opening class to
ever-higher levels of proficiency. From my own and my
students’ experience, I am well aware of the difficulties,
doubts, and frustrations that you may sometimes encounter as
you begin your journey, but I’m also aware of the ever-greater
mental clarity, emotional balance, energy, and happiness that
you will feel as you continue.
The practice of yoga is a decision to believe in yourself
against all odds. It is a choice you make to walk down a self-
empowering path toward your own liberation from suffering.
As you train your mind to remain steadfast, you unravel cycles
of misery and follow a path that leads toward true freedom. My
childhood dream to leave the world a more peaceful place
comes true every time I share Ashtanga Yoga with sincere
students. I hope that you will take the gift of practice and allow
it to transform your life too.

PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR YOGA PRACTICE

Ashtanga is a vigorous, sweat-producing style of yoga that

purifies your body from the inside out. Three points of attention
create the foundation for the practice: yoga poses (asanas),
yogic breathing techniques, and a specific gazing point for
each movement. The poses are arranged sequentially so that
each pose builds on the previous one in ever-increasing levels
of difficulty. Ideally, you should learn one pose at a time
directly from a teacher. If you are practicing on your own, it is
important that you give yourself time to learn the full sequence
slowly rather than jumping ahead to poses that look like fun or
trying to do all of the poses at once. You will have the best
results if you build your healing practice from the beginning to
the end and allow yourself to become acclimated to each new
movement and place careful emphasis on breathing deeply
rather than on the perfection of physical form. If you can’t
resist the temptation to skip ahead to poses that are beyond
your present level of experience, I strongly advise you not to
just look at the pictures and try the movements; rather, it
would be best if you read all of Part One before proceeding to
the chapters on practice. Regardless of whether you attempt
only the Sun Salutation or try the full practice, you will
generate the detoxifying sweat that this method is known for.
Ashtanga Yoga is more than just an exercise routine; it is a
body awareness technique that helps you experience deeper
levels of peace, increased energy, better health, and greater
happiness. At all stages of your yoga journey, remember to
listen to your body and respect your limitations whether they
are physical, mental, or emotional. The inner journey cannot be
rushed, and one of yoga’s greatest lessons is that of patience
and acceptance. If you are in extreme discomfort at any time,
relax and back off a little, knowing that you have eternity to
learn exactly what you need to learn. You should never
experience pain in your joints when you practice yoga. At the
same time, you want to challenge yourself just enough to
expand your consciousness and transform your body. If you are
a total beginner, you can expect to experience a little muscle
soreness after trying these poses for the first time; that’s
normal, so allow yourself to enjoy the feeling of working your
body in a safe, tested, and proven way.

Getting Started in Your Practice

• It is ideal to practice yoga first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. If you need to
practice later in the day, try not to eat for at least two hours beforehand.
• Wear clothes that you can sweat in, and practice on a flot, even surface.
• Use a yoga mat that feels right for you. It is important that you buy a personal yoga mat. Using
your own mat is more sanitary than renting one at a yoga center, and it will accumulate your
spiritual energy. Choose a mat that is manufactured from ecologically sustainable materials that
will not break down too quickly.
• You will probably need at least a small hand towel while you practice to wipe the perspiration
off your face. If you sweat profusely, you will need a larger towel to place over your yoga mat.
• Wear comfortable clothes that are appropriate for exercise—nothing too loose or too tight.
Choose clothes that provide a good level of support yet are easy to move in, such as a
cotton/lycra blend.
• You will get the best results if you treat this practice like a daily healing ritual. If possible,
dedicate a space in your home entirely to your yoga practice.
• You may find that lighting a small candle and a stick of incense helps create a sense of sacred
space, which all yoga practice really deserves.
• Start each practice session by consciously dedicating yourself to yoga and your inner journey.
• After practicing these asanas at home for a while, you will find it beneficial to seek the guidance
of a teacher who can tailor your practice to your unique abilities and needs. When looking for a
teacher, consult published lists of qualified instructors, research the local centers where you
wish take classes, and ask other students for recommendations.

OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK

This book is divided into two sections: theory and practice. The
four chapters on theory provide the historical and philosophical
foundation for Ashtanga Yoga.
Chapter 1 is an account of the method’s history and tradition,
including the story of my teacher, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. I also
share a bit of my own story and personal discovery of Ashtanga
Yoga.
Chapter 2 goes into greater detail about the three
fundamental points of the method—breath, pose, and gaze. My
teacher often said that Ashtanga Yoga is meant to teach
students how to breathe and that the rest is really just bending.
Without the breath, he said, there is no yoga. The central
gazing point, called drishti in Sanskrit, is meant to train the
mind to remain centered on a single point of attention. The
three-pronged approach of Ashtanga Yoga, called the Tristana
method, guides your daily discipline.
Chapter 3 outlines the benefits of a yogic diet for the health
of both the individual practitioner and the planet as a whole.
Built on the principle of nonviolence, yoga philosophy
recommends that devoted students model their eating habits
on peaceful principles and asks that they consider a vegetarian
diet. Taking responsibility for all the products you consume,
including food, is part of a lifestyle commitment to inner and
outer peace.
Chapter 4 sets the foundation for what I consider my most
important message: yoga is a spiritual path leading toward
enlightenment, or true and lasting inner peace.
Section Two addresses the physical practice of Ashtanga
Yoga. It breaks down the complex method pose by pose in an
accessible, user-friendly format that includes illustrations and
instructions on how to perform the asanas at home. A chapter
is devoted to each of the five groups of poses in the Ashtanga
Yoga Primary Series: the Sun Salutation, standing poses,
seated poses, backbends, and finishing poses.
If you are new to yoga, attempt only one chapter at a time
and follow the beginner’s guidelines. Once you become
proficient at the asanas in one chapter, you may safely proceed
to the next, until you can do the entire sequence together. Try
starting with about twenty minutes of practice each day and
build up as you add more poses; it may take you several years
to be able to complete a full hour-and-a-half practice. If you are
already familiar with the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series, the
chapters will give you a detailed guide to alignment, technique,
and the history of the poses.
Throughout this book, I will show you how Ashtanga Yoga
practice connects the physical with the spiritual in a way that
leads to lasting transformation. When you unroll your yoga mat
and commit to the total journey of yoga, you unlock the mind’s
power to transform physical substance with the power of spirit.
There is no sense of entitlement on the path. To maintain
both belief and effort over a sustained period of time, you will
need to tap into a place inside yourself that is beyond the
physical. Grace in yoga is earned through devoting yourself to
achieving higher consciousness and ultimately becoming a
force of healing in the world. Proficiency on the journey of yoga
takes time and dedication. It is not a quick fix, but all the
benefits that you experience will be lasting and true.
PART ONE

Theory
1
Getting Started with Ashtanga Yoga History and Tradition

If we practice the science of yoga, which is

useful to the entire human community and
which yields happiness both here and
hereafter—if we practice it without fail, we
will then attain physical, mental, and
spiritual happiness, and our minds will
flood toward the Self.
—SRI K. PATTABHI JOIS

WHILE THE SPIRITUAL BENEFITS OF YOGA ARE CENTRAL to this ancient

path, the physical aspect is what draws most students. It is
certainly true practicing yoga leads to better health, less
stress, and a happier, more peaceful mind. But while it may be
tempting to think of yoga as merely another exercise routine,
its real healing benefits come from its integrated approach to
working with the body and mind.
Modern research has discovered what the yoga tradition of
India has known and relied on for thousands of years: the mind
and body are intimately connected. In fact, they are one
continuum. The body may be viewed as the physical expression
of the mind and spirit. Thus, when you think and act in a
habitual way, thought patterns take root in the mind and
translate into physical conditions in the body. Chronic stress,
unhealthy eating patterns, low cardiovascular function, low
immune function, prolonged feelings of anxiety, and many
other conditions associated with our modern lifestyle can be
treated and healed with regular yoga practice. Yoga poses
work to literally change the mind’s established patterns,
replacing negative networks and pathways in the brain with
healthy, happy patterns. Bending and moving the body in new
ways encourage the mind to operate in a manner that is more
conducive to long-term well-being.
The mere practice of the asanas has a healing effect.
Forward bends purify the midsection of the body of any excess
fatty tissue and help to optimize digestive function. Twisting
the torso wrings out the body like a towel from the inside,
encouraging the digestive system to work more efficiently and
facilitating the removal of stored weight. The gentle pressing of
the organs helps any accumulated toxins find their way out of
the body. The combination of cleansing poses and deep
breathing increases the body’s capacity to renew itself. The
breath acts as another mechanism for the removal of old toxins
and waste materials while calming and clarifying the mind.
Deep breathing has a direct effect on the nervous system.
Part of the magic of yoga practice stems from its reliance on
the power of breath regulation. While performing the asanas,
you are mindful of your breath and regulate it carefully using
specific techniques that lengthen and deepen your breathing. A
long, slow, steady breath is associated with the relaxation
response, a mind-body state associated with health and
healing. (We will discuss this in detail in Chapter 2.)

“Over seventy-five scientific trials have been published on yoga in major medical journals. These
studies have shown that yoga is a safe and effective way to increase physical activity that also
has important psychological benefits due to its meditative nature.”
—Steffany Haaz, MFA, RYT1

Here are some of the scientifically proven benefits of yoga:

• Increases flexibility and agility

• Promotes better balance
• Increases feelings of well-being and improves body image
• Regulates high blood pressure (hypertension)
• Reduces pain, including that caused by chronic back problems, arthritis, carpal tunnel
syndrome, and osteoporosis
• Helps relieve depression
• Reduces stress
• Reduces tension, anxiety, and worry
• Helps relieve premenstrual and menopausal symptoms
• Benefits the heart and increases cardiovascular function
• Increases immunological and digestive function
• Elicits the relaxation response

Yoga practice has many other advantages that have not yet been systematically studied. These
include weight loss, help with eating disorders, better sleep, more energy, heightened awareness,
increased capacity for empathy, and regulation of brain waves.

1. Steffany Haaz, “Yoga for People with Arthritis,” The Johns Hopkins Arthritis
Center, last updated June 23, 2009, www.hopkinsarthritis.org/patient-
corner/disease-management/yoga-for-arthritis.

LISTENING TO THE WISDOM OF YOUR BODY

Yoga poses give you a chance to access the spiritual through

the physical. This process of internal awakening makes it
possible for dedicated practitioners to excavate layers of
themselves. Each physical pose presents an opportunity to heal
the body and train the mind; through practice, yogis develop a
more deeply attuned way of living, being, and acting.
Yoga is a sanctuary where you learn to listen to your body.
Like a holiday from the limiting and often negative thoughts
that run on autopilot at the back of your mind, the focused
stillness of yoga opens a space for you to appreciate the true
nature of your mind. When your capacity to listen is at its
greatest and most refined, you can listen directly to your soul
and seek its constant guidance.
Paying careful attention to and sensing the inner body allows
yoga practitioners a daily opportunity for reflection. By
regularly tuning in to this internal level, yogis become
increasingly aware of the alignment or misalignment of their
actions in daily life. The body’s wisdom lies in its pervasive
truthfulness, and the yogi’s wisdom lies in the willingness to
listen to the body’s sometimes superior sense of itself. It clearly
reveals its physical and spiritual story. Through years of
dedicated practice, students of yoga learn to distinguish true
inner messages from fanciful whims and desires. They learn to
walk a delicate tightrope between healthy guidance and
destructive old habits that are hard to change.

THE ANCIENT ORIGINS OF YOGA POSES

To understand how the asanas are part of a true spiritual

tradition rather than merely a fitness routine, you will need at
least some knowledge of the historic tradition of asana as a
spiritual practice in India. The earliest known reference to yoga
is found in the Pashupati seals, which were used by the Indus
Valley civilization more than three thousand years ago. These
seals depict human forms in yogalike poses similar to Baddha
Konasana from the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series and
Mulabhandasana, or Root Lock Posture, from the Ashtanga
Yoga Fourth Series.
The Vedas are India’s oldest spiritual texts, dating from 3000
to 1200 B.C.E., and they contain practical guidelines for
attaining metaphysical experiences. The term asana appears in
a yogic context in the Atharva Veda Samhita (1500 B.C.E.) and in
cosmogonic myths that describe ascetics with folded legs and
soles turned upward as in Padmasana; it is a reference to
divinity entering the body. The Vedas were a layered and
textured way of performing rituals to maintain consonance
between the individual, society, and the cosmos. The Atharva
Veda is magical in nature, whereas the Rig, Sama, and Yajur
Vedas are more about the rituals and poetry that seek to codify
the ecstatic experience.
The next period of Indian philosophical thought, dating from
900 to 500 B.C.E., is detailed in the Upanishads (which literally
means “to sit near,” referring to the need to learn at the feet of
a true teacher). These texts focus on discovering the truth
behind reality and attaining liberation from suffering. The
Upanishads represent an evolution from the Vedic culture, and
although the earlier texts don’t mention yoga, they describe
protoyogic thought and technique. The Katha Upanishad is the
first to use the word yoga specifically in reference to the
careful training of the mind and body to be absolutely one-
pointed and still inside. It states, “This they consider to be
Yoga: the steady holding (dharana) of the senses. Then one
becomes attentive (apramatta); for Yoga can be acquired and
lost” (Katha Upanishad 2.3.11, translation by Georg
Feuerstein).
It may be helpful to make a distinction between the evolution
of yoga theory and that of yoga asana. Asana is not fully
representative of yoga as a whole, and there is more evidence
regarding yoga’s development than there is of the development
of asana. While asana developed within the context of the
larger philosophy and theory of yoga, it would be incorrect to
say that they are the same. Asana is a subset of yoga and one—
perhaps foundational—step in the full eight-limbed path of
Ashtanga Yoga.
Yoga poses as a practice appear in the epic period of Indic
thought as evidenced in the Mahabharata, which mentions two
asanas—Mandukasana (Frog Pose) and Virasana (Hero Pose).
The Mahabharata details an epic battle between good and evil,
written in the format of a dialogue between King Dhritarashtra
and Sanjaya. The section known as the Bhagavad Gita is a
dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna that precedes an
eighteen-day battle on the field of Kurukshetra. In the
Bhagavad Gita, authored by Vyasa, Krishna as the avatar of the
god Vishnu teaches the warrior prince Arjuna the yoga of
perfect actions, the yoga of perfect devotion, and the yoga of
perfect knowledge. The Yoga Yajnavalkya (200 B.C.E.) describes
Padmasana (Full Lotus Pose), Simhasana (Lion Pose), and
Mayurasana (Peacock Pose) and distinguishes between
physical poses for purification and meditative poses for
spiritual realization.
Around the second century B.C.E., during India’s Mauryan
empire, Patanjali compiled the four books of the Yoga Sutras,
which are dedicated to the practice of yoga. Patanjali defines
yoga as the concentration of the mind on a single point of
attention, clearly outlines the full eight-limbed path of
Ashtanga Yoga, and identifies the practice of asana as the third
limb of this path. This yoga philosophy integrates previous
notions of sacrifice (yajna) with personal practice in the
concept of tapas, the acceptance of pain that leads to
purification. Tapas, translated literally as “heat,” was a
precursor to physical yoga practice. Severe austerities were
the means of purification, leading to the awakening of internal
fire into which sacrifices are made. The original vedic ritual
was the homa or fire sacrifice. Agni is a deity seen as a
messenger of the gods; through Agni, offerings into the fire
would be delivered to the realms of the gods. In Patanjali’s
system, asana means a meditation seat of which only a few
practitioners are considered worthy. In the Yoga Bhasya (the
first commentary on the Yoga Sutras), Vyasa lists thirteen
asanas, all of which are meditative sitting poses. Patanjali says
that asana should be steady and comfortable and that a
practitioner should relax his or her effort while focusing on the
infinite. However, out of his 196 aphorisms on yoga only a few
relate directly to asana practice. Most of Patanjali’s text
outlines the philosophical tenets of spiritual practice. There is
speculation that asana was passed on from teacher/guru to
student so that specific instructions on pose were only given
directly by the teacher, but this cannot be verified. Another
theory is that the lack of attention to asana in the text indicates
either the inferior position that asana plays in the yogic journey
or its preparatory nature for the spiritual journey. The eight-
limbed path outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras describes the
ultimate goal of yoga as final liberation through the steady
cultivation of practice and nonattachment, and asana plays a
vital role. Some scholars suggest that the first book of the Yoga
Sutras (Samadhi Pada) lists the means of practice and
nonattachment for advanced practitioners who have already
controlled their senses and established a sattvic, or peaceful,
mind. According to them, the second book (Sadhana Pada) lists
the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga for those who are still
working to establish the foundations of deeper practice.
The last millennium produced multiple treatises on asana as
a physical practice. Perhaps the most influential is the Hatha
Yoga Pradipika (1400 C.E.), which outlines numerous yoga
asanas with detailed descriptions of the technique and the
spiritual benefits. Its author, Swami Swatmarama, firmly claims
that the practice of yoga poses in combination with breathing
practice and concentration on a single point of attention leads
to final liberation from the cycle of suffering. All physical yoga
practice of the current era can be said to fall under the banner
of Hatha Yoga. The Yoga Upanishads (1500 C.E.), the Shiva
Samhita (1700 C.E.), and the Gheranda Samhita (1800 C.E.)
detail even more yoga poses and continue Patanjali’s
principles.
There is nothing to say that Hatha Yoga is not an expansion
of Patanjali’s system, but there are definitely significant
differences. While the Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that Hatha
Yoga is a ladder for reaching Raja Yoga, the Yoga Sutras do not
identify Patanjali’s system as Raja Yoga. Neither Hatha Yoga
nor Raja Yoga is specifically mentioned in the Yoga Sutras, but
the foundational elements of both can be found in Patanjali’s
text. It is commonly assumed either that they are synonymous
or that Raja Yoga comprises the last three “inner limbs” of
Ashtanga Yoga. Either way, they are related but distinct paths.
My teacher often said that the last three limbs of the Ashtanga
Yoga system are internal. While this might seem confusing,
Jois’s system seems to be a hybrid of the Ashtanga Yoga of
Patanjali and Hatha Yoga.
Today’s multifaceted yoga continues the constant evolution
and dialogue of yoga as a science of spiritual realization
grounded in the continuity of daily practice. The Ashtanga Yoga
method comes from this ancient spiritual lineage through the
expert hands of Sri T. Krishnamacharya and his main students.
The next section details the specific history of this method. The
spiritual heart of asana practice is the key to the Tristana
method of Ashtanga and is discussed in Chapter 2. Without the
awareness that all poses have the final liberation of the soul as
their intention, the movements are just physical. The poses
derive their healing benefits from their ability to access the
deepest level of human consciousness.

THE ORIGINS OF ASHTANGA YOGA

The historical origins of Ashtanga Yoga are as much legend as
fact. The tradition traces back to an ancient sage named
Vamana Rishi. We do not know much about him other than that
he is the purported author of the Yoga Korunta. Even this
legendary text is not available for study, because all of it was
destroyed by time and eaten by ants.
The next person in the lineage was Rama Mohan
Brahmachari, who lived in a cave on Mount Kailash (in the
Himalayas) with his wife and three children. No one knows
what happened to his children—where they went or if they
became yoga teachers. Rama Mohan Brahmachari taught his
student, Sri T. Krishnamacharya, from a copy of the Yoga
Korunta. Part of the legend is that when it was time for
Krishnamacharya to leave his teacher, Rama Mohan
Brahmachari instructed him to go out and teach yoga to the
world but to tell no one where they could find him.
Krishnamacharya is known as the source of most of the yoga
that is now popularly taught in the West. His students included
the great teachers B. K. S. Iyengar (who established Iyengar
Yoga), Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (Ashtanga Yoga), A. G. Mohan
(Svastha Yoga), T. K. V. Desikachar (Viniyoga), Indra Devi, and
countless others. Following lineage in yoga is much like tracing
a family tree. You learn from a teacher who is a student of a
master. That master was once a student of another master. The
origins of yoga follow an unbroken line from teacher to student
through a nearly five-thousand-year journey in Indian history.
Although recent scholarship has questioned the truth of an
unbroken lineage of asana practice, the spiritual heart of yoga
as the search for inner peace is as old and eternal as the
human spirit itself. Preserved without the use of computers,
printers, and external hard drives, most yoga knowledge is
acquired and passed on through memorization.
Ashtanga Yoga in the tradition of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois is a
dynamic form of Hatha Yoga that asks you to unroll your mat a
staggering six days a week. It is sometimes so demanding as to
be intimidating. When I started practicing Ashtanga Yoga, I
was just like you. When I finished each practice, I was sore all
over and not particularly good at it. I also did not have the
seemingly superhuman strength or the Gumbi-like flexibility
that the poses require. But I learned both through years of
sincere practice. Many people assume that because they
cannot easily bend their bodies into the pretzel-like positions of
the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series that this method is not for
them. The sole qualification for the practice of Ashtanga Yoga
is to love your practice and to “show up” on your mat as much
as possible. It does not matter what level of asana you perform,
because the inner work of yoga is fueled by the authentic
search for inner peace. If I did it, so can you.
The method I teach in this book comes from the lifework of
my teacher who taught for more than seventy years before his
death on May 18, 2009. The miracle of Jois’s life and legacy far
exceeds his physical presence and is perhaps the very
definition of the word guru. He was born in July 1915 in a small
village called Kowshika (South India) on Guru Purnima day,
which is designated as an Indian national holiday to honor all
gurus. His life embodied the tradition of the sacred teacher-
student relationship. Jois discovered yoga at age twelve and
was a devoted student when he first saw Sri T.
Krishnamacharya, the man who would become his teacher. He
continued his education in yoga and Sanskrit studies at the
Mysore University until, after thirty-seven years of
professorship, he earned the title of Vidwan (professor
emeritus of Sanskrit studies). Jois died when he was ninety-
three after dedicating his life to teaching Ashtanga Yoga, which
he had introduced to the West. With years of experience
teaching in the small South Indian city of Mysore, Jois’s
unwavering diligence in maintaining the Ashtanga Yoga
method as he had learned it from Krishnamacharya allowed
thousands—if not millions—of people to benefit from regular
practice. Without his steady perseverance, yoga as we know it
today simply would not be.

ASHTANGA SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

Ashtanga literally means “eight limbs,” which are defined by
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as yama (moral codes), niyama (self-
purification and study), asana (pose), pranayama (breath
control), pratyahara (sense control), dharana (concentration),
dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (total peace). Ideally,
teachers are well versed in their knowledge of all eight limbs
before they begin teaching so they may truly guide their
students through the entire journey of yoga. Yet the different
levels of samadhi are not readily attainable to everyone in a
short period of practice—perhaps not even in one lifetime; the
method described by Patanjali was reserved for only the
highest guru. Some teachers suggest that all physical yoga is
merely a preparation for deeper yogic states that can only be
experienced in the presence of a fully enlightened master.
Jois taught that regular physical practice cleanses the area
around the spiritual heart and removes the six poisons of kama
(desire), krodha (anger), moha (delusion), lobha (greed),
matsarya (envy), and mada (sloth). These six poisons are called
the arishadvarga, a term found in the third chapter of the
Mahabharata, one of the epics of ancient India, from which Adi
Shankaracharya taught. Adi Shankaracharya was the main
Indian teacher of nondualism and Advaita Vedanta philosophy,
and his work greatly influenced Jois’s philosophy on life,
spirituality, and the divine. My teacher was a firm believer in
daily practice as the main method for practitioners to
experience the benefits of yoga. To remove the six poisons, you
have to practice with strong determination and change layers
of deeply rooted, negative behavioral patterns (samskaras) that
can only be eradicated through yogic purification. Daily
practice of all eight limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga path slowly
transforms your mind into a peaceful place.
The yamas are moral codes that tell us how to engage with
the world ethically. They include ahimsa (nonviolence), satya
(truthfulness), asteya (nonstealing), brahmacharya (sexual
responsibility), and aparigraha (nonattachment). The niyamas
are ethical guidelines that define how we should relate with
ourselves. They include sauca (cleanliness), santosha
(contentment), tapas (heat and purification), svadhyaya
(spiritual self-inquiry), and ishvara pranidhana (devotion to the
divine).
When this integrated approach to spiritual development is in
place, the inner fire of purification (agni) is ignited and literally
burns through unhealthy habits, physical toxins, and emotional
hang-ups. The agni is said to coincide with the awakening of
spiritual energy within the body and is accompanied by
tremendous inner heat. It is also associated with the digestive
fire. Simply studying and memorizing the Yoga Sutras, Sanskrit
terms, or contemporary philosophy will not give you peace.
Information alone is not knowledge. Jois always emphasized the
necessity of experiencing the true effects of a daily practice
within your own body and life. Only in this way can you
integrate the wisdom of the sacred, eternal teachings of yoga
into your everyday life and know firsthand the empowering
self-knowledge that is the essence of yoga. Yoga transforms
people not by demanding change but by inspiring it from
within, and daily practice provides the foundation for this
transformation.

ASHTANGA PHYSICAL PRACTICE

Ashtanga Yoga asks you to work on the spiritual through the

physical. You begin by sweating your way through some yoga
poses while concentrating your mind on your body, breath, and
gaze. The theory that I share with you in this book is largely my
own constantly evolving experience rather than an official
statement of the Ashtanga Yoga method for all time. It is a
mirror that I hope you will use to look deeply within yourself
and discover the logic and magic of the method.
Ashtanga Yoga practice is broken up into six groups of poses.
The first group, called the Primary Series, is a pretty strenuous
routine. Most people will spend their entire lives working on
elements of this set of seventy-two poses. Known in Sanskrit as
yoga chikitsa, this practice cleanses your organs, tissues, and
glands of toxins, fat, and other harmful substances. The
Primary Series contains all the necessary elements for
establishing health and purifying your body, including Surya
Namaskara (Sun Salutation), forward bends, twists, backbends,
powerful lifting, headstands, and many other movements that
stoke the inner fire. The specific nature of Ashtanga Yoga is
that you repeat the poses in the same order until you have
mastered them. You do not move on until you have made some
sort of progress where you are. When you repeat a series of
poses over and over, you move away from an intellectual
understanding of them to a kinesthetic intelligence that
connects movement to a place deep within.
The Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series builds sequentially in
terms of flexibility and strength to prepare you for some of the
gateway poses in the practice. Gateway poses test a student’s
understanding of technique and asana. These postures are the
most challenging in the set of related poses. Starting with
Surya Namaskara, which is aimed at both steadying the mind
and warming up the inner fire, the practice lengthens the
hamstrings, stretches and strengthens the back, increases core
development, and purifies the entire body. Surya Namaskara is
where the student of yoga begins to develop devotion
(bhavana). The gateway posture of the standing poses lies in
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe
Pose) in which you must balance on one leg, lift your other leg,
bend forward, suck in your lower belly, and externally rotate
your hip joint all in one pose.
Once you can perform this pose easily, it is safe to move on to
the next series of poses, which includes the four versions of
Marichasana (Pose Dedicated to Sage Marichi). These poses
require a series of binds where you clasp your hand either
behind your back or around your leg in a twisted pose and
maintain either a half-lotus or a very strong extended leg. The
careful placement of every asana that precedes this section of
the practice is aimed at developing the internal strength and
flexibility needed to perform these four poses easily.
Marichasana D is the pinnacle of this portion of the series,
being the most difficult twist and half-lotus combination.
 The grand crescendo of the Primary Series is Supta
Kurmasana (Sleeping Tortoise Pose), in which internal
strength, external rotation, and forward bending are strongly
challenged as you try to get both legs behind your head. After
this point, the poses help transition from flexing to extending
the spine so you can perform Urdhva Danurasana (Lifted Bow
Pose) or other backbends with ease. Backbending is itself a
gateway posture that challenges the strength and flexibility of
the spine. The logic of the Primary Series builds up to certain
poses that test alignment, inner strength, and flexibility to
make sure your asana practice is solid and stable before you
move on.
The Second, or Intermediate, Series of Ashtanga Yoga is
called nerve cleansing (nadi shodhana). In this set of even
deeper backbends, hip openers, and strength poses,
practitioners work on cleaning the nervous system. The
Advanced Practice is a balance of strength and grace and is
divided into Advanced A Third Series, Advanced B Fourth
Series, Advanced C Fifth Series, and Advanced D Sixth Series. I
currently practice Advanced A and B or Third and Fourth
Series. Jois used to say that yoga is 99 percent practice and 1
percent theory. The highest form of knowledge for the yoga
practitioner is that which has been experienced directly and is
therefore rooted in direct faith. The forum for this direct
experience is a physical practice of asanas that induce a
powerful, cleansing sweat when done regularly. To realize the
benefits of yoga, you must practice as much as possible. It is
not something that can be explained in philosophy; it is
something that must be directly experienced within. With the
careful coordination of pose, breath, and concentration, the
internal fire of purification ignites and the journey of
transformation begins. If you try Ashtanga Yoga, you will soon
experience the deluge of sweat and the heat of purification.
The Ashtanga Yoga method recommends that you practice six
days a week. Traditionally, this practice was meant to be done
in the “Mysore style,” in which you follow your own breath and
movement rather than the guidance of a teacher leading a class
through the same movements. Named after the city in South
India where Jois lived and taught, this is the safest and best
way to practice. Memorizing the poses allows you to focus
internally, which is the real goal of yoga. When you do not
know what you will be doing next, your attention will always be
on your teacher rather than within yourself. Once you
memorize the sequence of poses that your teacher determines
is right for you, the entire practice moves to a deeper,
subconscious level. Practicing in the Mysore style allows you to
go deeply into your practice some days and take it more gently
other days, always performing the same poses. This natural
variation prevents injury, trains you to listen to your body, and
increases internal body awareness. Additionally, Mysore style
is the only way to learn the most advanced poses of the six
series of Ashtanga Yoga, since few individuals can perform and
teach these highly challenging poses.
Taking on a six-day-a-week practice is often hard for new
students, so I usually recommend that they begin with three
days. Once they establish that level of regularity, they can add
one day every six months until they reach the full six days a
week. To make the transition from a fitness-oriented approach
to yoga to a devotional one, you need to practice consistently
and regularly. A daily spiritual ritual in which you take time to
connect internally to a deep sense of yourself requires
dedication. The six-day requirement is meant to develop the
kind of mental, spiritual, and devotional determination needed
to progress along the internal path of yoga. If you accept yoga
as a lifelong commitment to inner peace, it behooves you to
practice as often as you can. If you only practice when it’s
convenient or when you feel good, then yoga is more of a hobby
that you take up and put down at will. But sincere spiritual
practice can never be just a leisurely activity if it is to result in
awakening. True spiritual practice is an unbroken commitment
to do everything it takes to see the deepest truth there is. It is
not something you can choose to look at on Monday and
Wednesday and pretend it does not exist for the rest of the
week.
 On a purely physical level, a six-day-a-week practice is both
advantageous and challenging. By performing the poses more
often, you will see results faster, building strength, stamina,
and flexibility at a faster pace than if you were to practice only
once or twice a week. In fact, those individuals who choose to
attend yoga class once a week are actually setting themselves
up for a weekly struggle in which they must always face the
same weaknesses and other issues; they have no chance of
realizing improvement through sustained practice.
It is no secret that if you do practice six days a week, you will
be physically sore. This very soreness is tied to the notion that
the acceptance of some pain is good along the path toward
purification—the concept of tapas described earlier in this
chapter. The idea is that certain pains, such as the pain of
releasing an old habit, of cleansing the body, or of letting go of
attachments, must be accepted along the road to purification.
Tapas can also mean controlling the senses, food, and the body,
which ultimately leads to the rise of a sattvic mind. Practicing
six days a week accelerates the rate at which you experience
the pains that purify weakness and stiffness, as well as the rate
at which you experience the purified result of more strength
and flexibility in the body and mind.
On many of my trips to Mysore, students would share their
elaborate stories of muscular discomfort with Jois, and most of
the time he would say, “Pain good.”The only way that the inner
fire of purification can work is if you learn to stay with it, see it
clearly, and not run away. The natural human response to pain
is fear, avoidance, and denial, yet yoga uses pain as a method
of awakening. Muscular pain in yoga is often felt as burning or
shaking and can be accepted, but joint pain is a different
teacher, and when it is experienced you should back off. By
learning to accept certain pains within the safe space provided
by yoga, you learn to create a pause between the pain stimulus
and the response in your body and mind that wants to run
away. In that powerful pause, you are able to choose your
course of action instead of being driven by reactionary patterns
from the past. Past experiences leave marks deep within the
mind called samskaras. These impressions color future
experiences and accumulate to form deep habit patterns in the
mind. Once the samskaras aggregate into larger patterns of
attraction or aversion, they are known as vasanas. Samskaras
and vasanas draw us into repetitive loops wherein we repeat
past actions, patterns, and events over and over. To a large
degree, our samskaras and vasanas determine the course of
our future actions and our karma. One form of yoga is actually
called Karma Yoga and is the act of being mindful of thoughts
and actions in an effort to release samskaras. Samskaras and
vasanas can be burned away through yogic meditation
techniques. If you truly want to use your yoga practice to
whittle away at your sleeping store of negative karma and
behavioral patterns, then you must practice as often as
possible.
It is important to define practice at this point. To burn
through samskaras, the mental practice that accompanies
asanas is paramount. Practice is defined by Patanjali’s Yoga
Sutras as the cultivation of a state of samadhi or peace along
with the mental state of nonattachment. Asana is presented as
one of the ways to actively practice these more esoteric states
of being. The result of asana practice is defined in Yoga Sutra
2.48 as freedom from dualities such as pleasure and pain,
attachment and aversion. Two of the obstacles to the spiritual
path are attachment and aversion that result from the
experience of pleasure and pain. The untrained human mind
runs toward pleasure and away from pain, and this constant
effort fuels the cycle of suffering. Regular asana practice
teaches yoga practitioners how to maintain a balanced state of
mind and ultimately break free from this addictive pattern.
This promise of inner peace does not come cheap. You cannot
beg, borrow, or cheat your way along the inner journey.
Creating a new way of being is not simply a matter of flipping a
switch. Instead, you stand at the foot of the mountain of new
desire and look ahead to a long and sometimes rigorous road to
the top. With years of work, patience, and diligence, anything is
possible. Yet when faced with such adversity, most people quit
or take the easy, known route to average results. While there is
nothing wrong with this philosophy, there is a much more
powerful way to live your life to its maximum potential. Yoga
leads the way through disbelief into an accomplished life.
Within the boundaries of a sticky mat, yoga practitioners
repeatedly perform challenging movements while uniting their
breath, pose, and gaze. Krishnamacharya described yoga as the
process by which the impossible becomes possible and the
possible over a long period of time becomes easy. The place
where many practitioners fall off the path is when they try to
go straight from impossible to easy. If you experience a
movement as impossible and want it to be easy immediately,
you will certainly fail, because change does not happen quickly.
Instead, you need to start with the impossible and allow its
difficulty to teach you. Stay in those ugly places where learning
happens, and soon the impossible starts to show you how it
may one day be possible. Almost no one gets it right on the first
try. Held within the outward form of every light, free, and easy
pose are years of difficulty, failure, and even pain. When you
embark on the inner quest of yoga, it is the very process of
starting at the bottom of a seemingly unscalable mountain and
climbing it with slow, steady perseverance against
insurmountable odds that holds the power of transformation.
By conquering the unconquerable and confronting the
terrifying places within, you necessarily gain access to an
experience of yourself that is beyond the struggle, the
experience of a place within yourself that is eternally peaceful,
powerful, and loving. That is what yoga is all about. The light,
free, and easy asana is just a matter of seduction. Yoga teaches
that only by transcending the illusory world of limitations can
you actually move past these false boundaries in your practice
and in your life. Every pose, every movement, and every breath
along the way redefines the very essence of your being.
In a sense, yoga is the most basic path of self-empowerment.
The tricky part of the path is that the self that is being
empowered is not the ego of Western psychology. It is the
highest Self within, the soul whose direct experience leads to
self-transcendence and a death of the small ego. Some people
interpret yoga as a practice meant to strengthen the ego, but it
is actually meant to burn away the small ego and release the
resplendent inner light within.

FINDING YOUR TEACHER

While the tradition of yoga is intimately bound up in the

sanctity of the teacher-student relationship, the words and
guidance of even the greatest teachers are only meant to be
signposts that lead students to the discovery of their own true
voice within. Years under a teacher’s heartfelt guidance can
give you the gift of finding your highest teacher within. No
genuine teacher wants students to do what he or she says just
because he or she said it or because it is written in some
ancient scripture.
When you begin your search for a yoga teacher, look for one
whose training comes from a verifiable lineage. Most official
schools of yoga, like Ashtanga Yoga, list their teachers online
so you can check the listings to find a school close to where you
live. Remember that being a good teacher is more than just
having a piece of paper that logs in a certain amount of hours.
You have to trust your teacher instinctively and be drawn to his
or her presence. The best yoga teachers will be able to give you
good anatomical and technical direction. Teachers in the
Ashtanga Yoga tradition should ideally know the basics of the
philosophical tenets of the traditional practice. Yoga schools
that pay homage to the sacred tradition usually put their
teachers through additional training before allowing them to
take students. For example, at my yoga center in Miami, we
train all our teachers directly even if they have gone through a
training program somewhere else.
Choosing a teacher and a school is not as casual as shopping
for the perfect pair of shoes. It is a complex process that ideally
employs your body, mind, and spirit. Most important, the
teacher must be someone you can trust and believe in to be
your guide. Verify his or her qualifications by speaking with
older students who have been practicing more than ten years
with one teacher to get a feel for how the practice works over a
long period of time.
At its best, yoga is a nondogmatic, nonreligious path toward
self-realization. All yoga is experiential by definition, because
no one can do your daily practice or live your awakening for
you. No matter how many times you read about it or hear it
from your teacher, nothing on the path is real for you until you
actually feel it in your own body, mind, and soul. Teachers and
tradition illuminate the path for you, but you have to take each
step with your own two feet.
The role of the teacher is traditionally considered an absolute
necessity along the spiritual journey; however, many
contemporary yoga teachers promote the idea of being self-
taught and downplay tradition. The concept of a guru is even
harder for many Western yoga students, who are raised in a
culture of independence, to understand. Yet in the Indian
tradition, the teacher-student relationship is a sacrosanct part
of the journey into the inner world.
Ashtanga Yoga is now taught by legions of certified and
authorized teachers in more than thirty countries. These
teachers include Jois’s son, Manju Pattabhi Jois, in California;
his daughter, Saraswathi Rangaswamy, in Mysore; and his
grandson, R. Sharath Jois, also in Mysore, who is now the head
of the lineage. When researching yoga teachers, check to be
sure that they have spent sufficient time studying the method
either directly in India at the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga
Institute or with other senior Ashtanga Yoga teachers. It would
be ideal to make the journey to India yourself or to choose a
teacher who is certified or authorized by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois or
R. Sharath Jois. If you do not have immediate access to a
qualified teacher for daily classes, you can begin your practice
at home with the guidance of books such as this one, DVDs
produced by qualified instructors, and the wealth of
information available online such as www.kpjayi.org and
www.ashtanga.com. Then you can augment your home practice
by traveling to take a workshop or immersion course and learn
the method more completely.
Once your practice of Ashtanga Yoga has sincerely begun,
you will need to choose a teacher who will be your main guide
in the method. I still remember the magic of my first meeting
with Jois in Mysore. It changed my life forever, and it inspires
every day that I practice. This is an experience that only your
heart can lead you toward, because the inner journey is a
sacred space that can only be shared with someone whom you
trust and love.

THE HEROIC HEALING JOURNEY OF YOGA

The quiet world of our inner being can sometimes get drowned
out by the loud stresses of daily life. Yet when you begin a yoga
practice, you open a door to a tranquil space of listening. It is
here, in the inner world, where healing takes place. At its most
basic level, yoga seeks to reunite you with your deepest
understanding of body, mind, and soul. This singular state of
consciousness helps you regain the lost world of yourself as
you really are: peaceful, free, and beautiful.
Everyone wants to be happy. No matter how different people
may seem, everyone wants to know real peace and lasting
freedom. By engaging with the enjoyable yet challenging yoga
poses, you learn how to conquer obstacles and attain freedom.
This may well be the greatest gift that yoga offers its
practitioners.
On the inward journey of yoga, every dedicated practitioner
encounters beautiful epiphany moments that lead to awakening
and transcendental experiences of healing. But every dedicated
practitioner also encounters obstacles: laziness, fear, lack of
confidence, low self-esteem, the anger born of frustration over
poses that seem insurmountably difficult. These obstacles—
most, if not all, of them related to deep-rooted patterns—are as
formidable and challenging as the demons, tricksters, and
tempters of the mythological hero’s journey. In the sacred
stories of heroic battles, the tests and trials are really
opportunities to face the deepest secrets of the self and return
free from fear. The obstacles faced by every hero reflect the
inner journey. The inward journey of yoga makes every
practitioner play the lead role in their own epic saga. When you
practice, you have a chance to go on your own quest and
become Odysseus in The Odyssey or Arjuna in the Bhagavad
Gita. From the Buddha to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, one
factor that unites every mythological hero’s journey is that
transformation contains the seeds of a dramatic spiritual
awakening. And just as the heroes of the great myths
ultimately faced their challenges alone, each student of yoga is
ultimately responsible for winning his or her own freedom.
Each of my eleven trips to India was a chapter in my inner
adventure, in which I observed ever more deeply the true
nature of spiritual strength. On my first trip, I was humbled to
see how far I had to go to realize both the physical strength
and the steadiness of mind that the spiritual path demands.
Under the careful guidance of my teacher, I was able, after
years of dedicated practice, to tap into an eternal place within
from which all strength flows. Since I was not naturally strong
or able to perform the more challenging poses of Ashtanga
Yoga, I had to unearth a sleeping strength far beyond anything
I ever imagined possible. Every challenging arm balance,
handstand, and backbend was a microcosm for the
transformation of my soul. The Ashtanga Yoga method is
deceptively simple. You may read about the principles and
think you understand them, but only after many years of
practice have I begun to realize just how powerful the practice
really is.
2
Heart of the Method: Breath, Pose, and Gaze

WHEN I FIRST TRAVELED TO MYSORE, JOIS TOLD ME to focus on three

simple things: breath, pose, and gaze. Called the Tristana
method, these three points form the basis of Ashtanga Yoga.
While it is crucial to follow the entire eight-limbed spiritual
path of Ashtanga Yoga outlined in Chapter 1, to realize a full
physical and spiritual transformation and to attain inner peace,
the Tristana method gives practical guidelines for safely
performing the asanas.
The most prevalent aspect of today’s yoga tradition is the
practice of poses, which have a deeply healing effect. Each
pose is discussed in great detail in Part Two of this book.
Forward bends encourage practitioners to bend and release
inside the pelvis, thereby purifying the torso of any excess fatty
tissue and optimizing digestive function. Twisting poses wring
out the body like a towel from the inside, encouraging the
digestive system to work more efficiently and gently pressing
the internal organs to help move any accumulated toxins out of
the body. However, no pose alone has a healing effect.
Practicing the asanas while breathing deeply increases the
body’s capacity to renew itself. Holding your mind steadily on a
single point of attention first trains the mind to be one-pointed
and then leads to a steady focus on the inner body. Only with
all three components of the Tristana method will you
experience the transformative power of Ashtanga Yoga.

HOW THE YOGA POSES REALLY WORK

The healing benefit of the physical practice of yoga is as easy

to understand as the benefit of brushing your teeth every day.
When you use your body on a daily basis, sediment
accumulates along the interior spaces. If you never clean out
this store of toxins and impurities, the body will begin to decay.
Yoga poses cleanse the body from within by going into the
darkest corners with twists, bends, folds, and breath to literally
burn through stuck material. Without the constant cleansing of
asanas, the internal workings of the body’s organs and
neuromuscular systems grow sluggish. But with a regular yoga
practice, the body is able to maintain a healthy level of
pliability throughout life. The Ashtanga Yoga method in
particular leaves no cell untouched and systematically brings
strength and flexibility to the entire body.
On an emotional and psychological level, the yoga poses
increase conscious awareness of every part of the body. Along
with the pure physical benefit associated with this heightened
awareness, numerous mental and emotional benefits accrue as
well. Just like plaque accumulates on the teeth and inside the
arteries, old emotions remain stored within the subtle body.
The physical body is closely related to the subconscious mind.
When you delve deeply into sleeping areas of the body, you
discover that the body itself is a reservoir of old memories,
emotions, and habits. The samskaras, or negative habit
patterns of the body and mind, take root in the body and
manifest in postural patterns such as tightness, stiffness, and
pain. When yoga poses force you to go directly into the source
of the old habit pattern and face the fear, sadness, anger, or
other traumatic emotions, they are providing the deepest
therapy possible. With yoga practice, you can release and
cleanse old mental and psychological blockages that have
taken root deep within your subtle body. Without ever needing
to know why these emotional patterns are there or where they
came from, yoga frees you from the past and opens your mind
to a lighter, brighter future.
The asanas work first on a practice level to burn through the
toxins in the physical, emotional, and energetic bodies. The
poses also work to change the basic hardwiring of the mind.
Normally, when we confront difficult situations, we want to run
away. If we encounter a scary memory, we often want to bury
it. This pattern, while totally natural, is not effective at creating
a truly happy, healthy life. Yoga trains the mind to stay in
places of difficulty instead of running away and developing
protective measures. In yoga, there is no room for defense
mechanisms. In fact, the yoga poses are designed to strip away
every protective layer you may have developed to reveal the
inner purity at the heart of your being. When a particularly
deep samskara is triggered during your practice, you may find
yourself in the midst of a deep emotional release. Without
warning, you may suddenly feel vulnerable, start crying, shake
with fear, tremble with anger, or experience many other
intense emotions. The main difference between yoga and
psychotherapy is that you never need to ask or know why
something is happening. All you have to do is experience it
directly and fully. While you will certainly cleanse your
consciousness of the scars and wounds of the past, the best gift
yoga gives you is the retraining of the mind’s habit patterns to
help you face difficulty directly with a brave heart.

DRISHTI: SINGLE-POINTED GAZE

When I first started practicing, I failed to fully grasp the

importance of drishti, or a single gazing point. I felt that if I
was able to maintain a pose, that was enough. I remember
being in the yoga shala in Mysore and allowing my mind to
wander so I could see what was going on around me. I was
interested in what my teacher was doing with other students,
what poses other students were doing at different levels of
proficiency, what kind of clothes people were wearing, what
type of yoga mats were most popular, and who was waiting in
line to practice next. I focused least on the inner body. It was
the epitome of an untrained mind. Each time I returned to
Mysore, my teacher would strongly remind me of the
importance of drishti by reiterating that it is key to the mind
training of yoga. In his broken English, Jois would teach more
through presence than verbose explanations. It took me at least
four trips to India before I really understood that no drishti
means a weak mind, and a weak mind means no yoga is
happening. I did not have a naturally strong mind, but the
diligent practice of drishti helped me connect with a one-
pointedness of perception that exceeds anything I thought I
could accomplish.
In Ashtanga Yoga, each pose has a specific gazing point; the
place where you are directed to focus your eyes plays an
important role in the spiritual development of your practice.
Drishti literally means “vision” or “insight,” and its purpose is
to direct the gaze to a focal point of attention and influence
both what you see and your way of seeing. The mind is
reflected in the gaze, so the point where your mind rests
during yoga practice will determine the ultimate success of
your effort along the path. In essence, drishti practice
endeavors not just to bring your eyes to a random point but
also to train your mind to be centered within a spiritual
paradigm. Directing the mind to a single point of attention
prevents your thoughts from wavering and focusing on the
external; it simultaneously helps you practice the strength and
steadiness of mind to remain one-pointed, which is an
important goal of all yoga practice.
Practically speaking, drishti is an essential tool for finding
balance while physically moving. Balance is a state of mind that
is expressed through physicality. You cannot find physical
balance while your eyes are darting around the room. Yoga
generally assumes that the practitioner’s state of mind is
reflected in his or her physical practice. The mind directs the
body; it also directs the eyes to gaze toward the points of most
salient interest. The gaze then directs the energy or intention
of the practitioner. A gaze directed at one of the drishtis instills
a deep inner practice, whereas a gaze directed at many
fluctuating external points fosters an unsteady, unfocused
mind. In essence, if the student’s eyes are wandering, then so
is the mind. If the student’s eyes are focused on a single object,
then the mind too remains calm and attentive. Only a calm,
clear mind can strip away the layers of ego, old habit patterns,
pain, and ignorance to reveal the brilliant light of
consciousness.
There are nine drishtis in Ashtanga Yoga, and each presents
an opportunity for a different inner realization:

• Gazing between the eyebrows (broomadhya drishti) opens

the third eye (ajna) chakra and encourages energy to rise up
the spine through the central column of the body, toward the
center of the head where the seat of spiritual knowingness
resides.
• Gazing upward (urdhva or antara drishti) helps continue the
careful movement of energy up the spine so that the life force
can rise and awaken spiritual centers within the brain.
• Nose gazing (nasagrai drishti) closes the eyes slightly,
thereby limiting the amount of optical stimulation received
from the external environment and encouraging the power of
sight to be directed inward. Gazing at the tip of the nose also
slightly crosses the optic nerve, which—when done
successfully—opens the central channel of the brain (the
corpus callosum) and harmonizes deep brain activity along
both hemispheres.
• Navel gazing (nabi chakra drishti) stimulates the solar
plexus (the manipura chakra), helps direct the mind toward
the inner body, and encourages a subtle flexing of the spine.
• Gazing toward the fingers or toes (hastagrai drishti or
padhayoragrai drishti) directs your energy through space,
giving the physical body a sense of boundlessness. These two
drishtis also play an important role in maintaining a sense of
balance while performing the physical asanas.
• Gazing toward the thumb (angustha ma dyai drishti) helps
students find balance by bringing their attention to the end
point of certain poses. It extends the energy of the pose
outward from the center and stimulates the meridian points
in the thumb, which are traditionally thought to be symbolic
of fire, similar to that of purification that all Ashtanga Yoga
seeks to kindle. The thumb is also a symbol of the cosmic
divine, and the connection of the thumb and index finger in
 certain poses is said to symbolize the individual
consciousness uniting with the divine.
• Gazing to the left or right (parsva drishti) concentrates the
mind on the more subtle flow of energy in the body and helps
perfect the physical pose. When a student is able to maintain
the drishti in a relaxed, open, and free manner during the
practice of physical asana, it is generally an indication of
integration and mastery of that particular pose.

Only during final relaxation, called Sukhasana (Easy Pose),

do the eyes remain closed. Jois would often joke that if you
close your eyes during asana practice, sleep would come soon.
Without the specific points of attention, asana practice would
lose some of its intensity and not be as successful at effecting
the kind of spiritual and psychological transformation that is its
ultimate goal.

Gazing with the Lamp of Knowledge

The etymological roots of the word drishti can be traced back

to the Sanskrit drs, which literally means “to see,” as in the
power of conscious sight. More than mere casual sight, this
root word implies that the act of seeing includes the light of
spiritual understanding. Another common derivation of drs is
drsya, or the light in which all objects present themselves to
the higher intelligence of each individual being. Similarly, the
root drs yields drastr (the seer), known as the purusha, or
individual soul within every sentient being. Historically, the
drishti plays an important part in the conscious redirection of
the mind toward spiritual understanding. The word dhrik-sthiti
is found in the Tejo Bindu Upanishad (1.29) as one of the
practices of the fifteen-fold path. It is defined as that wise
vision that sees the world as the Absolute and must not be
confused with mere gazing at the tip of the nose. The Mandala
Brahmana Upanishad (2.26) identifies three types of drishti
during meditation: eyes open, eyes half-open, and eyes closed.
The definition of dhrik-sthiti is reminiscent of my teacher’s
definition of pratyahara—wherever you look, you see God.
When the light of inner understanding is directed toward
specific points of attention within the body during yoga
practice, students directly experience their true nature within.
By directing the power of sight to the inner body, asana
practice opens a door to the experience of one of the more
subtle limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga path. When the powers of
the sense organs are directed away from the external world
and toward the inner body, you experience sense withdrawal.
Defined in Sanskrit as pratyahara, it is also the fifth limb of the
Ashtanga Yoga method. Without the ability to redirect your
attention away from the seductive external world, the mind will
always be called out of spiritual realization into sensory
experiences. The purpose of yoga is to prepare the mind and
soul for ultimate freedom from the seemingly endless cycle of
experiences. Only when the mind can actually stay focused on
one point of attention for a sustained period is it possible for it
to perceive deeper levels of reality. Drishti is one practice that
trains the mind to be both singular and subtle in its point of
attention.
Yoga practice is the methodical retraining of the mind to be
focused on spiritual realization. First students learn to maintain
one-pointed gaze and then later develop single-pointed
attention. This single-pointed attention (ekagrata) demands
that the practitioner have a strong, steady mind. The
Mahabharata states that “the singleness of the senses is the
highest form of tapas” (12.242.4). The practice of ekagrata
prevents the mind from attaching itself to one object, one
person, or one thought by staying intently focused on the
divine. While performing physical asanas, the calm, clear mind
takes precedence over any fantastic feat of pose. One way to
ensure that your priority is spiritual development is to place
careful emphasis on the drishti in every pose. A common
definition of yoga is the ability to maintain a singular point of
attention. The object of attention is chosen at will, and the
evidence of a trained mind is the sustained concentration on a
certain point with unwavering focus. Drishti is a tool that every
yoga practitioner can easily use to train the mind to remain
steady and strong, thereby increasing peaceful, calm feelings.
The ultimate goal of all yoga practice is the single-pointed
revelation of the divine soul within. The practice of drishti
allows students to develop the spiritual paradigm that leads to
wisdom, often defined in Sanskrit as jnana diptir, or the “lamp
of knowledge.” The wisdom contained within each of us is a
light that dispels the darkness of ignorance, and yoga is the
steady cultivation of the right-minded perspective that develops
this brilliant inner light. Discriminatory discernment (viveka
khyatir) goes hand in hand with the lamp of knowledge. When
your inner light shines on a situation, it produces clarity,
perception, and vision so the true power of drishti is revealed.
You will then be able to look at anything and see its ultimate
reality. In other words, your power of perception is so
awakened and highly developed that you can clearly discern
the true from the untrue, the real from the illusory, and the
temporal from the eternal.

THE MAGIC OF THE BREATH

Yoga teaches that the fastest way to cross the bridge into more
rarefied states of being is through the vehicle of the breath.
Drishti or asana alone cannot illuminate the path ahead, so
practitioners must also develop specific breathing techniques.
In fact, my teacher often said that the whole Ashtanga Yoga
practice is merely a breathing practice and the rest is
secondary to the breath.
Working with the breath while practicing yoga can
sometimes be frustrating. Only a very accomplished
practitioner can successfully coordinate complex movements
with a calm, controlled breath. When I first started practicing, I
was more interested in the end result of the pose than the
subtleties of the breath. It took me years to integrate
pranayama, or breath control, into my daily ritual. The turning
point came when Jois himself taught me the Ashtanga Yoga
method of pranayama. After that, I was willing to go to this
powerful place within the breath. I have come to understand
that without the breath, there is in fact no yoga, and I am now
as inspired by the breath as I am by the poses, if not more.
Accomplished poses, acrobatic movements, and floating
handstands are all just tricks without the steady focus on the
breath that is the heart of yoga.
On a metaphysical level, we can think that when we are born,
we breathe in, and when we die, we breathe out. The space
between these two breaths holds the entirety of our life
experience here on earth. In essence, the breath holds our
entire life force. Known in Sanskrit as prana vayu, there is no
direct English translation for this concept. Prana means “life
energy,” and in yoga practice, we are working the winds of our
life force when we perform poses and breathing exercises.
Even the idea of exercise is inadequate for the deeper
definition of pranayama, which seeks to cross the barrier
between the physical and the energetic world within.
Originally, prana was thought to equate with brahman. The
Yoga Vasishtha (3.13.31) defines prana as the vibratory power
that underlies all manifestation. Later, the text distinguishes
between this primary life force and the individual life force.
Georg Feuerstein states in his translation of the Yoga Vasishtha
that prana “is both constitutive and operative; that is, it is out
of prana that the universe is said to be made, and it is by
means of prana’s continual flow that the universe is sustained.”
But perhaps prana is best understood as the underlying matrix
that directs the flow of energy and organizes the manifest
world.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika describes seventy-two thousand
energy channels (nadis) in the body and a main central channel
called the sushumna nadi for the flow of the highest form of life
energy. All pranayama practice focuses on getting the prana
vayu, or the winds of your life force, consciously flowing
through the central column of your body. The full benefit of this
occurs when the life energy flows through the central nadi and
the light of spiritual awakening dawns within. In essence, the
advanced stage of pranayama practice comprises a feeling of
timelessness when all focus on the exterior world fades and you
enter a transcendental state of ultimate peace.
The magic of working with the breath means that when you
control your breath, you have access to all five bodies (koshas)
—physical, mental, emotional, energetic, and spiritual. Deep
breathing is meant to purify the body, release toxins, and stoke
the karmic fire within. On a physical level, conscious deep
breathing stimulates the cardiovascular system and increases
blood flow throughout the body. Exhalation helps remove
toxins from the blood through the interface in the lungs, and
inhalation floods the blood with highly oxygenated air.
Yoga begins with the humble task of uniting yourself with
breathing, pose, and drishti (gaze). In doing so, you unite the
five sheaths (koshas) of your consciousness in a single purpose.
Asana becomes increasingly difficult in an effort to
transubstantiate the body into spiritual energy and, at the same
time, train the mind to be attuned to higher consciousness. The
vital purpose of physical poses is to cleanse the body of
obstructions and thereby create a home for the divine.

The Five Koshas

According to yoga philosophy, the human body consists of five essential layers, ranging from the
outer physical form to the innermost “body of bliss,” covering the pure Self (atman):

Physical, or food, body = annamaya kosha

Energy body = pranamaya kosha
Mental body = manomaya kosha
Wisdom body = vijnanamaya kosha
Bliss body = anandamaya kosha
Self = atman

Relax and Breathe into It

Deep breathing has a direct effect on the nervous system. A

long, slow, steady breath is associated with the relaxation
response, a specific state of mind and body associated with
health and healing that cannot be forced but only stimulated
through specific techniques such as deep, diaphragmatic
breathing. By inhaling and exhaling deeply, we stimulate the
parasympathetic nervous system’s ability to calm down.
Breathing is controlled by both conscious and subconscious
action, and it therefore gives us access to both sides of our
mind. Regulating the breath has an enormous impact on
whether we are able to remain calm, healthy, and balanced.
The autonomic nervous system controls the mostly
subconscious functions of the body, such as heart function,
organ function, hormonal balance, immune function, and
digestion. The autonomic nervous system comprises two
further systems: the sympathetic nervous system and the
parasympathetic nervous system. The former is associated with
stimulations of stress hormones such as adrenaline and
corticosteroids, elevated blood pressure, decreased blood flow
to extremities, increased blood sugar levels, and other
symptoms of what is commonly known as the fight-or-flight
response. The latter is associated with the relaxation response
—decreased stress hormones, increased immune function,
slower heartbeat, regular blood sugar levels and digestive
function, and similar bodily functions. All active practices of
yoga use breath regulation to influence the autonomic nervous
system and strengthen the neurological pathways that lead
toward the relaxation response. Vigorous physical poses
followed by a deep period of relaxation increase the mind’s
(and body’s) ability to relax. If you practice yoga, you will
regain control over your entire nervous system and thereby
also gain control over the total function of your body and mind.
Nasal breathing deepens the state of relaxation, whereas
open-mouth breathing sends a signal of distress and panic to
the brain. The type of deep breathing taught in Ashtanga Yoga
stabilizes the heartbeat during strenuous activity, strengthens
the cardiovascular system, triggers the relaxation response,
and keeps the mind totally focused within the present moment.
Yoga brings you into a deeper relationship with yourself by
having you twist your body into uncomfortable positions and
then asking you to breathe while you gaze at a single point of
attention. The level of complexity necessary at any given
moment is enough to stop the mind and create a long pause
between the otherwise steady stream of thoughts. The depth of
the breath ensures that all of your koshas are fully present and
integrated.
Ashtanga Yoga instructs you to equalize the length of the
inhalation and the length of the exhalation while practicing to
balance both sides of the consciousness. The inhalation
correlates with absorbing, receiving, and activity, whereas the
exhalation correlates with releasing, giving, and restfulness.
For poses that are challenging or painful and require greater
flexibility, it may be useful to focus temporarily on the
exhalation. For poses that are challenging but require great
strength, it can be useful to coordinate the lifting motion with
an inhalation in order to maximize the power of the breath. Jois
recommended to equalize the length of inhalation and
exhalation at all times.
Perhaps the greatest challenge of yoga practice is that you
are asked to maintain a calm, steady breath while you move
through increasingly difficult levels of asana and coordinate
each breath with one movement. The concept of Ashtanga
Vinyasa Yoga comes from the notion of coordinating one breath
with one movement, which is the definition of vinyasa. It is
hard to remember to breathe when a pose is so difficult that all
you want to do is hold your breath. When things are difficult,
fearful, painful, and frustrating, we all have a natural tendency
to hold our breath. But if you stop breathing, you stop your life
energy. It is important to keep breathing, especially when the
poses test your physical and emotional limits. Ashtanga Yoga
tells you to breathe, literally, right into the pain, anxiety,
sadness, or anything else that comes up. One of the main
manifestations of proficiency in a series of poses is not merely
the ability to get the form right but the ability to breathe
deeply and steadily while holding them. When you learn to
breathe freely while attempting difficult asanas, you are also
practicing the kind of deep relaxation that will help you in
difficult life situations. Sometimes two long, deep breaths can
help you avoid escalating an argument with a friend or partner.
With yoga practice, you learn to use the breath as a tool to help
you face difficulties, both on and off the mat, when they arise.
If you focus solely on attaining the asanas when you practice,
you will most likely sacrifice the breath for form, but the ends
do not justify the means in yoga. In fact, the means themselves
are the ends. Yoga is about the journey and the process, and if
there is no space to allow a deep inhalation and exhalation to
be your guide, there may never be space for you to be calm in
your life. The goal of life is not merely to make it as quickly as
possible to the last breath; it is to enjoy the whole glorious ride
along the way. If you let go of the need to achieve, you will
discover that you already have all the peace you really need
inside yourself—between the inhalation and exhalation.

Ujjayi: The Breath of Life

Ashtanga Yoga uses a breathing method based on the Ujjayi

Pranayama (Breath of Victory) to ensure that each practitioner
realizes the full depth of the practice. We hope to attain victory
over the cycle of suffering and past negative behavior patterns.
Ujjayi Pranayama is taught in the more advanced stages of
Ashtanga Yoga. The breathing done during the asana practice
is actually just “deep breathing with sound” and is based on the
greater method of breath control. This deep breathing with
sound is performed during asana practice in preparation for
more advanced forms of breathing practice that are isolated
from asana. When deep breathing has stimulated the relaxation
response in the nervous system, the breath itself functions as a
kind of anesthetic that prevents injury, increases flexibility, and
augments strength. Jois always recommended a full ten-second
inhalation and exhalation as an end goal to many years of
practice.
Each breath has four distinct components: the inhalation, the
space between the inhalation and exhalation, the exhalation,
and the space between the exhalation and the inhalation. It is
important to give a gentle pause between the breaths so you
float effortlessly for a moment between each inhalation and
exhalation. When you advance to more in-depth breath work
that includes holding or retaining the breath, the space
between breaths will be crucial. You will notice that the space
after the exhalation often induces a slight panic if allowed to
become too prolonged, since there is little oxygen left in the
body. While it is not easy to face, controlling the breath is
meant to stimulate fear—sometimes even the fear of death—so
that this too can ultimately be conquered with yoga practice.
To practice Ashtanga Yoga breathing, you must vocalize the
breath so that you breathe with sound. Begin by vocalizing the
sounds sa and ha to open your throat. Inhale fully and then
exhale while opening your throat to enunciate these sounds.
Then close your mouth and allow the power and resonance of
the breath to remain throughout your throat, soft palate, chest,
and nose. Rather than trying to squeeze the muscles in your
throat and vocal chords to create the sound, simply let the
power of the breath come from deep within your body. Draw
your lower belly in and engage your pelvic floor while you
breathe, being careful not to let your abdominal muscles
distend while you inhale. You should control full, diaphragmatic
breathing from deep within your pelvis. (Chapter 10 explains
the bandhas, or internal locks, that allow you to steer the
movements of the breath with your inner strength.) The rhythm
should be slow and steady, so your mind will also be slow and
steady. Try not to squeeze your neck muscles, tense your
shoulders, or hold your breath. Instead, allow the breath to
reflect your true inner strength. Generally, the inhalation is
harder to elongate. Try to relax and avoid any gasping for air
when practicing.
In addition to all the advantages associated with the
relaxation response, a powerful benefit of the Ashtanga Yoga
breathing method is the strength and steadiness of mind that
you will achieve. Keeping the mind singular in its focus is a
great test of concentration. The spiritual side of the method
allows you to cross the bridge between the physical and
energetic bodies. In a sense, the breath itself holds the key to
the moment when the physical transubstantiates and becomes
the spiritual. There is a belief that the end result of a
successful, lifelong commitment to yoga is the development of
a body of light that is as strong as a thunderbolt and as
illuminating as the sun, known in Sanskrit as the divya deha or
vajra deha. This body of light is akin to the notion of
enlightenment while in physical form. Only with the careful
practice of the Ashtanga Yoga breathing method in asana and
Ujjayi Pranayama in more subtle practices is the development
of the body of light possible. There will be moments during
your practice when the world will seem to fade into the
distance or into a field of light. Do not fear, just breathe into it,
and one day you too will experience the freedom contained
within your own skin.

GRANTHIS

The Tristana method of Ashtanga Yoga uses the breath, pose,

and gaze to free the body completely so that spiritual energy
can flow within. Granthis are energetic locks that block the rise
of consciousness in the subtle body. The first time I heard
about these locks in the energy body, I was not sure what to
think. More esoteric than the nadis that correlate with the
acupuncture meridians, granthis are hard to understand, and
information on them is hard to find. Yoga scholar Georg
Feuerstein gives a good list of sources in his Encyclopedia of
Yoga and Tantra, including the Chandogya Upanishad 7.26.2,
the Katha Upanishad 6.15, and the Yoga Shika Upanishad
1.113–14. Even though the ontological truth of the energy body
has not yet been verified by Western scientific methods, it is
useful to open your mind to the possibility of the experience
and see what is “real” for you. Delving into the philosophy that
is the foundation of Ashtanga Yoga helps demystify this
concept.
The Yoga Sutras describe the mind (citta) as being composed
of three distinct elements: the ego (ahamkara); the mechanical,
information-processing aspect of the brain (manas); and the
higher spiritual consciousness (buddhi). As discussed earlier,
when habit patterns take root within these three aspects of
consciousness, they are known as samskaras. This general term
involves multiple dimensions. Samskara is the impression or
seed; vasana is an aggregate of samskaras in active form; and
karmaasaya is the network of samskaras that forms the
subconscious, or the resting place of samskaras in seed form. If
the samskaras are in active form, they already control our
actions, but if they are in seed form, they are still developing
and would be easier to get rid of. These behavioral patterns are
so rooted in the being that they run on autopilot and direct our
actions without our conscious control. Samskaras can even
outlive one incarnation and resurface in a new body in a
subsequent life. Negative samskaras create impediments and
obstacles to the spiritual path. Positive samskaras create good
karma and bear the fruit of realization along the spiritual path.
But for ultimate liberation, all samskaras must be released and
burned away. While the classical yoga of Patanjali does not
mention granthis, my treatment of their interrelationship here
aligns with Jois’s comingling of the philosophies of the Hatha
Yoga Pradipika and the Yoga Sutras.
The stated purpose of all Hatha Yoga is to guide dedicated
practitioners into a direct experience of the divinity that
resides within them. This divinity is transcendent of all aspects
of the citta and all samskaras as well. When the prana vayu
moves into the central column (sushumna nadi) and rises along
the inner planes of the energy body, the sleeping spiritual
energy travels all the way to the crown of the head. Along the
way, the energy meets negative samskaras that have taken root
so deeply that they form a knot along this main highway for
spiritual energy. I am intentionally creating a hybridization
between the Ashtanga Yoga system outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga
Sutras and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika system as I believe this is
what my teacher meant to do. While Hatha Yoga is expressly
stated as a ladder to Raja Yoga, there is some debate about
whether this Raja Yoga is the Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali. They
could be thought of as different models for understanding the
process of enlightenment, and there are many ways that the
two systems overlap and support each other. My teacher seems
to have had in mind this merger. It becomes difficult to find
textual support, and as such, the final interpretation is left
open for debate and direct experience.
Like a good plumber, yoga practice tries to remove all
obstacles to the free flow of materials in the main line in and
out of the body. The granthis are described in the Hatha Yoga
Pradipika as the three common blockages that most yoga
practitioners experience when they begin to feel the rising of
spiritual energy through the sushumna nadi. When the physical
energy of the muscles, the body, and even the mind begins to
cross the bridge into a more rarefied state of consciousness
and become spiritual, it is called the rise of the kundalini
shakti. This energy flows in subtle but strong and palpable
undulations along the central column of the body. The literal
translation of kundalini is “coiled,” and this primal energy of
the human life force is said to lie coiled at the base of the
spine. Usually depicted as three coils, each representing one of
the three states of reality (gunas), the kundalini is a crucial
component of the subtle body. Its awakening is a
psychospiritual event that is likened to a direct experience of
divinity. Descriptions of this experience range from ecstatic
and blissful to painful and traumatic. Perhaps the experience of
kundalini is as magical as the divine itself, so all descriptions
inevitably fall short of the direct perception.
When the kundalini meets a granthi, the experience is
unpleasant and often compared to an intense fire. The full force
of the power of the divine within pushes up against a painful
obstruction until it breaks through. The three knots are known
as brahma granthi (at the sacrum), vishnu granthi (at the
heart), and rudra granthi (between the eyebrows). The removal
of each of these knots carries a particular life lesson. Granthi is
also sometimes translated as a “knot of delusion,” whose
removal reveals the pure, clear light of consciousness. In a
sense, granthis are psychospiritual blockages formed by years,
perhaps lifetimes, of negative samskaras that must be removed
before you can reach various levels of self-realization. Working
with the granthis means that you are progressing from the
gross, or purely physical, body to the subtle, or energetic,
body.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that engaging and working
with the root of the pelvis while performing asanas and
pranayama is the best way to break through the granthis and
burn away the negative samskaras. It also says that the root
lock described in traditional yoga texts results in the uniting of
apana with prana in the stomach to produce heat, wake the
kundalini, and force its entry into the sushumna nadi. In my
experience, the mastery of the pelvic floor on the energetic
level helps cuts through brahma granthi and releases the knot
located around the sacrum. Some common samskaras stored in
the brahma granthi are resistance to strength, change, sexual
traumas, trust, and grounding. Working with the interior space
of the pelvis helps practitioners gain an access point to the
place inside the body where the physical, emotional, energetic,
and spiritual all merge. Vishnu granthi is located in the heart
center, so to remove this blockage, a deep heart opening must
occur. The heart center must be strong and flexible, open to
receive as well as able to give. Rudra granthi sits at the center
for spiritual energy in between the eyebrows. Its removal is
associated with the release of psychic energy and requires a
total merging with divinity, supralogical realization, and the
surrender of all egoic control. In Yoga Mala, Jois states that all
the granthis reside in the sacrum, and while this does appear
to be a bit of an anomaly in terms of yoga philosophy, it is
useful to mention as textual evidence for the granthis.
Working with Ashtanga Yoga to release the granthis also
requires the grace of the teacher. Thinking of your
accumulated patterns of negative behaviors and memories can
be overwhelming. If you try to get rid of them by performing
unsupervised, arcane rituals in the privacy of your own home,
it will be a fruitless task. Your journey will be easier with the
guidance of qualified teachers who have walked the path along
the inner body themselves. Being in the presence of someone
who has conquered even one of the granthis makes progress
along the inner route easier.
 Removing the negative karmas that have taken root as latent
or active samskaras in the granthis requires effort, patience,
and determination. When students confront one of these
granthis, the emotional, physical, and spiritual pain can be
intense. Without the guidance of a teacher, they run the risk of
wavering from the path and quitting when difficulties arise. A
teacher can help recast each difficulty into the perspective that
all experiences contain the seeds of realization. When the
spiritual energy is blocked by one of the granthis, there is often
chronic injury that does not respond to traditional treatment,
emotional distress that exceeds the real-life circumstance, and
a feeling of urgency and breaking. On the other side of this
healing crisis is the peaceful resplendence of the free flow of
spiritual energy. Without a firm anchor in tradition and the
careful guidance of a teacher, students will often lose their way
in the dark night of the storm that arises when the granthi
knots begin to unravel. Only by exposing the granthis to the
powerful light of spiritual awareness, known in the Yoga Sutras
as jnana diptir, can they be burned away and cleansed.
According to Yoga Sutra 2.28, jnana diptir is acquired through
practice of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. Patanjali’s main
means of restricting and ultimately removing samskaras is
through dedicated practice. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika equates
the citta with prana and the vasanas with respiration.
Therefore, by restricting either the vasanas or the breath
(according to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika) or thought waves
(vrttis, according to Patanjali), the light of being is revealed. It
takes years and perhaps lifetimes of dedicated practice to stay
the course and achieve the final result.
Yoga is a timeless tradition whose depth far exceeds the
limits of the logical mind. The very practice is based on core
concepts that challenge the notions of rational truth. Working
with granthis requires a truly transcendental view of life that is
attained through self-discipline, practice, and the cultivation of
tapas, leading to the dawning of the inner light. Without this,
the knots will remain in place, and you will not be open to the
true gift of their removal—the peaceful, love-filled state on the
other side of each blockage. A free flow of spiritual energy
gives the long-term yoga practitioner a luminous body, a clear
mind, and an open heart.

THE RITUAL OF VINYASA

The origins of the vinyasa system can be traced all the way
back to ancient Vedic rituals that used choreographed
movements to consecrate sacred space. By designating the
appropriate breaths, movement, and gazing point for each
pose, Ashtanga Yoga practice sanctifies the body for the direct
experience of divinity. It is not enough to do the poses; the way
you enter and exit each pose determines the deeper intention
of your personal practice. The practice of Ashtanga Yoga is a
ritual designed to erect a temple within the inner space of your
body, and on this holy site you experience the magic of
personal transformation.
Rather than washing away the sins of the past, the oblation of
the asanas is meant to burn away the negative samskaras that
are so powerful they wrap their tentacles around you like ropes
that tighten when you try to break free. The more passionate
you are, the tighter the ropes become, and you feel yourself
suffocating under their immense strength. Like boa
constrictors, the samskaras go in for the kill when you fight
them, gripping your future in death and darkness. The more
you struggle, the harder it becomes to get out. Fear, anxiety,
and anger only make it worse. In fact, your personal
psychological narrative will almost always feed the negative
samskaras. They seem to surface when you are least expecting
them and usually repeat their destructive pattern just when
you think you have moved past them. Herein lies the magic of
the vinyasa method: through these techniques, you learn how
to surrender, let go, look away, and find a source of light and
wisdom to be your guide.
The benefit of spiritual teaching is not always evident in the
moment. Sometimes you learn things that seem completely
illogical or appear more whimsical than real. Until the moment
you find yourself tied in the karmic knots of the past, some
spiritual teachings make no sense at all. But when you apply
the lessons learned in your personal practice, a simple teaching
can feel like a magic spell that sets you free from the bonds of
negative samskaras. Instead of fighting the ropes of the past,
you just burn through them with the clear light of your own
consciousness. This is the blessing of finding the true light of
an authentic spiritual lineage. Knowledge and wisdom are so
powerful that they can free you from lifetimes of suffering like
pure magic. Just as the brightness of the sun is augmented by a
mirror, the spiritual teaching is magnified by the power and
precision of your presence in daily practice.
The vinyasa method seeks to ritualize your behavior and
thereby give you a better chance of recalling spiritual
teachings in moments of great turmoil. When you look into the
light and ask for guidance in the spiritual path, the answer will
certainly come. Your work in that moment is to wait until the
answer arrives, even if it takes years or lifetimes. One day it
will come, and when it does, it will feel like grace, magic, and
freedom. Take time to study and learn the method correctly,
because you never know when a certain teaching will present
itself as appropriate to a difficult situation. You need to
remember everything possible and store it all on the hard drive
of your mind, consciousness, and heart. Let the teaching be
etched so deeply into your being that it erases some old files
completely.
Inside the sacred space of Ashtanga Yoga, you build an altar
that worships the highest authority there is—divine, eternal
consciousness. Just as the ancient rituals of monks and priests
are set by timeless tradition, the movements of this practice
are established by its historical roots. Without following the
carefully constructed entry into and exit from each pose, you
cannot find the temple within. Breath, movement, and gaze are
the building blocks of the holy site within the body. Once you
arrive at your personal altar, it is time to lay down your arms,
surrender your defenses, and open your heart to the power of
grace. We all need a resting place from the weapons of
destruction we have used on ourselves and others. We need a
place to ask for forgiveness not just from others but from the
harshest judge we will ever face—ourselves. It is on the inner
altar that true salvation lies.
When you look into the light of spiritual awareness, your
vision changes, your life paradigm shifts, and your path forever
skews in a more peaceful direction. When you gaze back at the
net of samskaras that has ensnared you, the power of your
vision is like a laser beam that cuts through the ropes of pain
and suffering. You win your own freedom with the light of
wisdom as it burns away the bondage of suffering and releases
you.
3
The Ashtanga Yoga Diet

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PHYSICAL PRACTICE AND spiritual

transformation is one of the most mystical experiences of yoga.
It is hard to define exactly how the body, mind, and soul unite
in each breath to produce momentous life change, yet
practitioners around the world experience it. The high level of
difficulty in Ashtanga Yoga, combined with the fast-paced order
of the poses, often quiets the mind dramatically. The silent
space left in the heart can open the door to major life changes
after years of practice. Jois rarely told us outright to change
certain things about our lives. Instead, he let the yoga work
itself individually for each student and waited for the student to
ask him questions. Rather than forcing a rigid or dogmatic
approach to the shifts that inevitably come from a yoga-
centered lifestyle, Jois allowed students to move at their own
pace to total transformation.
Throughout my numerous trips to India, one of the most
common questions students had was about was their diet.
During the question-and-answer sessions that we called
“conference,” new students who were feeling the first
cleansing effects of yoga practice would ask Jois what they
should eat. His answer was always the same: he recommended
a simple vegetarian diet. In India, where around 80 percent of
the population is vegetarian, yoga students often made the
switch easily. Part of the transformative effect of the journey to
Mysore for many students comes from the radical shift away
from the average American diet to one based almost solely on
plant-derived sources.
When I first started practicing Ashtanga Yoga regularly, I too
questioned my food intake. The teacher I was studying with at
the time never mentioned anything about this. One day, after I
had been practicing yoga for about five months, I experienced
a particularly healing practice session, and suddenly the foods
that I normally liked seemed artificial, unnatural, and
unhealthy. I began to question the foundations of my
relationship with food. Yoga helped me feel the inner workings
of my body, and it became obvious to me that some foods make
my body more naturally flexible, open, and calm. My food
choices naturally shifted toward these healthier, more balanced
options.
Yoga is not just an exercise that demands the right amount of
calories; it is a body awareness technique that asks you to feel
your body on every possible level. It is the experience of deep
communion with the more subtle flow of energy through the
body that creates a genuine urge to eat foods that nourish the
soul rather than those that harm the body over time. When
your daily yoga practice helps you feel the deleterious effects
of harmful or unhealthy foods in your own body, you will be
motivated to change.

THE HIDDEN POWER OF FOOD

Ashtanga Yoga asks practitioners to go deep within and identify

with their eternal, divine nature. Food choices have the power
to either assist or hinder this process of self-discovery. Nothing
you eat will ever harm the divinity within you, but it may end
up limiting your experience of that divinity by blocking energy
passages in your physical body. So although food is not who
you are at your deepest level, it defines how you approach the
world at the physical level. Your food choices are one way that
you communicate with the world. Yoga practice encourages a
heightened level of consciousness of all the components that go
into creating food. Yoga practitioners may come to think of
eating as a sacred act of intimacy with the external world and
thereby change their entire dietary paradigm.
The balance and joy we find in food are a celebration of
existence. There is hidden power in our relationship to food, a
latent sociopolitical statement in each tasty morsel that passes
your lips. The choices you make about food on any given day
are a snapshot into your worldview. Each time you eat, you say
yes to a whole way of being, eating, living, and feeling. You also
say no to an even wider experience of the world. Eating is an
activity that, when properly honored, evolves into a celebration
of your highest potential for health and well-being.
The teaching of Ashtanga Yoga is clear about the path to a
lasting state of peace being a long, heroic journey that spans
the course of many lifetimes. Nothing you can eat will get you
there in a flash, but certain food choices can ease the journey.
Of course, just because one person prefers to eat apples and
another likes steak does not automatically make one or the
other a better yogi. Ashtanga Yoga teaches that we are all part
of the same world, made of the same inner divine substance,
and we all share the same human-angelic heart. Your diet and
overall state of health play a crucial part in your choice to live a
spiritual life. However, the single most important factor in
determining your relationship with the divine is your choice to
respect yourself, respect the natural world, and stay in
constant contact with the ineffable force that unites all of
creation. Whether you eat an apple or a steak is not the bottom
line. If you are a mean person who eats a vegetarian diet,
practices asana, and lives a life with no regard for the divine,
you are not really a yogi in the Ashtanga Yoga tradition. On the
other hand, if you are a gentle, forgiving person who practices
the full lifelong spiritual path while occasionally eating a steak,
you are closer to the heart of the tradition.
Yoga is about developing discriminating wisdom to see reality
clearly, so a yoga practitioner must know what food really
means in our postmodern, twenty-first-century world. If you
practice yoga, you cannot simply turn a blissfully ignorant eye
to the farming practices that produce the food you eat. Yoga
practitioners are carving out a new niche market of conscious
consumerism that affects the world’s food production. It is too
easy and reductionist to say that because we shop at the
organic grocery store and eat at the organic restaurant, we are
doing something good for the world. Food choices are also
extensions of choices about values, principles, and wisdom.
The bottom line is that, as a yoga practitioner, you are
responsible for everything you eat, both on a personal level for
what it does to your body and on a local, national, and global
level for what it does to society, nature, and culture. Yoga asks
you to be really honest about what types of systems you
support and to take a conscious stand for what you believe in.
As you begin to feel more empathy for the world around you,
you have a necessary evolution of consciousness that connects
you with all sentient beings. Diet itself becomes part of a
peaceful relationship with the world.

AHIMSA: THE YOGIC DIET OF NONVIOLENCE

As mentioned in Chapter 2, one of the most important concepts

in the Yoga Sutras is the notion of ahimsa. Literally translated
as “nonviolence,” this concept forms the first limb of Ashtanga
Yoga’s eight-limbed path. Within these eight limbs, ahimsa is
also the first of the yamas, or social guidelines, for the yoga
practitioner’s ideal interaction with the world. In Sanskrit,
when the letter a is placed in front of a word, it radically alters
the meaning to the original’s exact opposite. Himsa means
violence or harm, and ahimsa means not only nonviolence but
also the radical and spontaneously occurring opposite of
violence. According to the traditional philosophy, yoga
practitioners must uphold the principle of ahimsa every day of
their lives. The philosophy also assumes that all sentient beings
have a soul and harming another being for any purpose is
considered a harmful and violent act. When you apply the
concept of ahimsa to the production of food, the choice to be a
vegetarian on ethical grounds is easy.
The crucial thing to understand is that the choice to follow a
yogic diet is a moral one. This understanding stems from the
Yoga Sutras and is embodied in the principle of ahimsa. Far
more than merely not harming, ahimsa can be expanded to
mean that yoga practitioners must be an active force of healing
in the world. Ahimsa is what Patanjali calls a mahavrtam, or
“great vow,” from which no one is excluded, regardless of
class, gender, time, or space. This noble proclamation
encourages yoga practitioners to take the concept of
nonviolence to another level and actually leave the world a
better place.

“Behind the strength of the body is an energy that is spiritual and keeps us alive. To achieve
access to the spirituality, you must first understand the physical. This body is our temple and in
this temple is Atman—God.”
—Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

The ethical choice to eat a vegetarian diet is meant to be a

reflection of a heart-centered way of living that each yoga
practitioner ultimately finds. Ahimsa is only valid as a
comprehensive method of interacting with the world around
you. It has no effect if you are a violent vegetarian who does
harm in the world. Similarly, if you force yourself to eat a strict
vegetarian diet, you may be committing a subtle act of violence
against yourself. It is not useful to force yourself to be a
vegetarian or anything else. Instead, the path of yoga patiently
waits for the day when you feel the desire to change your
lifestyle into a more peaceful relationship with yourself and
your planet. When treating animals as products who are born
only to breed and die breaks your heart, then the ethical choice
to eat a vegetarian diet is right for you. If you never have that
feeling, then yoga still accepts you and gives you space to be
who you are.
A heartfelt commitment to refrain from harming others does
not mean that we will never have another negative thought.
Nor does it truthfully mean that we will never perpetrate
another violent act. The timeless vow of ahimsa stems from a
basic recognition that we have a choice about how we live our
lives. This is the advice Jois consistently gave his students, that
is, to eat a simple vegetarian diet and not to harm other beings.
Yoga practitioners are advised to have full awareness of the
karmic results of each action. When animals are killed for
consumption, the consumer bears the negative karma
associated with its death. When you eat an animal, you
basically share in the responsibility for its killing. If you love
animals, it is only possible to condone heartlessly turning them
into food products when you do not view them as sentient
beings. Ashtanga Yoga demands that students both
intellectualize their connectivity to all life-forms and actually
feel it from within. After such a powerful realization, the
illusion that animals are not sentient falls away, and the
decision to follow ahimsa to its natural conclusion of a
vegetarian diet is evident.

Paying Attention to Organic and Local Matters

As is clearly evident by now, the entire process of yoga is about

cultivating your own inner awareness, so you need to be
conscious of your lifestyle and its impact on the world around
you. As a consumer, you choose what you want to support and
be a part of by your purchases. Whatever you eat has passed
through multiple human hands, sometimes whole countries and
socioeconomic systems. If you eat an apple, someone has either
picked it or worked a machine that has picked it. If you eat
meat, someone has killed or worked a machine that has killed
the animal. If you eat butter, a cow has given milk and a person
or machine has made the butter. Additionally, there is an entire
delivery system that brings the food to stores where you buy it.
Every bit of energy and time it takes to produce the food you
consume makes a mark on the earth. Each product you buy is a
statement about what is valuable to you.
The yoga practice should make your judgment clear so that
you can see the path most aligned with ahimsa.

AYURVEDIC GUIDELINES

Jois always taught that yoga leads to self-knowledge, and when

students were ready, he recommended that they study
Ayurveda, an Indian system of health and healing that shares
much with Ashtanga Yoga’s philosophy. He also said that
Ashtanga Yoga and Ayurveda were “friends.” They both date
back more than five thousand years. While a full exploration of
Ayurveda exceeds the scope and intention of this book, I will
share with you a few key points from this system that inform
the dietary guidelines of traditional yoga practice.
Ayurveda states that all human beings exist between two
powerful forces: the earth below and the cosmic or solar above.
Food is a manifestation of the union of these two energies.
Foods range on two spectrums: they may be closer to the earth
or closer to the sun; and they may be closer to the source or
farther away from the source. For example, heavier foods are
earthy and include animal products, such as meat and dairy,
and root vegetables that grow beneath the earth’s surface.
Lighter foods like salad greens and vegetables that grow
aboveground, fruits, and the juices of these plants are closer to
the sun. Such foods reach you mostly unprocessed and retain
their solar energy. Similarly, heavily processed products such
as canned and frozen foods are far removed from their original
source in nature. In the Ayurvedic tradition, foods that have
been stored for a long time are considered a source of
imbalance due to the length of time since they were removed
from their original source.
Some foods establish balance in the body, whereas others
instill imbalance. For example, coffee speeds up the brain and
often instills imbalance. Similarly, onions and garlic, though
they are earthy foods, can sometimes heighten the mind’s
experience of desire and lust.
The best diet for yoga practitioners is one aimed at spiritual
realization; in the Ayurvedic tradition, this is called the sattvic
diet. Ayurveda states that the material universe has three
qualities called gunas. They are known as sattva (purity), rajas
(passion or change), and tamas (darkness or inertia).
Sattvic food is considered the purest and the most suitable
one for any serious student of yoga, because it nourishes the
body and calms the mind. Such foods are primarily bland,
vegetarian products such as grains, fresh fruit and vegetables,
organic dairy products, legumes, nuts, seeds, honey, and
herbal teas. Rather than being merely vegetarian, truly sattvic
food is fresh, organic, or whole. Most important, it is cooked or
prepared with love.
The second category, rajas, contains foods that stimulate the
body and mind for warfare and desire. These foods were
associated with the warrior, ruling, and merchant classes in
historic Indian culture. They include hot, bitter, sour, dry, salty,
and spicy fare, including caffeine, fish, eggs, salt, and
chocolate. Eating quickly is also considered rajastic.
The third category, tamas, includes red meat, poultry, and
pork; alcohol; onions and garlic; foods that are fermented,
overprocessed, canned, stale, and deep-fried; and rancid oils.
Tamasic foods are believed to decrease physical strength,
mental awareness, and spiritual focus. Overeating and other
eating disorders are considered tamasic behaviors.

The Three Gunas

• Sattva (purity)
• Rajas (passion)
• Tamas (inertia)

It is important to view this dietary philosophy in the context

of Indian culture and history. Just as with any new information,
you must use your own common sense to see how much of the
yogic diet is appropriate for you.
In addition to foods, certain activities and actions trigger the
gunas as well. These three manifestations of physical form are
constantly fluctuating, and our actions, thoughts, emotions,
dietary habits, and consciousness affect the way our bodies
feel. Rushing through the day stimulates rajas, procrastination
is an effect of tamas, and perfect balance is an expression of
sattva.
Yoga practitioners seek to master the inevitable flux of the
three gunas, and altering the diet is one of the easiest ways to
influence them directly. The Ashtanga Yoga method starts by
asking you to begin the process of self-discovery with a careful
attention to inner awareness. It is not possible to adopt dietary
guidelines from the outside without understanding who you
really are inside. Once your self-knowledge is solid, then you
can begin to integrate the Ayurvedic diet effectively into your
lifestyle. The ability to control your dietary choices and food
intake is also mentioned repeatedly in classical Hatha Yoga
texts as a key component of the power of a trained yogi’s mind.

CLEANSING AND PURIFICATION

When the body is out of balance for a long time, toxins and
undigested material accumulate and clog the system. This
often manifests first as sluggish digestion and tightness,
stiffness, or weakness in the muscles. After years of consuming
unhealthy, unbalanced foods, the body may become ill, and the
mind dull and imprecise. Ashtanga Yoga brings the body to a
basic level of strength, flexibility, and balance by carefully
cleansing all the different systems within the body. However, in
some rare instances, additional detoxification may be needed.
Fasting is one of the easiest ways to assist the body’s natural
purification process. There are many different types of fasts
that can help clean different energetic and organ systems.
People ideally choose the level of fasting that is most suited to
their dietary choices. For example, if you eat a meat-based diet,
you should not go totally without food, as that would be an
intense shock to your system. Instead, you might try simply
abstaining from meat or dairy for one day a week. This day of
fasting from one item gives you a new starting point from
which to feel your body and may inspire a more permanent
shift in your overall diet. After you have attempted a few item-
specific fasts and shifted to a mostly plant-based diet, you may
be ready to experience a complete cleansing of the digestive
system with a full fast. This will help your body clean out long-
stored toxins. While there are many beneficial fasts of this type,
they are best done under the supervision of a qualified
nutritionist. I will share one with you here that is easy to
follow.
 This plan is for an eight-day cleanse that includes two full
days of fasting. Drink as much water and fresh juice as you
want throughout the eight days. Abstain from beverages that
contain refined sugar, caffeine, and chocolate. On day one,
abstain from dairy and any animal-based products. On day two,
abstain from grains and eat only vegetables and fruit. On day
three, eat only fruit. On days four and five, drink only water,
fresh juice, and herbal tea. On day six, eat only fruit; and on
day seven, eat only fruit and vegetables. On day eight, you may
again eat grains.
When you have completed this cleanse, ask yourself if you
want to add dairy and meat-based products back into your diet.
If so, proceed with caution and awareness. If you choose to
reintroduce these foods, start off with very small amounts and
write down their effect on your body. For example, you could
note your emotional state, energy level, and overall physical
feeling before and after consuming dairy or other animal-based
products. Keep a journal both during and after the cleanse and
write down the impact that the different foods have on your
mind and body. Also take note of how the foods were grown
and processed and whether they were created in a peaceful,
nonviolent manner.
Yoga practice has many other cleansing techniques, called
kriyas, which rid the body of accumulated junk and debris.
Some highly processed, chemical-laden foods fail to digest
properly and can create an immobile sludge that builds up in
the intestinal track, decreasing the absorption of beneficial
nutrients and slowing the rate of digestion. One kriya (nauli
kriya) involves isolating and rolling the abdominal muscles in a
way that massages the internal organs and intestines; when the
intestines are massaged, they become more flexible and are
encouraged to release any sedentary matter that has built up.
Another technique (neti kriya) involves irrigating the nasal
passages to flush out mucus and other debris from the sinus
cavity. It is helpful for people with chronic mucus-related
conditions such as sinusitis, headaches, coughing, congestion,
and asthma. Kriya practice is also advisable if you suffer from
nasal congestion and consume large amounts of foods that are
known to create mucus in the body, such as cold dairy
products. Jois only recommended the kriyas to people who
were actually sick and suffering from disease, not to those who
were merely curious to try them out.
The more closely your dietary choices are aligned with sattvic
principles, the less cleansing you will need to do. Almost
everyone can benefit from a period of cleansing and fasting.
The heightened sensitivity to the inner process of digestion and
assimilation aids the development of consciousness that is key
to the yoga path.

PRACTICE YOGA, HEAL THE PLANET

While what you put into your body is not all that you are, just
as your clothes and your job are not the essential nature of
your being, the food you eat is a kind of extension of your being
in the world. Food choices reflect the sociopolitical structures
you support with your grocery money and create the building
blocks of your physical body. When food passes through the
permeable membrane of your intestines, your mouth, or your
stomach, you become what you eat in a purely physical sense.
Although your spirit and being are not composed of this hard,
dense physical matter, your body is earthy in origin and heavily
influenced by the products you consume. Your spirit is thus
manifest in your body and its expression influenced by your
food choices via your body.
Although it may not always seem like it, what you say yes to
is entirely up to you. You are responsible for all your choices in
life, especially your food choices. Only you have the power,
moment to moment, to make a balanced lifestyle your highest
priority. No habit—food related or otherwise—is more powerful
than you are. Food is much more than calories, fats, and
proteins. Health is much more than exercise. Happiness is the
ever-elusive elixir of life that you have always been chasing,
and yoga is the true path toward it. Through your food choices,
you can discover exactly how much you value your existence.
You will see clearly exactly how much you are willing to allow
nourishment, rejuvenation, and celebration into your deepest
sense of self. You are a powerful being and a conscious creator
in your life. By taking responsibility for your relationship with
food, you reclaim a direct experience of your personal power in
the present moment.
Do not lose sight of the larger perspective of the yoga
lifestyle as you grow more conscious about food. The idea is to
live a happier, healthier life and be a better person. The choice
to be vegetarian (or not) must fit into a larger understanding of
the kind of person you want to be every day of your life. The
power of your choice is not about the food. It is about your
state of mind and the balance or imbalance of your perspective
and approach to life. Your food choices should never leave you
feeling alone in the world. There is a way to maintain both your
choice to live a spiritual life and yet go home to enjoy holiday
dinners at Mom’s house—with or without the meat. Living in
accordance with ahimsa means you also remove the sense of
righteous proclamation from your epicurean dialogue.
Ashtanga Yoga aims to teach balance, not division. If there is a
voice in your head that separates the world into good and bad
based on dietary choices, then the whole healing path of yoga
has backfired. If the aim of yoga is to live a balanced, peaceful
life, we all need to get over any harsh division we may be
creating within ourselves and our lives and learn to get along
with everyone around us. Being at the heart of the spiritual
world does not mean sitting on your high horse and
pontificating to others about what they should or should not be
doing. You lose your relationship to others when you judge
them for their choices as being different from and less than
yours. When you separate your life from theirs, saying that
what you do is right and what they do is wrong, you draw harsh
lines that are no different from a personal war. Antagonism
toward others is not part of living a spiritual life.
Jois’s best teaching is the example he lived every moment of
his life. The feeling of peace around him was like an aura of
kindness and gratitude. It was not food that gave him this aura,
though he ate and recommended the vegetarian diet that is
almost standard in Indian spiritual families. It was something
else that carried through; the food was merely an expression
and extension of his peaceful inner world.
In one sense, food can really only nourish you to the extent
that you are open to being nourished by it. Health is balance,
and yoga teaches the body and mind to regain their natural
state of balance. Health is a dynamic equilibrium that holds
food, bodily functions, emotions, thoughts, physicality, work,
love, relationships, and fun in a teetering sphere. By learning
how to keep your mind and body unified in challenging yoga
poses, the underlying notion of balance takes root. As you learn
to stabilize your poses, you have to learn to approach your
body in a new, more balanced way. It is through this new way
of moving that life changes begin to happen. When you learn to
treat your body differently in yoga, you also hopefully learn to
treat it differently outside the yoga room as well. Ashtanga
Yoga inspires its practitioners to move out of an unthinking
view of food into an enlightened way of eating. But yoga itself
is no magic solution. It makes life transformation possible if
you are willing to apply the lessons you learn on the mat to
every experience throughout the day. Ashtanga Yoga teaches
students to understand food from the perspective of creating a
yogic lifestyle. If you feel happier eating organic, vegetarian
foods as part of your total balanced lifestyle, then the yoga is
already working.
4
The Spiritual Journey of Asana: Yoga beyond Bending

AT FIRST GLANCE, YOGA MAY JUST SEEM LIKE A COOL WAY to bend and
twist your body for greater flexibility and fitness. Seeing yoga
teachers and long-term students entices many people to
practice in hopes of attaining the same sort of toned, slim body.
Yet even though some students find their way to yoga because
of a focus on the external, the heart of yoga is a sincere
spiritual investigation of the inner self. Its highest potential is a
constant connection with the highest source of divinity we can
know and experience. If practiced with diligence over many
years, yoga connects us with an imperturbable, eternally calm
place within. But yoga done without the intention of true inner
peace uses the body’s outward appearance as a goal in itself
and has more in common with sports and fitness than with
traditional yoga.
While I love sports and fitness and feel that most highly
accomplished athletes are deeply spiritual and connected
people, I am careful to distinguish yoga from athletics, even
though it may ask the body to perform athletic feats. It is
tempting to create an exercise routine based on yoga
techniques to stretch and strengthen the body. But the deeper
benefits of yoga cannot be distilled and separated from the true
intention behind it—the goal of inner peace. Toning the body or
perfecting a high level of physical performance is never an end
in itself. In fact, yoga actually teaches you how to release
attachment and identification with your body, as well as with
your mind and emotions. It helps you learn how to identify with
the seat of the soul within yourself. By challenging and moving
past the known limits of the body, you ultimately learn that you
are not bound by your physical form. By facing and
transcending mental and emotional boundaries—“I can’t do
this” or “This pose is too difficult”—you get firsthand
experience of your limitless potential for greatness. Yoga is a
path of liberation from the attachment to both mind and
matter. It is a door to the inner world and a life devoted to
inner peace.
Physical form and poses, although useful along the way, are
not the end goal. It simply does not matter whether your
hamstrings are long or your body is toned if you are not a nice
person. Alternatively, a person practicing the most basic level
of yoga while maintaining a heartfelt devotion to living a more
compassionate and peaceful life is perhaps a very
accomplished yogi. Whenever excited students would bring in
photos of contortionists and other extremely bendy people to
show Jois and his grandson, Sharath, Jois would always take
time to look deeply at the image. Then his furrowed brow
would clear and he would say, “That not yoga. That only
bending. Yoga means self-knowledge.”

STRETCHING YOUR MIND

Even when students seem to be enamored only with the

appearance of a pose, they are often silently expressing a
deeper inner longing. Whereas certain cultural systems deem it
unacceptable to pursue spiritual studies under an “alternative”
religious system, they may permit or even encourage their
followers to exercise and to work on getting healthy and feeling
better. Thus, yoga is okay because it is a nondenominational,
nonreligious system that does promote better health for the
body, peace for the mind, and equanimity for the emotions. But
beyond this, yoga provides an invaluable tool to help adherents
of any and all religions achieve the one lofty aim they have in
common: to live life in the light of God, or to know the divinity
within on a daily basis. This is the stated goal for all dedicated
yoga practitioners, and it is achieved by the scientific, repeated
study of the inner self through direct daily experience.

Yoga without a foundation in the philosophy of liberation is just stretching.

Yoga without a foundation in the philosophy of liberation is just stretching.

Body and mind are two sides of each human spirit. Yoga
practitioners maintain a healthy body in the same way that
monks sweep the temple grounds—to provide a clean, clear
space for the spirit to live. It is a mistake to think that the goal
of yoga asana is only to become strong and flexible. Of course,
you will get a strong, flexible body if you practice yoga. But if
you focus exclusively on the lithe form you want, you will miss
the real gift of yoga: inner peace grounded in perpetual
awareness of your true identity as a spiritual being. The
physical transformation you attain through yoga is not the
result of targeted toning techniques; instead, it occurs when
you dissolve and surpass deeply entrenched psychological and
emotional patterns; your body changes as your mind evolves.
Naturally, the relationship is reciprocal. Rigidly held
dictatorial attitudes, entire belief systems that allow no doubt
or modification, prejudices and preconceived notions,
resentments, unforgiven injuries and insults, and emotional
buttons that lead to explosions when pushed are often
associated with tension, rigidity, and inflexibility in the body.
Liberation from these patterns and stresses can be precipitated
in several ways: emotional release, acts of forgiveness,
intellectual understanding, the deep and restful silence of
meditation, or the path of yoga. All of these methods have one
requirement in common: courage—because when long-held
beliefs start to crack and deep-rooted stresses begin to release,
the images and emotions that emerge are often not pretty. R.
Sharath Jois said, “A brave person is a yogi who will withdraw
all the senses inwardly and try to realize the inner purity. By
watching others, we have lost ourselves and lost our inner
purity. With yoga practice, you slowly get detached from
everything and look inside and try to realize the purest form
within.”
Yoga asks your mind to be strong, steady, and single-pointed.
The intensity of focus demanded by challenging yoga poses
tests and trains your mind and your spiritual will. When your
mind is strong and clear, you can accomplish any task you set
for yourself; whereas if your mind is weak, it will falter and
retreat at the first hint of adversity. To walk the complete road
to spiritual realization, you need more than just a strong mind.
To withstand the test and trials of the soul, you also need a
courageous heart.
Often, spiritual practitioners first feel a heart connection with
their teacher, someone whose very presence makes them
better people. It is said that to be in the presence of a true
teacher inspires students to greatness beyond the boundaries
of anything they know to be true. When I met Jois, my heart
opened, drawing me deeper into the path of yoga and steadying
my course in moments of doubt. It is this devotional faith
flowing from the heart center that allows you to believe in the
practice when things get challenging. The heart steadies the
mind and gives meaning to the necessity to remain single-
pointed.
Yoga is a path of self-realization that can only be achieved by
a unification of body, mind, and soul. The mind lights the path,
the body walks each step, and the courageous heart opens all
the doors needed to attain the long-lasting result of inner
peace. It is the heart that tempers strength with compassion,
wisdom with nurturance, and flexibility with balance. Without a
strong connection to the heart, the spiritual path remains
empty. Our ability to empathize with others, to care for them in
times of need, and to be close to our fellow sentient beings
exemplifies the best in human nature. The path of yoga is
meant to bring us deeper into this tender space within.

WALKING THE SPIRITUAL PATH

A life devoted to spiritual self-inquiry can appear antithetical to

everything most of us are taught while growing up. Making the
changes that lead to a more balanced lifestyle carries the real
risk of alienating those you leave behind. But the path asks you
not to make harsh lines of division or pass judgment on others
whose path is not yours. Yoga asks you to have the courage to
feel your way through to your own dreams while giving others
space so that they may find their own dreams.
When you choose for you, you do just that—choose for you.
But when you try to choose for others, making them walk your
path and tow your line, then a small part of you makes them
wrong for their difference. Acceptance of all that is means
holding everything in a field of love and understanding. Yoga
demands that the most dedicated practitioners must eventually
have the biggest hearts.
Real yogis love life and are a force of positive change in the
world. Leading with their own inspired lives of integrity and
intention, true yogis never demand that others follow their path
but instead celebrate the wondrous diversity of life. In some
sense, all practice is a grand preparation for the moment when
you can love every single bit of yourself—faults, insecurities,
and all. Yoga works when your heart is strong enough to see
the beauty of every crack in the veneer of happiness, to love
every imperfection in humanity, and quite literally to hold the
whole world’s aching sadness in the center of yourself.
Somewhere out on the horizon of a life dedicated to yoga
practice is a moment of absolute freedom when you see that
everything really is okay, no matter how bad it seems, an
instant when you unify with the pulse of love as the eternal
heartbeat of the universe and an infinity of bliss where you
dissolve into presence and peace. Everything up until and
maybe even after that moment is, well, just practice.

LIFE LESSONS ON THE YOGA SUPERHIGHWAY

The iconography of the yoga world transports would-be

practitioners into an idyllic scene of blooming lotus flowers and
gently flowing estuaries. The promise of sincere yoga practice
is that this paradisiacal realm of inner peace will one day be
attainable for everyone who commits themselves fully. Yet the
“real” yoga often feels more like a brutally honest mirror of our
life experience than a blissful walk in the park. There is a time
when all yoga practitioners confront the injuries, obstacles, and
pains that prevent them from experiencing the grace and ease
of life on the other side of the looking glass of life. The search
for the inner sanctuary is a winding road that passes directly
through all the chaos, ungroundedness, past hurt, and trauma
that we thought we were putting behind us as we turned
toward the serene world of spirituality. But there is no running
away. We cannot look for the seemingly impenetrable
infinitude outside ourselves; instead, we must look directly
within. The only truly lasting flash of effervescence is the
landscape of our own soul discovered and experienced
firsthand through daily diligence and sincere spiritual practice.
The bridge to this highly elusive yet heartbreakingly ordinary
world of lasting peace can only be crossed by the most worthy
of seekers.
Whereas in “real” life we have work, family, and general
activity to distract us from our sleeping demons, in the silence
of yoga, we have only ourselves, our breath, and our body to
lead us directly into the heart of our own darkness. In the midst
of the greatest trials in yoga, we are directed to maintain
compassionate disregard of the outcome, observe without
judgment the passion play of our lives, and walk the middle
way between attachment and aversion. Yoga teaches the life
skills needed to attain mastery over the mind, so when you
stand at the foot of any seemingly impossible mountain, you
will be strong enough to believe you will find the way to reach
the summit.
Life is a kind of university where we are each enrolled in
various areas of specialization based on our interests and
learning needs. Yoga can be understood as the gifted program,
because it asks us to go deeper into the core issues at hand. On
the yoga mat, lessons are magnified until we find the
courageous heart that is able to face them. Yoga is an
accelerated vehicle for life learning. When we feel a certain
emotion in a challenging pose, it is often a trigger for a
repetitive emotional state in our lives. Being on the yoga mat is
an emotional isolation that encourages us to take responsibility
for our feelings as our own. When there is no one else to blame
and the painful emotional cycles of the past reappear with
poignancy, the only place left to point the finger is directly at
ourselves. It is sometimes easier to befriend the traumas that
seem larger than life when they appear in the microcosm of the
asana. Instead of reenacting the deeply entrenched behavior
cycle of a lifetime, we have a chance at freedom from the past.
By focusing on the breath, the pose, and the point of attention
within, we are able to stay in the present moment, cultivate a
balanced mind, and break away from damaging behaviors.
In the process of accomplishing an “impossible” physical
pose, we tap into a part of ourselves that is truly beyond the
physical. After we touch that eternal place within, we are more
likely to believe in ourselves when we face other seemingly
impossible situations. Small moments of personal
accomplishment give us empirical proof that we are larger and
more powerful than we ever imagined. Yoga gives us the
chance to believe in ourselves completely by providing us with
a series of difficult movements that we can eventually
accomplish with grace and ease.
No matter how advanced you become, there will always be
poses and movements that challenge you. When I was learning
the Fourth Series in Mysore, I never thought a movement
called Parivrttasana A and B (Twisting Round and Round Pose)
would be possible for me. This circus-like movement involves a
series of headstands, handstands, backbends, twists, and spinal
flexes right in a row, and when I tried it on my own, I always
got stuck and could not flow through the series. I remember
Sharath telling me to keep walking, keep moving, and before I
knew what was going on, my body responded to his teaching
and guidance. Even though there were moments when I was
not sure which way was up or down, right or left, forward or
backward, I kept going, and the pose started happening as
though something was being done through me. This impossible
movement became possible one day because of the faith I had
in my teacher and the Ashtanga Yoga method.

Through yoga, we learn how to live more conscious, enlightened lives by practicing first on the
testing ground of our own bodies.
 Along the road to realizing impossible poses, yoga teaches us
that the real impossibility we strive toward is no mere physical
form but a state of inner peace that is completely
imperturbable. The consciousness of eternal peace is the
classically paradoxical comprehension that the real goal is
inherent in the journey itself. To “get” anywhere along the
lifelong spiritual path of yoga, we must learn one of the most
basic lessons, which is that there is really nowhere to go. This
begins the release of attachment and desire that leads to a
truly peaceful state of mind.

REVEAL YOUR TRUE SELF

Yoga shows you the way and the spiritual community of friends
and teachers illuminate the path, but you must take every step
of the journey yourself. Each footstep comes from your own
inner fortitude. Each challenging pose that tests your limits is
an opportunity to flex your spiritual muscle and develop the
gumption to imagine a life beyond what you have known.
All progress along the path comes when you pay the tolls and
cross the roads through the ravine of the human soul. You pay
with the currency of your body and breath and gain access to
boundless energy, true power, and compassionate wisdom.
Your story transforms from a tragedy into a hero’s journey.
Yoga practice has the magic to recast your life in the new light
of total presence and thereby set you free from past suffering.
In the clear light of self-awareness, you begin to see yourself as
the free, happy, and peaceful being you are.
Because you alone do the daily, diligent work of your
practice, you will know that you have played a vital role in your
own transformation. Teachers, guides, and spiritual friends
make the journey possible, but if you do not learn and integrate
the lessons, even the best teaching is meaningless. You will
look back at the years you spent sweating on your mat and take
stock of just how far you have come. This progress will not be
measured in asana perfection but in the steady knowingness
that you have committed yourself to a more peaceful life. There
is perhaps no greater promoter of self-confidence than knowing
that you are strong enough to meet whatever challenges you
face.
Before I started practicing yoga, I did not believe in myself,
and I had no real way to measure success or failure. I judged
myself by the external attainment of results and felt frustrated
when I could not quickly get what I thought I wanted. After I
started my practice, I began to see that I was the master of my
own fate and that my thoughts really did create my experience
of reality. They defined my daily yoga practice as well as my
life. Before I could attain any level of accomplishment, I had to
learn how to believe in myself. No amount of effort will produce
the desired results without addressing deeply held beliefs
about your sense of self-worth. The barrier between you and
your dreams is more often your lack of belief in yourself than
anything else.
You get what you put into your practice. If you enter the yoga
world with a defeatist attitude, you will experience more and
more defeat. If you enter with a happy disposition, you will
enjoy more happiness. Like a microcosm of life itself, yoga is
best understood as a playground where you test out your
deeply held thoughts about yourself and see what kind of
results you get from thinking the way you do. The belief in
yourself that comes with regular practice is more than the self-
confidence you get from being able to do certain tasks. Instead,
yoga helps you connect with a part of yourself that is beyond
the physical, that eternal place where your belief in yourself
rests. Only when you touch the stable inner terrain of infinite
self-realization do all the poses start to make sense. Once you
directly perceive the depth of your own soul through the
vehicle of yoga, you truly understand what you have been doing
for so many months and years. The spiritual journey of asana
finally comes to fruition in your own experience of lasting inner
peace.

There is perhaps no greater sense of self-confidence than the certainty that you are strong
enough to meet whatever challenges you face.
 I always felt that when Jois adjusted my physical alignment
and movement, the energy of my being moved in a radically
different way. It felt like karmic bonds of the past were being
burned away. Sometimes there would be real, measurable
physical shifts, and other times there would energetic shifts
that I cannot even begin to describe. I have never had an
adjustment in backbend like his, and I probably never will
again. He would effortlessly take me beyond my mental limit,
right to the edge of my physical limit but with no pain or
soreness after. Just Jois’s presence in the room made all my
pain disappear and made everything seem more peaceful and
more possible.
If you approach your practice from the perspective of
attaining the perfect asana, sooner or later you will fail. Even
the strongest and most flexible person will get injured or grow
older one day. Eventually, a new generation of stronger, more
flexible students comes through. When this happens, it is not
time to quit or punish yourself. Moments of perceived failure
are often when the most yoga happens. Sometimes we have to
gain the perfect yoga body and the perfect yoga poses just to
“lose” it to injury or age; thus, we see that the whole point of
the journey has nothing to do with asana after all. Yoga asks
you to tap into a place within yourself that has faith in results
that are not immediately evident. The only way to rest in the
difficulty of the present moment is to have full faith that your
ultimate goal, the attainment of inner peace, is achievable.
Yoga shows you how to truly believe in yourself.
In yoga, you never “fix” yourself, but you do reveal your true
nature. The warm, tender heart of compassion that beats
strongly underneath any veneer of cynicism, anger, or fear can
never die. In fact, it stays with you beyond your physical form
and carries you into the next iteration of your life. The heart of
yoga is actually the eternal nature of the human spirit. If you
connect to that every day, the journey is already coming to
fruition.

COMPLETE HEALING
You may have decided to explore yoga purely for fitness or
health reasons, but before long, you may experience the
transformative power of this ancient spiritual science working
on a deep level of your being. Do not be surprised to find that
yoga changes your life in ways far beyond the physical.
Ashtanga Yoga approaches the transformation of the human
spirit starting with the body and working its way through to the
mind and soul.
Everyone comes to yoga from a different place. You may
already be involved in one or many paths toward a better life—
meditation, vegetarianism, a fitness program, t’ai chi, or chi
gong—or you may be choosing yoga as your first adventure in
conscious evolution. In any case, entering the world of yoga is
an important step toward living a more centered, joyful, and
peaceful life. The initiatory phase of the journey is your chance
to feel your power as you create your life moment to moment
and live your highest potential every day.
Yoga is an open invitation to the spiritual path. It is a path of
liberation rather than bondage, a path of direct knowingness
rather than rules and edicts. When you start practicing yoga,
your body becomes more sensitive and then asks you to live a
purer lifestyle. While traditional moral and ethical codes of the
yogic lifestyle ask practitioners to be an instrument of
kindness, compassion, and healing in the world, the choice to
live a peaceful life is meant to be sincere and spontaneous,
something that practitioners feel within themselves before
acting on it. You change not because your teacher tells you to
but because yoga opens the door to a new way of being that
you choose to walk through with joy, ease, and grace. The
journey into the lotus heart of yoga is a lifelong spiritual
practice that bears flowers in this life and beyond. Small
treasures abound when you attempt challenging positions that
seem impossible but are conquered with time, dedication, and
guidance.
It takes a great mind to see unity where there is division. It
takes a truly enlightened perspective to see peace where there
is war. It takes immeasurable courage to see healing where
there is hurt. It takes a noble spirit to see hope where there is
despair. And it takes limitless power to see love everywhere
around you. Yoga gives you the power to be that force of
healing in the world.
PART TWO

Practice
5
Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation): Where It All Begins

THIS INITIAL SERIES OF POSES KNOWN AS SURYA Namaskara (Sun

Salutation) provides an opening into the heart of yoga’s
physical and spiritual lineage. On a physical level, these
movements seek to ignite the inner fire of purification (agni).
When agni is kindled, the pose and breath combine to cleanse
the body of toxins and the mind of unhealthy thoughts. Only
when the inner fire is lit does yoga really work its
transformative magic. Performing a series of Surya Namaskara
is meant to stimulate the cardiovascular system, warm up the
muscles and joints, and direct the mind’s focus inward.
There are two variations of the Surya Namaskara in the
Ashtanga Yoga tradition: Surya Namaskara A and Surya
Namaskara B. The A series is easier than the B series, and
when taken together, five rounds of each can be considered a
full yoga practice. Traditional Hatha Yoga recommends the
practice of Surya Namaskara either before the dawn or as close
to sunrise as possible while facing east. Since yoga uses
breathing, poses, and gaze to unify and stabilize the body and
mind, the best time to perform all asanas is early in the
morning before breakfast and the busy hum of life begins. The
mind is calmer before daily activities commence, the body is in
a residually pure state after the night’s sleep, and the air is
clean from the trees oxygenating it overnight.
The timing of daily physical practice is also a recognition of
the solar-centric universe of India’s past. The great sages
(rishis) in the yoga tradition placed the sun’s magnificent
presence at the center of their understanding of the cosmos.
Every Surya Namaskara is a greeting to the constant solar
cycle that gives life to the earth and its inhabitants. However,
the symbolism of the Surya element of the practice does not
stop at the mere physical manifestation of the sun. It is also a
metaphor for the inner light acquired by accomplished yoga
practitioners. Every Surya Namaskara is a prayer for the
practitioner to develop the inner glow of spiritual realization.
While the inner fire of purification creates the perfect
groundwork for removing toxins and impurities from the body
and mind, this cleansing work is balanced by a sattvic, or
peaceful, attitude. Ashtanga Yoga aims to restore health and
balance in the body, and the Surya Namaskara requires
practitioners to be both strong and flexible. Thus, the solar and
lunar aspects of the body and mind become balanced.

SAMASTHITI
Equal Standing Pose
Drishti: Open

Figure 5.1
This is a standing neutral position that every pose originates
from and terminates in when you practice the most traditional
full vinyasa method. Sing the opening and closing mantras (see
Appendix A) while in Samasthiti with hands in prayer position
and eyes closed. Each time you return to Samasthiti you
reconnect with the inner work of the practice, regain the
composure of your mind, and initiate the next series of
movements from a balanced place. While Equal Standing Pose
is sometimes called Tadasana in other styles of yoga, in
Ashtanga Yoga Tadasana is a different pose that comes in the
Fourth Series of Ashtanga Yoga and uses a full external
rotation of the hip joints at 180 degrees, like first position in
ballet.
Stand at the front of your mat with the base of your big toes
and your heels touching (see fig. 5.1). Feel the base of your big
toe, the base of your little toe, and your heel pressing naturally
into the ground for an even distribution of your weight. Let
your kneecaps gently rise and engage the quadriceps while
being careful not to hyperextend your knees. Suck in your
lower belly and engage the pelvic floor. Let the natural
curvature of the spine be expressed without being too rigid.
Lift the chest slightly so that the center of the sternum rises
and the shoulder blades drop down your back. Let your arms
be free and hang in a neutral position next to the body. Allow
your neck to naturally lift through the top of the head. Align the
central column of your body. Find the perfect mix of strength
and relaxation. Do not squeeze or tense your muscles; just be
here in a state of open readiness for the practice or pose to
begin. If you find yourself tensing your body too much,
remember to relax and breathe deeply.

SURYA NAMASKARA A The student should flow

through each of these movements coordinated
with the inhalation or exhalation. Only
Downward-Facing Dog is held for five breaths.
Sun Salutation A
Sun Salutation A

The flow of the Sun Salutation is fast and requires a high

degree of mastery. To help you understand the correct
alignment as you flow in and out of the postures, four of the
most basic poses are presented here in greater detail. These
poses contain the basic anatomical and technical foundation for
much more complex asanas. It is important to learn these poses
correctly before proceeding to the rest of the Primary Series.

SURYA NAMASKARA B
Flow between all poses as in Surya Namaskara A. Hold the last
Downward-Facing Dog pose for five breaths.
Sun Salutation B
UTTANASANA
Standing Forward Bend Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)
 Figure 5.2

Uttanasana is the first standing forward bend of the practice.

Traditionally done only as part of Surya Namaskara, this pose
sets up the principles of healthy forward bending that are
needed throughout the practice. When entering this pose on
the Sanskrit count dwe as the second breath of a Surya
Namaskara A in daily practice, initiate the motion with
consciousness and patience.
Stand with your feet together so the bases of your big toes
are touching. Lift your sit bones and fold forward while
engaging your lower stomach and pelvic floor muscles and
elongating your back muscles. Touch your fingers to the floor
in line with your toes. Engage the muscles in your legs and
elongate your hamstrings while firmly pressing the base of the
little toe, the base of the big toe, and the heel of each foot into
the ground. Transfer the weight of your body to the center of
your feet, testing your ability to balance from within.

BENEFITS
Treats osteoporosis
Treats osteoporosis
Stimulates the liver and kidneys
Improves digestion
Strengthens the thighs and ankles
Stretches the hamstrings, calves, and back Relieves tension
and stress
Stimulates circulation

CHATURANGA DANDASANA
Four-Limbed Staff Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 5.3

Chaturanga Dandasana is a foundational pose for strength and

is repeated in both Surya Namaskara and in the movement
between the seated poses. The alignment principles established
in Chaturanga Dandasana will determine your ability to
perform much more challenging arm balances, strength poses,
and inversions. Poor alignment will not only prevent you from
building the strength you need, but it will also predispose you
to injury.
The main structural support for this pose comes from the
strength of your shoulder girdle and the underside of your
body. Think about the muscles in the front of your body
engaging to support your weight, while the muscles in the back
of your body engage to help with alignment (see fig. 5.3).
In the Sun Salutation enter this pose by jumping back either
directly into it or into Plank Pose (see fig. 5.4) from trini, the
third breath and movement of the Sun Salutation. If you are
jumping directly into the posture, then you should land in the
full expression of the movement on an exhalation. If you are
jumping back into plank, hold Plank Pose to catch the landing
and then lower down as you exhale into the full posture. Your
feet should be approximately hip-width apart.
Flex your feet and place your toes directly under your heels;
avoid any temptation to lean too far forward on the front of
your toes. Engage the muscles in your quadriceps to provide
structural support for your lower legs. Draw your stomach in
strongly, and engage the muscles of your pelvic floor as
actively as possible. Tuck your tailbone under slightly to help
your body build a sense of support from underneath. Draw your
rib cage inward to help engage the muscles that support your
upper torso and shoulder blades, as well as your entire body
from underneath. Align your fingertips with the upper part of
your sternum and your palms with the lower part. Draw your
shoulder blades down your back. The place where your
shoulder blade, arm, and collarbone meet is called the
acromion process, the bump on the top of your shoulder. This is
not a weight-bearing joint, but when it points downward in this
pose, it bears weight. Thus, you must keep it pointed directly
ahead, your shoulders square and your chest open.
It is crucial that you build strength deep in your upper torso
around the latissimus dorsi muscles (in the middle and lower
back) and the serratus anterior muscles (around the upper ribs
under the arms) to support your shoulder girdle in this pose
and avoid injury to your shoulders. Engage your pectoral
muscles (those connecting the chest with the shoulder and
arm) to create even more stability for your upper body. Finally,
allow your deltoid muscles (in the shoulders) to support your
shoulders even more. Elongate your neck so your collarbones
are open and the center of your chest is slightly forward.
If you are a beginner and cannot maintain healthy alignment
in the full pose, start off with a simple Plank Pose (see fig. 5.4).
Follow the same instructions as for Chaturanga Dandasana but
keep your arms straight. You can either enter Urdhva Mukha
Svanasana directly from this or attempt the full Chaturanga
Dandasana after perfecting your alignment in this preparatory
movement.

Figure 5.4

BENEFITS
Strengthens the arms, wrists, shoulders, abdomen, legs, and
whole body Improves focus and concentration
Stimulates core strength and bandhas Improves posture
Stimulates the abdominal organs and digestion URDHVA MUKHA
SVANASANA
Upward-Facing Dog Pose
Drishti: Urdhva (Up to the Sky)
 Figure 5.5

Traditionally, you enter this pose from Chaturanga Dandasana

and repeat it throughout the practice as part of the vinyasas
between poses. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is the first pose that
will help you develop the technique, strength, and alignment
that will carry you through backbends. It is critical to
understand that this seemingly simple pose is the foundation
for your ability to work with your spine in deeper asanas later
in the practice. All repetitive poses contain the key elements of
a healthy, balanced approach and lay the framework for a
lifelong yoga practice. As in all backbends, it is important here
to think not about bending your back but about lifting and
extending every muscle and joint throughout your entire body
to facilitate a backward bend.
Align your shoulders over your palms and keep your feet no
wider than hip-width apart. Begin by pressing into the base of
the big toe. Think about lengthening through the soles of your
feet so your energy extends outward and creates length
through your lower body. Engage your leg muscles and deepen
the extension, reaching through your feet. When your leg
muscles are activated in a way that connects them to the flow
of energy, your kneecaps will rise naturally, your legs will
connect with the pelvic floor, and your thighs and pelvis will lift
off the ground. Keep your body lifted away from the ground.
Focus your attention on your pelvis; gently push it forward,
tilting slightly, but be careful not to flatten your lumbar spine.
This movement creates spaciousness along the sacrum and
lower back.
Having set up the foundation of the pose in your legs, pull
your lower stomach in while activating the muscles of your
pelvic floor. Engage your back muscles without shortening your
spine, and allow the activation to create space between your
vertebrae, lifting and extending your spine up and away from
your waist. Stabilize your arms by drawing your shoulder
blades down your back. Engage the latissimus dorsi and
serratus anterior muscles while thrusting your palms into the
mat, planting your knuckles and gripping slightly with your
fingertips. As your shoulder blades roll down your back, your
sternum will lift; push your chest forward and slightly up to
follow this energetic lift. Allow energy to travel out through the
top of your head as an extension of your spine and the rest of
your body. Be careful not to let your neck collapse while you
are looking up. Treat your neck as part of your spine, and allow
the lift and extension of the backbend to travel through every
joint in your body (see fig. 5.5).
When done correctly, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana helps bring
energy up your spine and coaxes it to the spiritual apex of the
body and soul in the center of your head. The neuromuscular
activation needed to support your body in this pose also creates
the structural foundation for more intense backbends later in
the practice.

BENEFITS
Strengthens the spine and back muscles Improves posture
Stretches the chest
Expands the lungs, shoulders, and abdomen Stimulates the
abdominal organs
Improves digestion
Helps ease the symptoms of asthma, sciatica, and fatigue ADHO
MUKHA SVANASANA
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
Drishti: Nabi Chakra (Navel)
 Figure 5.6

Held for five breaths during Surya Namaskara and performed

repeatedly throughout the yoga practice, this pose is perhaps
the most ubiquitous of all poses. Its prevalence can be
attributed to its powerful healing effects on the body. Repeated
practice helps students establish healthy shoulder alignment,
makes good use of the lower stomach muscles and the elusive
bandha area, gently releases the spine in a semi-inversion, and
stretches the hamstrings and lower legs.
Enter this pose directly from Upward-Facing Dog. For best
results, place your hands about shoulder-width apart and your
feet hip-width apart. Draw your shoulder blades down your
back and away from each other to create a sense of
spaciousness around your neck. Release the trapezius (upper
back) muscles. Distribute your weight into your torso so it is
supported by the latissimus dorsi and serratus anterior
muscles. This helps keep your arms integrated into your torso.
Keep your ribs in a neutral position to provide a sense of
structural support from the top and bottom of your body; do
not squeeze or puff out your rib cage. Draw your lower
stomach in and engage the muscles in your pelvic floor.
Practicing deep breathing while keeping this alignment
demands that you learn to use your full lung capacity;
otherwise, you will merely breathe into your belly and
compromise your spine. Release your spine away from your
pelvis and feel the sense of elongation between each of the
joints. Your hip joints form the fulcrum point for the bend.
Deepen the fold at the base of your hip bones to go further into
the core of the pose. Lift your sit bones away from your heels
and straighten your legs. Press your weight into the floor
through your feet between the base of the big toes, the base of
the little toes, and the heels. Try to feel the energy flowing
from deep within your pelvis through your legs and into the
floor by thrusting your feet into the ground and pulling the tops
of your thighbones into the pelvis. If all of these movements are
integrated, your kneecaps will rise naturally; your legs will
straighten further; and your hamstrings, calves, and ankles will
stretch. Keep your ankles deeply bent but relaxed. Maintain
your tailbone in a neutral position, neither tucked under nor
turned up (see fig. 5.6).

BENEFITS
Relieves stress
Tones the abdomen
Improves digestion
Helps relieve symptoms of high blood pressure, asthma, flat
feet, and sciatica Strengthens the arms, hands, shoulders,
and legs Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and
ankles
6
Standing Poses: Build Your Foundation

THE STANDING POSES OF THE ASHTANGA YOGA PRIMARY Series deepen

the structural foundation and alignment principles for the
whole practice. These asanas comprise perhaps the most
healing group out of the practice. They are both accessible and
beneficial for nearly all body types, and you can achieve a base
level of proficiency in them rather quickly with regular
practice. Consisting of standing forward bends, standing twists,
and external and internal hip rotations, these poses provide
full-body stretching and strengthening and can help heal
chronic injuries.
The standing poses develop a sense of balance, strengthen
the legs and their connection to the ground, and encourage
gentle hip rotation. They require the body to bend and move in
new ways that access the power points inside the pelvis and
thereby help digestion and stimulate the abdominal organs.
This relatively easy series of movements lets even total
beginners benefit from yoga’s healing approach. Holding these
poses for at least five deep breaths gives the body a chance to
recalibrate its neuromuscular awareness. Over time, the
standing poses build a healthy and balanced body, cultivate
length and openness in the hip joints, elongation in the neck
and spine, and support from the shoulder girdle.
It is essential to be aware of your feet in the standing poses,
because they are your connection to the mat and to the earth
underneath. Think of each foot as being connected to the
ground through three main points: the base of the big toe, the
base of the little toe, and the heel. These three points, when
pressed equally into the ground, create a tripod on which you
can stand firm and find balance. The outer edges of the foot
should easily remain in contact with the ground when the three
main points are pressed down. Additionally, the arch of the foot
lifts naturally when the points are activated, and the balance
occurs with less effort. Be conscious of the actions connecting
your legs with your feet. When you thrust into the base of each
big toe, for example, imagine that the energy you are sending
out travels all the way down to the center of the earth and then
returns to your body in an upward thrust. Allow this upward
flow of energy to move from your feet through the interior edge
of your quadriceps (front thigh muscles) and all the way into
your pelvic floor. In this way, the standing poses create
strength, flexibility, and grounding. My husband, Tim
Feldmann, deserves credit for sharing the healthy anatomical
principles of forward bending explained here.
As you begin working more deeply with the principles of
forward bends, you should develop a better understanding of
the physical dynamics of a healthy forward bend. Ideally, all
forward bends originate deep inside the pelvis—the fulcrum
point is the sit bones at the back and the hip joints at the front.
The hamstrings lengthen, and the back muscles release to
create as flat a bend as possible. The feeling of elongation and
spaciousness in the joints is more important than merely
touching your head to your legs. To develop your awareness of
the depth of forward bends, try to imagine that all the points
along the backs of your legs, from your sit bones to your heels,
are connected in one long line of energy. Thus, when you lift
your sit bones away from your heels, the backs of your legs
stretch easily. By planting your heels firmly on the ground, you
create a healthy and supportive foundation for bending
forward. Draw your lower stomach and pelvic floor inward to
create the support and space necessary around your hip joints,
sit bones, and pelvic region to encourage a full range of
forward motion. This sit-bone-to-heel connection—facilitated by
the inner work of the pelvic floor and abdomen—gives you an
easy anatomical image to focus on in order to use the body
most efficiently in all forward bends.
PADANGUSTHASANA
Big Toe Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 6.1

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lift your sternum to

elongate your spine on an inhalation; this is ekam, the first
breath of the pose. Continue to lift as you exhale on dwe, the
second breath, and begin folding forward over your thighs.
Draw your stomach in and bend forward from your hip joints to
grab your big toes; hold them firmly throughout the pose. This
basic forward bend uses gravity to help take you deeper into
the pose.
The three points of all forward bends are developed here:
elongation in the hamstrings, elongation of the back muscles,
and support and release deep inside the pelvis. The fulcrum for
the bend occurs deep inside the pelvis at the sit bones.
Drawing in your stomach as you bend helps you gain access to
the freedom inside of your pelvis and protect your hamstrings
from injury. Still holding the pose, lift your sit bones, draw your
stomach in deeper, and push your pubic bone back to create a
solid foundation from your pelvic floor. Be careful not to
overstretch the sit bones and the hamstring attachments.
Now that you have established a sense of your pelvis at the
origin of the bend, begin lengthening your hamstrings and
release your back muscles. Thrust your feet firmly into the
ground, pressing into the tripod foundation (base of the big toe,
base of the little toe, and heel) for each foot. Once you feel a
firm connection to the ground, allow that sensation to travel
through your legs, activating your quadriceps and lifting your
kneecaps. Because the quadriceps are antagonistic to the
hamstrings (they oppose each other’s actions), you will feel a
release and lengthening in the backs of your legs as you create
stability along the front. Bring your attention to your back
muscles and allow gravity to soften, release, and stretch them
as you bend lower over your thighs (see fig. 6.1).
Keep your elbows in line with your shoulders and draw your
shoulders down your back. Avoid lifting your shoulders above
your head and neckline. Ignore the temptation to use your
arms to pull yourself deeper into the bend. Instead, allow your
breath to create spaciousness in your joints and release into
the pose with patience and diligence. If you keep your shoulder
blades drawn down your back and let your neck remain free
(do not round your shoulders or hunch forward), your spine and
hamstrings will eventually release and allow your ribs to make
contact with your thighs, deepening your forward bend. Don’t
expect or try to force your body to achieve this level of
flexibility when you first begin your practice. Instead,
surrender to a lifelong practice and enjoy the journey.
The leg muscles, particularly the hamstrings, store
accumulated toxins in their fibers. If you have experienced
repeated bouts of sickness, allergies, or other diseases, your
hamstrings may be both tight and painfully sore after yoga
practice. As long as the pain occurs deep in the muscle and not
at the attachment of the hamstring to the sit bones, proceed
with daily practice. However, should a pain arise that is
localized at the joint, back off a little and modify the forward
bend by rounding your pelvis slightly; if the pain is severe,
consider bending your knees until the injury heals.
If you feel pain in the backs of your knees in this pose, be
sure you are not hyperextending your knees. Press firmly into
the base of your big toe to protect your knees. If you are a total
beginner, your legs may even shake slightly when holding this
posture. Breathe deeply and try to relax. Hold the pose for five
breaths and then proceed immediately to the next one.

BENEFITS
Treats osteoporosis
Stimulates the liver and kidneys
Improves digestion
Strengthens the thighs and ankles
Stretches the hamstrings, calves, and back
Relieves tension and stress
Stimulates circulation

PADAHASTASANA
Hands-to-Feet Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 6.2
Enter this pose directly from Padangusthasana. Keep your feet
hip-width apart. While inhaling and lifting your chest for the
first breath of the movement, move both hands as far
underneath your feet as possible; allow your toes to reach all
the way up to your wrists if you can, and spread your fingers
out so you are fully stepping on your hands. Apply the same
principles as you did for Padangusthasana, entering the pose
on an exhalation, lifting your sit bones to fold forward,
lengthening your hamstrings, pulling your shoulder blades
down your back, and relaxing your back muscles. If your
hamstrings or back muscles are too short at first, you may need
to bend your knees in order to place your hands under your
feet. If you do, straighten your knees as much as possible
throughout the duration of the pose while being consciously
aware of supporting your lower back by drawing in your lower
abdomen. Once your legs are completely straight, you can
deepen the pose by transferring as much of your weight as
possible to the front of your feet and pressing into the bases of
your big toes (see fig. 6.2). By leaning the weight of your body
forward, you simultaneously stretch your wrists, activate your
core strength, and develop a heightened sense of balance from
your natural center of gravity. Press your feet into your hands
and create a solid foundation by using the three points of each
foot as though they were flat on the ground. Keep your
quadriceps engaged to further release your hamstrings. Keep
your neck and arms relaxed as the bend deepens.
This pose prepares your sense of spatial orientation to be
more comfortable with inversions. By learning how to transfer
the weight of your body from your heels to the front of your
feet, you learn how to move your pelvis through space with its
own network of support. You may experience some fear at
taking your weight forward and further stretching the
hamstring, but it is essential to address this fear now in
forward bends so that you are ready for it later in more
complex poses like headstands. Ignore the temptation to use
your arms to pull yourself deeper into the bend. Instead, simply
transfer more weight forward into the front of your feet; keep
your heels grounded and your sit bones lifted; and allow your
back muscles to lengthen gradually. Hold the pose for five
breaths. Then inhale, look up, and return to Samasthiti.

BENEFITS
Treats osteoporosis
Stimulates the liver and kidneys
Improves digestion
Strengthens the thighs and ankles
Stretches the hamstrings, calves, and back
Relieves tension and stress
Stimulates circulation

UTTHITA TRIKONASANA/TRIKONASANA A Extended Triangle

Pose
Drishti: Hastagrai (Fingers)
 Figure 6.3

Start from Samasthiti. As you inhale, move your feet

approximately three feet apart, rotate your right foot out ninety
degrees, and turn your left foot slightly in. To gauge exactly
how far apart your feet should be, think about extending them
just enough so that when you bend from the waist, the forward
foot will be in alignment with your head, thereby making it
possible to extend your arms in both directions, while keeping
them aligned with your shoulders.
If you are a beginner, align your right heel with the left. If
you are advanced, align your right heel with the left arch. Put
your arms out to the sides at shoulder height. Start off with the
pelvis at the same level and as you exhale, reach the spine out
from the right hip joint, away from the pelvis, while rotating
outward inside the right hip socket. As you continue to exhale,
lengthen your torso, reach out with your right arm, and bend
sideways from the hip joint until your right hand makes contact
with your right leg. Your left hip will rise and your right hip will
drop, moving your tailbone slightly toward your left heel as you
reach down and grab your right big toe. If you are advanced or
more flexible, you can grab your toe when you first bend to the
right, without putting your hand on your leg.
Hold your toe firmly, pull away from the floor, and engage
your shoulder girdle to support your upper back. Draw your
shoulder blades down your back and reach toward the ceiling
with your left hand. Softly draw your stomach and lower ribs in
and engage your pelvic floor to avoid any tendency to overarch
your spine. Breathe deeply into your lungs and rib cage, and
allow the breath to travel down your spine but not into your
belly. Thrust the legs into the ground while spreading your toes
wide apart and keeping the outer edges of both feet pressed
firmly into the mat. (Engage the tripod—the base of the big toe,
the base of the little toe, and the heel—for each foot to keep
you connected to the ground.) Focus your gaze on the fingers
of your left hand (see fig. 6.3). After at least five long Ujjayi
breaths, press firmly into your feet and the earth below, inhale,
and rise back up to a neutral position. Exhale as you switch
sides and repeat the same motion to the left. Be conscious of
engaging the pelvic floor as you come up. Exit the posture with
the same level of integrity as you enter it.
Utthita Trikonasana is a fundamental pose that brings the
body and mind into balance. It is one that all levels of students
can appreciate and benefit from. The sense of connection to the
ground that comes from strongly activating your pelvic floor
and legs increases feelings of calm. As you develop strength
and stability in this pose, your anxiety lessens and your
emotional balance is restored. Approach this pose with an open
mind, let go of the need to move toward more advanced
versions of it, and focus on listening to your breath and body as
you enter the pose.

BENEFITS
Improves digestion and stimulates the organs in the abdomen
Increases flexibility in the spine and hip joints
Corrects alignment in the shoulders and neck
Improves circulation
Tones the ligaments in the legs, shoulders, and spine
Strengthens the ankles, core muscles, and legs
Relieves symptoms of stress
Helps relieve symptoms of anxiety, sciatica, neck pain, and flat
feet Eases back pain

PARIVRTTA TRIKONASANA/TRIKONASANA B
Revolved Triangle Pose
Drishti: Hastagrai (Fingers)
 Figure 6.4

Inhale as you bring your body back to a neutral position after

Utthita Trikonasana. Place your feet parallel to each other but
keep them the same distance apart. Pivot your feet until the
left foot faces the back of your mat and the right foot turns in
approximately forty-five degrees. Align the left foot with the
right arch, if possible; if not, then align your heels. Facing
forward, square your pelvis, hips, and chest; keep your torso
aligned with your pubic bone. Exhale for the second breath of
the movement as you bend forward from your hip joints, raising
both sit bones in unison. Then twist your spine and place your
right hand on the floor on the outside of your left foot so your
fingertips are in line with your toes. If you are unable to place
your hand flat on the floor, you can place your fingertips next
to your foot, place your hand on your left shin, or rest your
hand on a block placed next to your foot.
Press the heel of your hand, the knuckles, and the fingertips
firmly into the floor, as though you are standing on your hand.
If you need an additional breath to set up the alignment for the
forward bend, make sure you enter the rest of the pose on an
exhalation. Once you feel a good connection to the ground
through your legs and right hand, twist more from your spine
and reach your left arm straight up, keeping it in line with your
right arm. Draw your shoulder blades down your back while
breathing into your lungs and extending your spine into a full
twist. Keep your spine in one long, clean line that flows from
your tailbone through every vertebra to the top of your head
(see fig. 6.4). Keep your hips level, as though you were making
a flat surface with the sacrum (see fig. 6.5). Gaze gently toward
your left fingertips. You will feel how your lower body and legs
provide a solid foundation and how your upper body and torso
lift out of that solid base.
 Figure 6.5

After five breaths, inhale and come up to a neutral position.

Repeat the pose on the opposite side. Once you are done on the
right side, return to standing at the front of your mat in
Samsthiti as you exhale (see fig. 5.1).
The first portion of this pose is a forward bend with the legs
in an asymmetrical position. Stabilizing the pose by thrusting
down into the three points of each foot helps lift your kneecaps
and powerfully activate your legs. Drawing in your abdomen
keeps your hip joints spacious and makes room inside your
pelvis to bend forward and release the back muscles. Once
your forward bend is deep enough, you will gain access to the
flexibility of your upper spine, because your supporting hand
will lay flat on the ground and provide the foundation for a
healthy twist. When you have a good sense of the control in
your pelvis, you will be able to stabilize your hip joints and fold
from deep within without compromising the structural integrity
of the pose.
The second portion of this pose is a twist that extends
throughout your entire spine. All twisting motions are
supported by the elongation of the postural muscles in your
back, neck, and spine. Drawing your stomach and rib cage in is
crucial, so you can provide the structural support needed for
spinal flexibility. Create space between each joint of your spine
by breathing fully and elongating rather than crunching the
joints. To support your upper back and stimulate the muscles
that facilitate bending the upper spine, you must keep your
shoulder blades down your back, and your neck must remain
free. Press equally into both legs and feet to stabilize your
pelvis.
Parivrtta Trikonasana sometimes brings up issues of fear,
because it challenges your sense of balance. Many
practitioners get frustrated when their hands do not touch the
floor on the first try. Using your breath to deepen and release
your hamstrings and spine on every exhalation will allow you to
go deeper. The breath is the key to calming your nervous
system and gaining mastery over your mind and body.

BENEFITS
Cleanses the internal organs
Helps relieve symptoms of asthma
Stimulates digestion
Opens the chest and improves breathing
Strengthens the lower back, spine, shoulders, legs, and groin
Stretches the hamstrings, spine, hips, upper back, and chest
Improves sense of balance

UTTHITA PARSVAKONASANA/PARSVAKONASANA A Extended

Side Angle Pose
Drishti: Hastagrai (Fingers)

Figure 6.6

From Samsthiti, inhale as you step out to a relatively wide

stance ranging from three-and-a-half to four feet, depending on
your height and body proportions. Stretch your arms out to the
sides while rotating your right foot out ninety degrees and
aligning the right heel with the left arch. As you exhale, press
your legs firmly into the ground and bend your right knee until
it is directly over your right ankle, your right thigh is parallel to
the ground, and your right shin is perpendicular to the ground.
Sink from deep inside your right hip joint and release your
torso toward the floor on the right side while lowering your
right hand to the ground. Press your right knee into your right
arm, extend your left arm over your head, draw your shoulder
blades down your back, and gaze up at your left fingertips. If
you are not able to reach the floor comfortably with your right
hand, hook your right forearm on your right thigh and press
down firmly while releasing your right hip joint as much as
possible. Stay in this position for five breaths and then see if
you can reach the floor with your right fingertips or possibly
place your palm flat on the floor.
Thrust your legs firmly into the ground as your support and
connection to the earth. This should lift your left kneecap. Be
careful not to sink too low in your hip joints, allow your knee to
move past your toes, lose the sense of strength in your legs, or
collapse into your left knee. Advanced practitioners can shift
their knee to the center of the foot.
Hold the pose, reaching your left hip, rib cage, and armpit
toward the ceiling, while folding and releasing from deep inside
your right hip joint and strengthening your right shoulder.
Draw your abdomen in and feel your pelvic floor lifting. Ignore
the temptation to overarch your back or turn your left hip
forward to compensate for a lack of flexibility.
Draw your shoulder blades down your back, creating
spaciousness around your neck and opening the area around
your sternum. Elongate your spine while keeping your neck in
line, and reach out through your whole spine. After at least five
deep breaths, push into your legs and inhale as you return to
standing position with your feet wide apart and parallel. On an
exhalation, repeat the pose on the opposite side.

BENEFITS
Strengthens the legs, back, abdomen, shoulders, groin, ankles,
and feet Relieves backache
Treats constipation
Cleanses abdominal organs
Increases stamina
Lessens menstrual discomfort

PARIVRTTA PARSVAKONASANA/PARSVAKONASANA B
Revolved Side Angle Pose
Drishti: Hastagrai (Fingers)

Figure 6.7

Enter this pose directly from Utthita Parsvakonasana. Keep

your stance relatively wide, with your feet three-and-a-half to
four feet apart, depending on your height and body
proportions. Inhale as you stretch your arms out to the sides
parallel with the floor, rotate your right foot out ninety
degrees, rotate your left foot a few degrees in the direction of
your right foot, and align your left heel with the right arch. If
you are attempting this pose for the first time, exhale as you
come down onto your left knee while pivoting on the ball of
your left foot (see fig. 6.8; please note that the pose in this
figure is facing the left side to better illustrate the connection
between the torso, bent knee, bound arm, and hand
placement). Turn your torso forward to face your right leg.
Bend your right knee until it is over your right ankle and your
right thigh is parallel to the ground.
 Figure 6.8

Clasp your right knee with your right hand and pull it toward
the center of your torso, rotating it slightly inward from the hip
joint. Exhale and suck in your stomach (but keep it soft); reach
your left arm as far around your right knee as possible, leading
with your elbow. Once your upper left arm is hooked around
your right knee, press your left hand—fingertips and palm—
firmly into the ground.
Once you are stable in this position, place your right hand on
your sacrum and straighten your left leg on an inhalation. Find
your balance and reach your right arm over your head, forming
an extension of the long line of your body; gaze up at your
fingertips. Keep thrusting your right knee forward to maintain
contact with your upper right arm (see fig. 6.9). If you are still
comfortable in the pose and your upper left arm is still in
contact with your right knee, push your left heel down toward
the ground, rotating your left thigh outward to enter the pose
fully (see fig. 6.7).
 Figure 6.9

Ignore the temptation to let go of the depth of the bend in

your right knee and the spinal twist when you straighten your
left leg and place your left heel on the ground. Remember that
this is a twisting pose above all else. Draw your shoulder
blades down your back while extending through each vertebra
in your spine. See if you can twist a little more on every
exhalation by drawing your lower ribs in and breathing into
your full lung capacity. After you have performed five breaths
in the full pose, inhale and return to a neutral, wide-legged
position. Exit the pose the same way you entered. Exhale and
repeat the pose to the opposite side, then return to Samsthiti.
Advanced practitioners should attempt to enter the pose
without going down onto their knees first; simply move directly
into the twist with both heels fully planted on the ground. This
is the first pose where you begin to work on the sense of
“binding” in a twisting position. By locking your upper arm
around your bent knee, you develop the release in your
shoulder and hip joints that facilitates deeper twists like
Marichasana C and D. If you have a hard time with this pose,
take extra breaths at each stage to deepen your ability to twist.

BENEFITS
Strengthens the legs, back, abdomen, groin, ankles, and feet
Relieves backache and sciatica
Treats constipation
Cleanses abdominal organs
Stretches the hip flexors, shoulders, and spine
Improves digestion and elimination
Helps sense of balance

PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA A Wide-Legged Forward

Bend A
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 6.10

Standing at the front of your mat in Samasthiti, inhale as you

step out to the right and place your feet between three and
four feet apart, depending on your height (shorter people
should take a narrower stance, and taller people should take a
wider stance). Keep your feet parallel to each other and align
your heels. Stretch your arms out to the sides. Place your
hands on your waist to set up for the movement. Establish the
alignment of the forward bend by pressing your feet firmly into
the floor at the three main points and engaging your legs. With
your hands on your waist, lift your spine, feeling your life
energy extending out through the top of your head; do not
overextend your back. Exhale and lift your sit bones away from
your heels as you bend forward from deep inside your hip
joints. Place your hands firmly on the floor at least in line with
toes. Beginners can widen their stance if necessary to achieve
this placement. Release your back muscles, lengthen your
hamstrings and all the muscles in the backs of your legs,
stabilize the front of each leg, softly draw your abdomen in,
and lift your pelvic floor. Inhale again as you look up so as to
reach the spine upward, creating even more space in the spine.
Finally, exhale and enter the pose completely, placing the top
of your head on the floor while keeping your shoulder blades
down your back. It is crucial that you coordinate the downward
motions with exhalations and upward motions with inhalations
so that you control your sense of balance and do not get dizzy.
All steps leading up to the full asana (see fig. 6.10) are meant
to establish the alignment principles of the pose. Remember to
work with the three main points of forward bending:
lengthening the back, stretching the whole back of each leg,
and drawing in the abdomen for structural support. Maintain a
healthy sense of alignment in the pose, keep your legs actively
thrusting into the floor, and draw your shoulder blades down
your back. Allow your weight to travel gently to the top of your
head as you shift your pelvis forward as though you were
moving toward a headstand. Soften your hip flexors and hip
joints so you can slide your torso between your thighs. To
deepen the forward bend, draw your energy up along the inner
length of your thighs. Feel a connection between the bases of
your big toes, the inside of your quadriceps, and your pelvic
floor. The more you work this inner energy line, the easier it
will be to release the hip flexors and other exterior muscles
around your hips that can make forward bends uncomfortable.
Advanced practitioners may find it necessary to shift their
hands farther back between their feet so the fingertips are in
line with the heels rather than the toes. Finding the three
points of healthy forward bends in Prasarita Padottanasana A
prepares you for deeper wide-legged forward bends, such as
Upavistha Konasana, Supta Konasana, and Kurmasana. By
releasing your hip joints enough to allow your torso to slide
between your thighs, you are also beginning to prepare for
more advanced leg-behind-the-head poses, like Supta
Kurmasana.
For beginners, this is often a more approachable forward
bend than Padangusthasana or Padahastasana, because you
can widen your legs enough to move your head close to the
floor. This pose is also a good substitute for Padangusthasana
or Padahastasana during pregnancy.
Take five breaths in full pose, then inhale and look up while
keeping your hands on the floor. Exhale as you settle your
weight into your hip joints, and inhale as you return to a
neutral upright position, bringing your hands to your waist as
you come up.

BENEFITS
Treats headache, fatigue, and depression
Stimulates the brain, liver, and kidneys
Improves digestion
Strengthens the back, inner thighs, and ankles Stretches the
hamstrings, calves, and back
Relieves tension and stress
Stimulates circulation
Tones the abdominal organs and muscles

PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA B
Wide-Legged Forward Bend B
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 6.11

In the Ashtanga Yoga sequence, the four Prasarita

Padottanasana poses follow each other directly. After
completing A, keep your feet and legs in the same position, and
then inhale as you stretch your arms out to the sides for the
first breath of B. Establish the alignment of the forward bend
by pressing firmly into the floor, ground all three main points
of each foot, engage your legs, and look straight ahead. Exhale
as you place your hands on your hips. Look up and inhale
again, creating length in your spine, then exhale as you fold
forward from deep within your pelvis; keep your hands firmly
grasping your hips, and lift your sit bones away from your
heels. Release your back muscles, lengthen your hamstrings
and all the muscles in the backs of your legs, stabilize the front
of each leg, softly draw your abdomen in, and lift your pelvic
floor (see fig. 6.11). As you fold more deeply forward, the hands
will slide toward the back of the pelvis to facilitate deep
forward bending.
Since your hands remain on your hips rather than on the
ground, this pose challenges your sense of balance. Many
practitioners feel as though they are going to fall forward and
therefore do not experience their true range of flexibility.
Ideally, your head is in the same position as in all other
Prasarita poses, just without the support of your hands. You
challenge your sense of balance and spatial orientation by
asking your pelvis to support itself while shifting your weight
forward. Establishing a healthy sense of balance in B allows
you to build the kind of core strength and awareness of the
back that facilitates easy inversions and stamina later in the
practice.
Remain in the pose for five breaths, then inhale as you come
up, keeping your hands on your hips, and exhale once you
return to an upright position.

BENEFITS
Treats headache, fatigue, and depression
Stimulates the brain, liver, and kidneys
Improves digestion
Strengthens the back, inner thighs, and ankles
Stretches the hamstrings, calves, and back
Relieves tension and stress
Stimulates circulation
Tones the abdominal organs and muscles
Increases sense of balance

PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA C
Wide-Legged Forward Bend C
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 6.12

After completing Prasarita Padottanasana B, keep your feet in

the same position and inhale as you lift your arms out to the
sides. Deepen the alignment principles of the forward bend and
exhale as you interlock your fingers with palms facing each
other behind your back (near your sacrum). Keep your fingers
laced, inhale, and look and reach upward without overarching
your back. Exhale, lift your sit bones away from your heels, and
fold forward to place your head firmly on the floor; reach your
hands toward the floor over the top of your head. You may find
it useful to let your back round slightly to get your head to the
floor, but eventually you will be able to do this with a straight
spine (see fig. 6.12).
Lean your weight forward to the front of your feet and allow
gravity to help your shoulders open. Ignore the temptation to
overengage and pinch your shoulder blades together. Instead,
let them release and travel down your back. A good tip for
beginners is either to release your neck toward the floor (if
your head isn’t touching the mat) or to round your neck so your
head will reach the floor more comfortably. This keeps your
neck long and free while facilitating a healthy opening of the
shoulders.
Prasarita Padottanasana C is crucial for every practitioner of
Ashtanga Yoga, because it creates the openness in the
shoulders that almost all seated poses demand. If you cannot
release your shoulders with the aid of gravity, you will find it
even harder to do so while seated. Stretching your shoulders
over the top of your head toward the floor teaches your body
the same rotation necessary in the Marichasana and
Kurmasana sequences.
After five breaths in this pose, you might like to try the
complete, advanced version (see fig. 6.13). Stay in your
forward bend and keep your fingers laced. Bend your elbows,
rotate your shoulder joints forward, flip your hands outward,
and straighten your arms again. It should feel slightly
uncomfortable. Be more conscious of rotating your shoulder
joints than of pushing your arms to the ground. Take another
five breaths. When you get proficient at this movement, you
can move directly into the more advanced version and skip the
easier option. Inhale as you return to standing, by shifting your
weight toward your heels. Then exhale and place your hands on
your waist.
 Figure 6.13

BENEFITS
Treats headache, fatigue, and depression
Stimulates the brain, liver, and kidneys
Improves digestion
Strengthens the back, inner thighs, and ankles
Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and back
Relieves tension and stress
Stimulates circulation
Tones the abdominal organs and muscles
Increases sense of balance

PRASARITA PADOTTANASANA D
Wide-Legged Forward Bend D
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 6.14

After exiting Prasarita Padottanasana C, keep your hands on

your waist. Begin D by inhaling, gazing up and lifting your
spine and feeling your life energy extending out through the
top of your head; do not arch your back. Press firmly into the
floor, grounding all three main points of each foot and engage
your legs. Exhale as you lift your sit bones away from your
heels to fold forward from deep within your pelvis; grab your
big toes with your thumbs, index fingers, and middle fingers.
Release your back muscles, lengthen your hamstrings and all
the muscles in the backs of your legs, stabilize the front of each
leg, softly draw your abdomen in, and lift your pelvic floor.
Inhale again, look up, lift your head, stretch and lengthen your
spine, and finally exhale as you enter the complete pose,
placing the top of your head on the floor. Hold the pose while
you take five breaths.
Draw your shoulder blades down your back, align your
elbows with your wrists, and your head with your arches. If you
are unable to touch your head to the floor, simply let gravity
elongate your hamstrings and back muscles while you breathe
deeply. Press firmly into your feet and allow the strength of
your legs to be your sense of support. Engage your arms just
enough to provide support for your shoulder blades but soft
enough to allow your neck to remain free (see fig. 6.14). Be
careful not to press your big toes into the mat but, just as in
Trikonasana A, pull lightly with your hands away from the floor.
Remember that the strength, stability, and opening of the
forward bend happen from within the pelvis, not from the arms.
This pose allows you to combine the supported feeling from A
with the unsupported feeling from B. The release of your hip
joints and hamstrings, combined with the inner lift of your
abdomen integrates strength and flexibility.
Exit the pose by inhaling and looking up while still holding on
to your toes. Exhale as you settle your weight into your hip
joints. Inhale as you return to an upright position bringing your
hands up along the way; exhale and return to Samsthiti.

BENEFITS
Treats headache, fatigue, and depression
Stimulates the brain, liver, and kidneys
Improves digestion
Strengthens the back, inner thighs, and ankles
Stretches the hamstrings, calves, and back
Relieves tension and stress
Stimulates circulation
Tones the abdominal organs and muscles

PARSVOTTANASANA
Intense Side Stretch Pose
Drishti: Padhayoragai (Toes)

Figure 6.15

Starting in Samasthiti at the front of your mat, grab your

elbows behind your back. If this is easy for you, then press your
fingertips together at your lower back until your hands find
their way into prayer position behind your back. Press the
outer edges of your hands into your spine and gently arch your
back to make space for your hands. Inhale as you step out to
the right, pivoting your right foot until it faces the back of your
mat. Rotate your left foot inward between forty-five and sixty
degrees. Align your right heel with the left arch, and square
your pelvis toward the back of your mat, to the right in line
with your foot. Exhale as you bend from your sit bones and
reach forward with your chest, elongating your back and
hamstrings while stabilizing your weight in your pelvis to enter
the pose (see fig. 6.15).
Draw your abdomen in and lift your sit bones as you fold
forward; firmly press your legs into the floor. Remember to
ground all three main points of each foot as you reach into the
pose. Keep your pelvis and sacrum as level as possible and
avoid twisting to one side to enter the posture. As you bend,
think about rotating your right thigh slightly inward, pulling up
energetically along the inside of your right leg from the base of
your big toe through the inner side of your quadriceps and all
the way into your pelvic floor. Keep your sternum in line with
your pubic bone and right knee. Lift your elbows and press the
heels of your hands together firmly to deepen the stretch in
your shoulders and keep your chest open (see fig. 6.16).

Figure 6.16

The slight inward rotation of your right leg allows you to

deepen the fold between your hips, your torso, and the floor.
This same precision is needed in twists, and although this pose
is not a twist, it provides a safe, easy way to work on the
flexibility you need at the base of your pelvis for deep twisting.
Similarly, pressing your hands together rotates your shoulders
and prepares you for the movement necessary in the seated
poses.
If you are more advanced, Parsvottanasana can even improve
your ability to lift up into arm balances by allowing a deeper
dorsi flexion of the wrists. After five breaths on the right side,
come up on an inhalation while engaging the pelvic floor. Pivot
your feet, and repeat the pose to the left for five breaths.
Inhale as you come up, and return to Samsthiti.

BENEFITS
Strengthens the legs, spine, and hips
Stretches the hamstrings, shoulders, and wrists
Helps relieve symptoms of flat feet
Improves digestion
Teaches balance
Stimulates the abdominal organs
Calms the brain

UTTHITA HASTA PADANGUSTHASANA A, B, AND C

Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
Drishti A: Padhayoragrai (Toes)
Drishti B: Parsva (Side)
Drishti C: Padhayoragrai (Toes)
 Figure 6.17

This dynamic series of three linked poses marks the official

beginning of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series. I have included
it with the standing poses because Utthita Hasta
Padangusthasana and those that immediately follow are
performed from a standing position, so the technical and
anatomical information from the previous poses applies here as
well. Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana is best understood as a
balancing pose rather than a stretching pose. Maintaining a
healthy sense of balance in both the body and the mind is the
key to performing this pose well.
Standing in Samasthiti, pick a spot anywhere in front of you
on which to focus. The smaller your point of focus, the easier it
will be to maintain your balance. Having established your point
of attention, transfer the weight of your body onto your left leg
and allow your right foot to rise naturally off the ground.
Stabilize your hip joints and pelvis, and keep both sit bones at
the same height. Inhale as you lift your right leg, initiating the
motion from deep within the center of your body, and grab hold
of your big toe with the first three fingers of your right hand.
Engage the quadriceps of both legs by thrusting into the
ground through your left leg and reaching forward and away
from your body with your right. Lift your leg only as high as
your hamstring flexibility permits, and do not try to get it
higher by lifting your hips or destabilizing your pelvis. As you
clasp your toe firmly with your fingers, you may find that
thrusting your toe into your hand helps straighten your right
knee.
Draw your stomach in, engage your pelvic floor, and exhale
as you elongate your spine and fold forward toward your right
leg. Wait until you feel a solid sense of balance and have
relatively open hamstrings before you try to fold forward too
deeply. If you can balance but lack flexibility, fold forward as
much as possible, initiating the forward bend from deep within
your pelvis. If you are advanced, touch your chin to your right
shin and switch your gaze to the toes of your right foot.
Advanced practitioners are able to move directly into this gaze
from the moment they assume the pose (see fig. 6.17).
Beginners will find the full version of the pose challenging. If
you cannot hold your toe, hold either your knee or your big toe
with your leg bent (see figs. 6.18 and 6.19). If you can balance
while holding your right toe with a bent leg, try to straighten
your leg as much as possible but don’t bend forward until you
can balance there (see fig. 6.20).

Figure 6.18
Figure 6.19
 Figure 6.20

Hold each pose in this sequence for five breaths. Move

directly from Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana A into B ;
continue at the same level, either a beginner with the
modification or an advanced practitioner with the full pose.
Before beginning to move your right leg to the side, turn your
head and find a new spot out to the left for your eyes to focus
on. Exhale as you bring your right leg out to the side (see fig.
6.21). Contract the muscles of your pelvic floor to create a solid
foundation in the root of your pelvis, then rotate your hip joint
externally to bring your leg out to the side on an exhalation.
Often the leg that is out to the side wants to bring the hip with
it on its journey, so resist the urge to lift one hip higher than
the other. The purpose of this pose is not to rotate your pelvis
but to rotate your hip joint while maintaining stability in your
pelvis. It is therefore essential that the movement that takes
your leg out to the side comes from a deep rotation of the hip
joint without compromising the structural integrity of the
pelvis. To go deeper, drop your right greater trochanter (near
the top of the thighbone) and move the head of the femur
(thighbone) inside the hip socket. This will create even more
outward rotation and eventually lift the right leg higher. But
remember that the purpose of the pose is to find stability.

Figure 6.21

Enter Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana C directly from B.

Inhale as you slowly bring your right leg back to the center,
still holding your toe and controlling the movement from within
your hip joint. Exhale as you fold forward once more, then
inhale as you release your big toe and balance with your hands
on your waist, your right leg extended in front of you (see fig.
6.22). This is the first pose that teaches you how to lift and
extend while engaging and activating. Your leg must hold itself
up and simultaneously remain connected with your pelvis and
core muscles. The hip joint in the extended leg must remain
spacious and powerful at the same time. The hamstring must
extend while the quadriceps engage to help support the leg.
Since the right leg lifts only to the extent that you thrust the
left into the ground, attempting to lift your right leg will also
help you feel the effect of gravity. Pulling the head of the femur
deeper into the hip socket will also help the leg lift higher.
Held for five breaths, this pose is crucial in developing the
strength you need to perform the remaining portion of the
Primary Series safely. When you are finished, exhale and
return to Samasthiti, then repeat all three poses on the left
side.

Figure 6.22

BENEFITS
Improves balance
Strengthens the legs, ankles, and core muscles
Stretches the backs of legs
Builds mental concentration

ARDHA BADDHA PADMOTTANASANA

Bound Lotus Forward Fold Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 6.23

Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana is primarily a balancing pose

meant to teach you how to maintain stability while moving your
body through space. The hardest part of this pose is finding
your way safely into half-lotus position before folding forward.
Many students rush into this position and end up with an
injury. Since this is the first time in the practice that your body
is asked to enter a lotus position, give it time and space to
release and open into the pose.
If you are a beginner or have tighter hips, start off in a
modification pose where you stand with your instep pressed
into the inner thigh of the standing leg in a simple Vrksasana,
or Tree Pose (see fig. 6.24). Enter Tree Pose from Samasthiti
(see fig. 5.1) by bending your right knee, transferring weight
onto the left side, and externally rotating your right hip. Reach
down with your hands and lift the right foot as close to the
groin as possible. This creates a gentle, noninvasive outward
movement that uses gravity’s downward pull on the bent knee
to deepen the lotus position. Practicing a standing half-lotus
position before you try a seated half-lotus position is helpful
because when you’re standing, gravity opens your hip joints
without muscular activation. There is also more space around
your hip joints when you are standing, which gives you more
freedom to move and negotiate with your pelvis. If you are
using the modification, stay in it for at least five breaths to
allow your hip joint to open before proceeding into the half-
lotus position. You may find it useful to stand in the half-lotus
for a few extra breaths before moving fully into the pose.

Figure 6.24

Regardless of your level of expertise, always enter lotus

position with an outward rotation of your hip joint to prevent
your knees from being injured. Use the full rotation in your hip
to free up space in your pelvis and create the room to fold
forward. You should fold forward only when the knee that is in
half-lotus is pointing toward the ground.
In order to get safely into half-lotus position from standing,
externally rotate your right hip joint. Feel the movement in the
ball and socket of the hip joint. You can do this movement while
lifting your leg, bringing your knee to the side, and reaching
for your foot. Or you can enter half-lotus from Tree Pose and
reach down with your hands to hold on to the top of your right
foot. When entering half-lotus, aim the top of your foot to the
hip crease and use the full rotation in your hips.
If you are relatively flexible, you may be able to move directly
into half-lotus position on the first inhalation, holding your
right foot with your right hand behind your back (see fig. 6.25).
Once you are in a full bound half-lotus position, exhale and fold
forward while stabilizing your left leg, lifting your sit bones,
and drawing in your abdomen. Place your left hand on the floor
and align your fingers with your toes (see fig. 6.23). Try to
maintain the structural integrity of your body by equalizing
your hips and reaching your chin toward your left shin. If you
lose your balance or cannot bind your lotus, you can place both
hands on the floor.
 Figure 6.25

Stay in the pose for five breaths. Inhale as you look up, then
exhale and hold that position as you settle your weight back
into your hips. Finally inhale and return to a standing position,
dropping your right foot back to the floor. Repeat the pose with
your left leg in half-lotus position.

BENEFITS
Teaches balance
Strengthens the legs, ankles, and core muscles
Stretches the hips and ankles
Builds mental concentration
Helps relieve symptoms of flat feet
Improves digestion
Stimulates the abdominal organs

UTKATASANA
Chair Pose
Drishti: Angustha Ma Dyai (Thumbs)

Figure 6.26

When entering the next series of three poses, you will flow
through a kind of Sun Salutation to enter and exit the postures.
This is the first time you will fully experience the dynamic
power of the vinyasa method that coordinates breath with
movement to enter a posture. Just as in the Surya
Namaraskara, you will flow through poses linked together with
the breath and hold only at specific points. Starting in
Samasthiti, inhale and raise your hands as in Surya Namaskara
A; exhale, fold forward. Inhale, look up and exhale, jump back
to Chaturanga Dandasana. Inhale to Upward-Facing Dog,
exhale to Downward-Facing Dog, and then inhale as your feet
jump forward in between your hands directly into Utkatasana.
Hold this for five breaths.
Stand with your feet together so the bases of your big toes
and your heels touch. Your arms are raised above in line with
the shoulder joints, your shoulders are drawn down your back,
and your spine reaches upward. The spine is in a slightly
extended position but not overarched. If you feel a strain in
your lower back, you are overarched and need to straighten up
a little. Bend your knees toward the front of your feet. Try to
bend deeply enough that your thighs reach toward being
parallel to the ground, but be conscious of the position of your
spine and keep your heels on the floor. Bend only as far as you
can while keeping your spine in a relatively erect and upright
position. Do not overarch your back to compensate for the bend
in your knees. The purpose of this asana is to build strength in
your thighs, back muscles, and shoulders while keeping your
body in a healthy alignment. Your wish to achieve an end result
should never compromise the integrity of the pose.
Draw your stomach in to help deepen the bend inside your
hip joints and give you a greater sense of ease in your body.
Keep your tailbone in a neutral position or even slightly tucked
to help create a sense of support from your pelvis. Raise your
arms, press your elbows toward each other, and bring your
shoulder blades down your back to create spaciousness around
your neck and provide the structural support needed from your
upper back and shoulder girdle for healthy upper body
alignment (see fig. 6.26).
The tradition of gazing toward the thumbs straight up above
your head is meant to give you a sense of lift throughout the
pose and to direct energy up your spine. Your body should not
sag downward; it should rise upward. Think of it this way: As
you press down into your feet, your energy travels into the
ground below. With equal and opposing force, the ground
thrusts the energy back up into you, and because you are
grounded, you achieve a natural lift. Once this energy begins to
flow, all you have to do is let it rise naturally through your
healthfully aligned body. Any kinks in your energy system will
stop the flow of energy, so it is important to maintain as good
an alignment as possible and to relax in the pose so the energy
can flow freely. Raising your arms above your heart naturally
challenges your cardiovascular system and stimulates
circulation throughout your body. Approach this pose with care
and consideration, being careful not to overstrain your back
but at the same time pushing your boundaries just enough to
make steady progress.
After five breaths in this position, exhale and take your hands
to the floor, while keeping the knees bent. The traditional
method for exiting the pose is to place your hands firmly on the
ground and lift your legs into a hovering position (see fig.
6.27). This demands great strength and took me many years to
be able to integrate into my practice. An intermediary step is to
bring one knee into your chest and then jump the other into
your chest on an inhalation (see fig. 6.28).

Figure 6.27
 Figure 6.28

Achieving balance in the hovering position is not easy and

requires a great deal of practice. Your pelvis must be balanced
over the solid foundation of your arms and your pelvic floor
engaged to lift the weight of the body up. When you are
attempting this movement by lifting one knee into your chest
and jumping the feet into the hovering position, think about
sending the weight of your body over your hands. Engage your
deltoids, latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, pelvic floor, and
breathe deeply. Look down at your mat. This pose is held for
only one breath so do not overexert yourself. If it doesn’t
happen immediately, jump back and continue the practice.
Whether you are lifting or jumping up, exhale as you jump
back to Chaturanga Dandasana, inhale as you enter Urdhva
Mukha Svanasana, and exhale as you go into Adho Mukha
Svanasana to complete the movement.

BENEFITS
Strengthens the knees, calves, ankles, and spine
Stretches the Achilles tendon
Stimulates digestion, circulation, and the cardiovascular
system Lifts the arches of the feet
Aligns the pelvis and spine
Deepens awareness of the hip joint

VIRABHADRASANA A AND B
Warrior I and II
Drishti: Hastagrai (Fingers)

Figure 6.29
 Figure 6.30

Continue in flow immediately after one breath in Adho Mukha

Svanasana and begin to enter this pose, starting on the right
side just as in Surya Namaskara B. Begin by holding
Downward-Facing Dog while rotating your left hip joint
externally and turning your left foot out between forty-five and
ninety degrees (depending on your hip flexibility). Step your
right foot forward between your hands and align the right heel
with the left arch if possible (or align the heels with each other
if you are a beginner). When your legs are in position, lift your
torso so that it is stacked directly on top of the pelvic bowl,
raise your arms over your head, drop your shoulder blades
down your back, and gaze at your fingers. This entire
movement should be done on one long inhalation, but if you
need extra breaths to coordinate, remember to always
coordinate your breath with your movement.
Virabhadrasana A is a great pose to help build your
alignment and strength for backbends later and for preparing
your hip joints for the outward rotation that makes lotus
position easy (see fig. 6.29). Turn your left foot outward as
close to ninety degrees as possible and align your left heel with
your right arch. Bend your right knee until it is at least over
your ankle but ideally over the middle of your foot. If you have
a hard time knowing how much to bend your knee, focus on
feeling your legs underneath you and strengthening your
quadriceps, but do not let your knee extend past your toes.
Your feet should be spread far enough apart so that when you
bend your knee over your foot, your thigh is parallel to the
ground. Finding the perfect distance is unique to each person’s
height and body proportions, so be careful of simply mirroring
your teacher or another practitioner. Always check in with your
own body.
As you bend your right knee, keep your left leg straight and
your hip joint level as your right leg rotates slightly inward and
left leg rotates outward. Keep your pelvis pointing forward
toward your right knee as much as possible to ensure that your
left hip joint is actually rotating outward. Be careful not to
twist your left knee and force your left foot to turn out too far.
Pay attention to the range of motion in your hip joint. Make
sure the outer edge of your back foot is firmly planted into the
ground and the arches of both feet are lifted. Squaring your
hips to the center as much as possible once your forward knee
is deeply bent will stretch your psoas muscles (on the sides of
your lower back) and hip flexors, opening up the front of your
pelvis. This opening is crucial for backbends.
Keep your tailbone in a neutral position, and ignore the
temptation to stick it out and overarch your lower back. This is
an excellent opportunity to retrain your body to keep your
tailbone in a neutral position while opening your hip flexors,
psoas muscles, and hip joints. Over time, the “flipped-out”
tailbone position compresses your lower back, sacroiliac joints,
and the whole back of your pelvis, and is not a sustainable
method of movement for long-term practice because it lacks
support for your spine. Whenever you have a pattern of
movement that leads to pain, it is best to retrain your body to
use a better pattern whenever the old pattern arises.
Once you have the solid foundation of your legs, draw your
abdomen in and lift the floor of your pelvis in and up. Activate
your back muscles (erector spinae) to help lift each vertebra up
and away from your pelvis. Do not hang down in the natural
extension and flexibility of the lumbar spine. Instead, build
your extension and strength to create space between each joint
by actively lifting your spine up and away from your pelvis
while drawing your stomach in to support the movement from
the front. This muscular pattern actually helps bring energy up
your spine and the central column of your body, thereby
increasing the spiritual energy of the pose. You practice this
action here so that you have the strength for deeper backbends
later.
When the energy reaches your chest, draw your shoulder
blades down your back and away from each other, lifting your
arms over your head, opening your shoulder girdle, and
creating space around your neck. Keep your spine in a natural
position and do not overarch your upper back. Lift your
sternum up and slightly forward while straightening your arms.
Press your hands flat against each other, engage your deltoids,
and press your elbows toward each other. Bringing your arms
over your head encourages your heart to pump more
vigorously, thereby increasing the strength of your
cardiovascular system. Tilt your head back and gaze steadily at
your thumbs; try not to interlock your fingers. Rotate your
shoulders externally to build the strength and flexibility needed
to stabilize your body in more challenging asanas such as
handstands and backbends. Hold the pose for five breaths, then
inhale as you pivot your feet and exhale to enter the pose on
the left. Hold the left side for five breaths. Do not come up to
standing in between. Keep your arms raised as you switch
sides.
Virabhadrasana B uses the same foot alignment as A (see fig.
6.30). Move into this variation by turning your hips away from
your bent knee, opening your arms out to the sides, and
inhaling. You will start off on the left side. Be careful to keep
your left knee in the same position over your ankle. Actively
draw your tailbone in to counteract any feelings of overarching
so you end up in a neutral position. Send your pelvis away from
your left knee so your pubic bone is at a ninety-degree angle
from that knee. Rotate both legs outward and dig lower down
into your legs and hip joints.
This version of the pose is meant to open your groin and
inner thigh muscles while continuing to build muscular
strength to lift your spine. Your tailbone remains grounded
while your spine lifts away from the foundation underneath.
Roll your shoulder blades down your back and away from each
other, keeping your arms extended to the sides at shoulder
height. Gaze at the fingers of your left hand. There is a
tendency here to let the back arm sag, so remember to reach
toward the front and back equally. Keep your torso stacked
over your pelvis so your spine is in a neutral but lifted position.
Do not lean forward or sideways with your torso; instead, find
balance and peace in the pose.
Hold the pose for five breaths, then exhale and pivot to the
right to repeat the pose. After five breaths on the right side,
exhale and take your hands to ground. Place your right hand on
the floor on the outside of your right foot and your left hand on
the floor on the inside of your right foot. Keep the right knee
bent as you spin forward onto the ball of the left foot, bringing
the hips into parallel position. If you have good upper body
strength, float forward onto your arms and come to a balance
point. Your legs will remain in the same position as you shift
your straight left leg and your bent right knee over your arms.
Then exhale and jump back to Chaturanga Dandasana.
Beginners should skip that movement and simply step back to
Chaturanga Dandasana from the moment that both hands are
on the floor and the hips are in parallel position.
Remember to exhale as you enter Chaturanga Dandasana,
inhale as you go into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, and exhale as
you enter Adho Mukha Svanasana to complete the movement.

BENEFITS
Strengthens the leg muscles, especially the quadriceps
Stretches the psoas muscles, hip flexors, and groin
Prepares the body for backbends
Opens the shoulders and heart
Cleanses the cardiovascular system
 7
Seated Poses: Grow Your Lotus

THE ASANAS THAT ARE EXCLUSIVE TO THE ASHTANGA Yoga Primary

Series are mostly seated poses. The logic is that the Surya
Namaskaras and standing poses build a sense of connection
with the earth, the dynamics of movement, and the inner body.
Once this is established, you enter a wide variety of twists,
forward bends, hip rotations, strength poses, and backbends.
The practical experience of the core strength work you need to
sustain healthy alignment throughout these later poses is more
readily available when you can thrust into the floor. In the
seated poses, you must thrust into the soles of your feet and
replicate the same energetic connection as you would if your
feet were fully planted on the floor. With a firm sense of
balance, spatial orientation, inner stability, and flexibility, you
can move into the seated poses with confidence and ease.
These poses are grouped into related series. They also build
to a midpoint crescendo of challenging external rotation that
involves placing both legs behind your head. Just the sound of
that may send you running; it’s one of the yoga exercises that
the average person thinks only a contortionist can do. But the
Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series trains your body slowly,
preparing it step-by-step for deep and complex movements.
When you perform the seated poses with sound anatomical
knowledge as a guide, you will experience the increased
openness you need to enter all poses safely.
The second group of seated poses helps release your spine,
strengthen your erector spinae muscles, and build a steady
transition into backbends. Taken together, the seated poses
work your entire body. You will open your hip joints to prepare
for full lotus position and legs behind your head, build the core
strength needed for arm balances, and work your spine and
shoulders in preparation for backbends.
The emotional lesson of the seated poses is a kind of turning
inward of the body and mind. It is a deeply balancing and
healing practice that cleanses the digestive system of old toxins
and encourages a conscious state of self-reflection. This
practice allows the mind to maintain unbroken focus on the
inner body rather than being directed outward. The seated
poses seek to concentrate your energy and refine your body. If
you approach these poses with respect and patience, you can
master them. Since many of the seated poses target either the
right or left side, you will notice that one hip joint, shoulder, or
side of your body is tighter. This is totally normal, and there is
no reason to fear the pose or your body. You may find it useful
to stay in position longer on the tighter side while breathing
deeply, but do not expect symmetry from your body. Practice
with patience and acceptance, knowing that the full benefits of
the practice are spiritual and cannot be measured by your
physical performance.

DANDASANA
Staff Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 7.1

Dandasana plays a crucial role in the development of healthy

forward bends and sets up your technique and knowledge of
anatomy for deeper movements that support your lower back,
build core strength, and elongate your hamstrings. This pose is
not traditionally identified while practicing Ashtanga Yoga, and
many students overlook it; however, it is like the seated version
of Samsthiti, a neutral position used to enter all other poses.
Inhale as you jump through your arms from Adho Mukha
Svanasana to a seated position. Students unfamiliar with the
transitions between seated poses known as “jumping through”
and “jumping back” (the vinyasa) should reference Chapter 10.
Exhale as you sit up as straight as possible, place your hands
flat on the floor next to your hips, and straighten your legs. If
you have long arms, you will need to bend them slightly to keep
your shoulder girdle relaxed. If your arms are short, your hands
may not touch floor, so be careful not to round your back and
force your hands to the floor. Keep your shoulder girdle broad
and open, drop your shoulder blades down your back, and lift
your chest. Tuck your chin under; as you inhale, your sternum
will rise toward your chin and ideally touch. As you exhale,
your chest drops, and your chin and chest separate (see fig.
7.1).
Be sure that you bend at the waist from the hip joints and
keep your spine erect while extending your legs out at a ninety-
degree angle. Engage your legs by thrusting your heels away
from your pelvis and into the “ground” while lifting your
kneecaps and activating your inner quadriceps. Imagine a floor
under your feet and connect to it through your legs from the
bases of your big toes along your quadriceps and all the way
into your pelvic floor. To build core strength and protect the
hamstring attachments, thrust your sit bones into the floor and
actively push downward to engage your pelvic floor.
Consciously work these muscles and suck in your abdomen to
create more access to the interior space of your pelvis. Draw
your belly (from your navel down to your pubic bone) in as
much as possible to support a natural lift of your spine. Be
careful not to overarch or round your lumbar spine. Instead,
allow the core muscles to support a natural lumbar curve.
Bring your attention to your erector spinae muscles, think
about sending your spine upward, and lift it out of your pelvis
to create space between each vertebra. Let your energy reach
out through the top of your head but remain grounded to the
floor with the support of your sit bones. Your breath should
travel up and down the inner regions of your spine but not go
into your lower stomach. At no time during this pose should
you push your belly out. In fact, drawing it in is the key to
setting up the most healthy use of your spine in all later
forward bends.
If you are unable to sit with an erect spine and have a
severely rounded lower back, you may find it useful to bend
your knees slightly so you can gain access to your hip joints. If
you must bend your knees, make a conscious effort to
straighten them as much as possible while maintaining both
the lift in your spine and the natural curvature of your lumbar
region. If you are more advanced, you may be able to send your
heels away from your pelvis and lift them slightly off the
ground. As long as the backs of your knees are not thrusting
into the ground and your knees are not hyperextended, this
movement is useful. Hold the pose for five breaths, then move
immediately into the next pose, Paschimattanasana.

BENEFITS
Aligns the pelvis and hips
Strengthens awareness of the central axis
Builds the bandhas
Strengthens the legs

PASCHIMATTANASANA A AND D
Seated Forward Bend A and D
Drishti: Padhayoragrai (Toes)

Figure 7.2
 Figure 7.3

Begin in Dandasana. Apply the three components of forward

bends—lengthening the backs of your legs from the sit bones to
the heels, drawing in your abdomen, and elongating your back
muscles—presented in the standing poses. Although there is a
slightly different activation pattern here, the same alignment
rules apply. Instead of thrusting into the ground, you must
recreate the sensation of the floor under your feet by pushing
the bases of your big toes together (which causes your thighs
to rotate in slightly) and actively engaging the soles of your
feet. Press your heels into the floor if you feel pain at the
hamstring attachment or reach them slightly away from your
pelvis if you can go deeper. All forward bends involve a slight
flexing of the spine, so it is crucial to have the support of your
core muscles by drawing in your abdomen to protect your spine
from injury and maximize the spaciousness between your
joints.
Instead of surrendering your back to gravity to elongate it, as
in standing poses, use the inner muscles of your torso to create
the same spaciousness and length. Inhale as you consciously
suck in your lower belly (drawing the area between your pubic
bone and navel deeply into your body), lengthen your spine,
and fold forward to grab your big toes. Exhale to deepen the
bend into full Paschimattanasana A (see fig. 7.2). Be careful not
to tense your abdominal muscles, or you will merely create
muscular tension that will prevent you from going deeply into
the pose. The healing and cleansing aspect of this deep forward
fold comes from pulling in your abdomen and cleaning out your
digestive system.
The same activation of the legs as in Dandasana applies here,
so reach from deep inside your pelvis to feel a long line of
energy traveling from your hip joints through your lifted
kneecaps and activated inner quadriceps to a firm floor under
your flexed feet. If you had to bend your knees to modify
Dandasana, you will need the same modification here, but try
to straighten your legs as much as possible by thrusting your
feet away from your pelvis. If you have a hamstring injury, you
can either press your sit bones and heels into the ground or, if
that does not relieve the pain, bend your knees slightly until
the injury heals.
Be careful not to pull too hard with your upper body. Allow
the work of the forward bend to happen deep within your pelvis
and body. Use your inner body to lengthen from within. Keep
your shoulders open and only slightly active. Breathe into your
lungs and allow the energy to flow freely throughout your
entire body. Hold the pose for five breaths.
Inhale and lift your spine, then exhale as you take the
deepest grip possible around your feet; hold your toes again,
interlace your fingers around your feet, hold the outsides of
your feet, or grab your wrist. Inhale again to create space, then
exhale as you hold Paschimattanasana D for another five
breaths (see fig.7.3) There are four different version of
Paschimattanasana, but the present Ashtanga Yoga method
uses only two: the introductory one and the last, deepest
version. If you have more time to practice or you find forward
bends difficult, you may want to proceed through all four
variations. Consult Yoga Mala for further details.
 After five breaths in Paschimattanasana D, inhale and lift
your spine while maintaining your grip; exhale as you settle
your weight into your hips and lift your pelvic floor even
deeper. Inhale, release your grip, and lift up; exhale and jump
back. (The Ashtanga Yoga jump back and jump through
movements are explained in greater detail in Chapter 10.)
BENEFITS
Improves digestion
Stretches the hamstrings
Treats sciatica
Cleanses the internal organs

PURVATTANASANA
Upward-Facing Plank Pose
Drishti: Broomadhya (Eyebrow center)

Figure 7.4

When practiced with Dandasana and Paschimattanasana, this

pose completes the full range of movement in the spine by
extending it. This technique prepares the body for backbends
and helps relieve any pressure on the spine after the deep
forward fold in Paschimattanasana. Inhale as you jump through
to a seated position, and exhale as you set up the pose. Roll
your spine under until your sacrum is on the ground, suck in
your abdomen, and move your hands behind you so your hands
are about a foot away from your pelvis and flat on the floor.
Point your fingers toward your feet and inhale as you lift up
(see fig. 7.5).
 Figure 7.5

Rotate your thighs and hip joints inward to create a long line
of energy throughout both legs. Just as in the previous two
poses, engage your inner quadriceps firmly and connect your
actively lifted kneecaps both to your pelvic floor and to your
toes. Point your toes firmly and press the bases of your big toes
together to complete the energetic reach of the inward
rotation.
Press your toes into the floor to help engage your legs and lift
your pelvis. The inward rotation of the hip joints and thighs
relieves pressure on the lower back and sacrum.
Send your pelvis and tailbone strongly forward and nutate
your sacrum to arch your lower back slightly and lift up. This
pose should be a backbend, so use the natural extension of
your spine to go deeper. Allow your erector spinae muscles to
support your body from underneath. Be especially careful not
to push out your abdomen while lifting. Instead, keep it drawn
in, sucking your stomach muscles in toward your spine. If your
stomach pooches out, then the weight of your organs will fall
down into the open vertebrae, endangering the discs, so keep
your lower belly drawn in.
Once you have established the foundation of the pose with
strong legs and active lifting of the pelvis, you can concentrate
on your upper body. Lift your chest high, and open the center
of your heart toward the ceiling. Engage your arms strongly by
pressing into the floor through your fingertips ; straighten your
arms. Drop your head backward, but be careful to support your
neck. Draw your shoulder blades down your back to support
the lift through your upper back (see fig. 7.4). As this is a
backbend, you use every muscle in your body; every vertebra
along your spinal column must extend, create space, and
ultimately use that space to bend. Breathe consciously and
deeply. After five breaths, exhale and come down. Inhale and
lift up; exhale and jump back.

BENEFITS
Strengthens and extends the back
Counters forward bends
Treats fatigue

ARDHA BADDHA PADMA PASCHIMATTANASANA

Half-Bound Lotus Forward Bend
Drishti: Padhayoragrai (Toes)

Figure 7.6

This is the first seated pose that challenges your external

rotation and tests the awareness and openness of the hip joint
movement you learned in the standing poses. It demands full
attention, care, and patience. This is an excellent place to work
on understanding and integrating the principles of healthy
external rotation and developing your lotus position. Some
people need to stop here before proceeding if their hip joints
are too tight; otherwise, the chance of injury may be increased
in later poses.
Inhale as you jump through to a seated position from
Downward-Facing Dog in the vinyasa after Purvattanasana. If
you are an advanced practitioner, exhale as you take your right
foot into half-lotus position. Hold your foot with your right hand
around your back. Hold the outside of your left foot with your
left hand and align your sternum forward over your left knee.
Do all of this on the same inhalation as you used to get
through, set up, and prepare. Then exhale and fold forward to
fully enter the pose (see fig. 7.6).
If you are a beginner, you will do well to slow that movement
and break it down into manageable bits. Start by rotating your
right hip joint and pointing your knee out to the side. Bend
your right knee to close the joint and bring the sole of your
right foot to your left inner thigh. Lift your right foot and right
knee gently off the ground and use the external rotation of the
hip joint to aim your right foot toward your left hip crease. If
you feel pain in your right knee, back off and dial down the
level of rotation in your hip joint. As you are getting into the
pose, avoid twisting your knee joint; if possible, use the
external spiraling motion of your hip joint to get into the pose.
If your knee is floating off the floor, do not push it down and do
not tense the muscles around it. If you are able to rotate your
hip joint and place your foot in the appropriate position but you
feel pain in your knee, you may find it useful to rest your right
knee on a block or a towel to give it appropriate support.
As a general note for how to practice, if you feel pain in one
area of your body, the immediate response is often fear. Try to
put yourself in a state of mind to experience the pain instead of
just running from it. For example, if you feel pain, be as
specific as possible about its epicenter, the type of pain, and
what your emotional response is. We often feel pain in a
general area, but the more specific we can be about where and
what it actually is, the less we fear it and the more we can
work with it in our practice and our lives. If you feel pain in the
joint, back off immediately, but if the muscles are burning and
stretching, you can proceed with caution and attention to
alignment.
If all goes well with the half-lotus position, reach your right
hand around your back using the full rotation of your shoulder
to hold the top of your right foot. Try not to twist your body too
much in order to grasp your foot; instead, let the movement
come from your shoulder and upper back as your shoulder
blade descends along your back. Once you clasp your right
foot, firmly engage your shoulder and pull your torso back to
center to counterbalance any twisting it may have done to
allow you to reach your foot. If possible, engage your right foot
and press the heel into the interior space of your pelvis. This
will encourage you to draw your abdomen in and increase the
suction of the bandhas, as explained in Chapter 10.
Inhale as you reach forward and hold on to the outside edge
of your left foot. If possible, draw your left shoulder blade down
your back and square your chest so that your sternum and
pubic bone follow the same, central line as the rest of your
body. As you exhale, reach your chin to your left shin and hold
for five breaths.
This is a complicated motion that often requires additional
breaths to allow the body to open. Be patient, and do not rush
the movement at all. If you need to stop at any point during the
movement and hold your maximum limit of flexibility,
absolutely follow the advice of your body. Never squeeze your
knee; always allow its movement to originate in the hip joint.
After five breaths, inhale and lift your spine while still
maintaining your hold on both feet. Exhale, keep hold of your
feet, settle into the pose, and catch hold of the strength of the
pelvis to prepare for the vinyasa. Inhale and lift up; exhale and
jump back; complete the vinyasa; inhale and jump through;
then repeat the pose on the opposite side.

BENEFITS
Increases digestion and awareness of the bandhas
Stretches the hamstrings, hips, and shoulders
Cleanses the internal organs

TIRYANG MUKHA EKAPADA PASCHIMATTANASANA

Three-Limbed Forward Fold Pose
Drishti: Padhayoragrai (Toes)

Figure 7.7

While the majority of poses in the Primary Series use an

external rotation of the hip joint, this one uses an internal
rotation of that joint. Most people think the top of the thigh
needs to rise in order to turn the thigh inward, but the head of
the thighbone actually still reaches back and down while it
rotates deeply inside the ball and socket of the hip joint. The
key to easy internal rotation is to widen the sacrum, freeing
space along the back of the body and allowing the thighs to
come closer together.
Inhale as you jump through to a seated position from
Downward Dog after the last vinyasa for Ardha Baddha Padma
Paschimattanasana. Bend your right knee backward, rotate
your thighs inward, and point your right foot away from the
left. Leave enough space between your right foot and your
pelvis so that your right hip can sink to the floor. You may find
it helpful to move your right calf muscle out of the way to
create more space for your knee to bend. To prepare, inhale as
you grip your wrist as far as possible around your left foot or
simply hold the foot with both hands if you are unable to hold
on to the wrist. Exhale as you begin folding forward along the
centerline of your body, keeping your knees as close together
as possible. Reach your chin toward your left shin, but do not
shift your weight forward or to the left (see fig. 7.7).
Draw your lower belly in and engage your pelvic floor to
create the stable support you need to move deeply into the
pose. Engage your left foot and send energy into the floor
through the heel and out through the base of the big toe. Press
your left calf muscle into the ground to push energy back into
your pelvis and help ground your right sit bone. While most
people feel the right sit bone rise off the ground, try your best
to send energy down through the interior space of your pelvis
to keep it rooted toward the ground. Feel the head of your
femur on the right side moving deeper into the hip socket.
If you find it challenging to keep your knee bent, you may
want to place a towel or a block under the opposite hip to
elevate your pelvis and release tension around your knee. If
you begin by using the block, try to graduate to the towel over
the course of a year or two, then finally try doing the pose
without any prop over the course of another year or two. If you
feel an intense pain in your knees when in this pose, it may
stem from either lack of internal rotation or very tight
quadriceps. If you feel a sharp pain at the center of the knee,
back off and modify the pose with a block. Proceed with
caution and do not force your body into any pose. Instead,
allow the pose to unfold over time with patience and deep
breathing.
Bringing your torso over your thighs while encouraging an
inward rotation of the hip joints is a crucial preparation for the
deep twisting poses that happen later in the series. If you have
a hard time twisting, part of the issue may be a lack of internal
hip rotation, and this is the perfect pose to help remedy that.
Hold the pose for five breaths, then inhale and lift your spine,
exhale and settle into the pose. Inhale, place your hands on the
ground, and lift up. Exhale to jump back, and complete the
vinyasa. Inhale to jump through, and repeat the pose on the
opposite side.

BENEFITS
Increases digestion and awareness of the bandhas
Internally rotates the hip joints
Cleanses the internal organs
Deepens awareness of the inner body

JANU SIRSASANA A
Head-to-Knee Pose A
Drishti: Padhayoragrai (Toes)

Figure 7.8

Janu Sirsasana A allows you to open your hips, inner thighs,

and back safely and easily while strengthening your core.
Inhale and jump through to a seated position from Downward-
Facing Dog following the last vinyasa of Tiryang Mukha
Ekapada Paschimattanasana. Externally rotate your right hip
joint, pointing your knee out to the side at ninety degrees.
Relax the hip joint as you allow the ball and socket to open and
release. As the joint opens and allows you to move deeper into
it, you will be able to bend your right knee freely and close the
knee joint fully. Do not rush the movement; listen to your body
every step of the way.
The deepest version of this pose has the outer edge of the
sole of your right foot resting against your inner left thigh and
your right heel resting close to your pubic bone. To keep the
movement out of your knee and in your hip, be sure to rotate
the head of your thighbone back and down, rolling your upper
thigh toward the back of your pelvis while elongating your
inner thigh muscles. Once this external rotation is established,
turn your pelvis as far forward as possible and align your torso
over your left thigh so your heart and sternum are centered
forward toward your left knee and in alignment with your pubic
bone. Grip your wrist around your left foot (or hold your left
foot with both hands) and straighten your arms as you inhale.
Exhale to fold forward and reach your chin to your left shin.
Keep your torso lifting up and away from your pelvis by
drawing in your abdomen, engaging your pelvic floor, and
stretching your back muscles. Direct your gaze gently toward
the toes on your left foot (see fig. 7.8). Since you are working
your body in at least two directions—back and down with the
hip and forward and away with your torso—this pose increases
coordination and brain function. The action of drawing in your
lower belly also helps purify the interior space of your pelvis
and your digestive system. Opening the inner thigh helps
cleanse the kidney meridians.
If you are a beginner or have tighter hip joints, you may find
it useful to close the knee only partially and allow it to hover
slightly off the ground with a block or towel placed under it for
support. As your hip joint opens, remove the prop. If you feel
pain inside the knee joint, back off a little by leaving the sole of
your right foot closer to your left knee than to the upper inner
thigh. If you can bend your knee fully but it is still off the floor,
you are safe as long as there is no pain.
One other modification to help alleviate pain in the knee is to
roll your right thigh inward toward the front of your pelvis
instead of outward. This lessens the rotation and can
sometimes relieve pressure in the knee. Try both options if you
find the pose difficult and build up to the full pose over many
years of practice. After five long, deep breaths on the right
side, inhale and straighten your spine, then exhale and settle
into the movement. Inhale and lift up; exhale and jump back.
Repeat the pose on the opposite side.
If you are a total beginner and have advanced this far in the
seated poses, you might want to stop here and get used to
maintaining a daily practice before learning the remainder of
the seated poses. You could skip the remaining seated poses
and move immediately to backbends if you feel your stamina
and endurance are challenged. It is better to have a shorter
practice you can do more frequently than a longer practice you
do only occasionally. Continuity is one of the main
determinations of success in yoga practice.

BENEFITS
Cleanses the liver, kidneys, and abdominal organs
Stimulates the kidney meridian
Improves digestion

JANU SIRSASANA B
Head-to-Knee Pose B
Drishti: Padhayoragrai (Toes)

Figure 7.9

Enter this pose in the same way you entered Janu Sirsasana A,
following the same vinyasa. Start with your right knee pointed
outward at a ninety-degree angle. Place your hands on the floor
and lift your pelvis off the ground (see fig. 7.10). Push your
body forward over your right foot until your pelvis rests on top
of it and your right knee points out to the side between eighty
and eighty-five degrees. Allow your perineum to make contact
with the heel of your right foot and let your weight rest there.
Be sure to use the same principles of outward rotation as in the
previous pose to protect your knee and safely enter the pose.
Try to keep your right foot flexed so the toes are pointing
forward toward your left foot.
 Figure 7.10

If you are a beginner, pointing your toes and bringing your

knee closer to forty-five degrees will lessen some of your
discomfort. However, this pose will always be slightly
uncomfortable. After getting your right foot into the
appropriate position, align your torso forward over your left
leg, and grip your wrist around your left foot or hold on to your
foot with both hands as you inhale. Then exhale to enter the
pose, folding forward toward your left shin (see fig. 7.9).
Pressing your heel into your perineum is meant to stimulate
the engagement of your pelvic floor. Awakening the energy
centers in the pelvic region and stimulating the vagus nerve
induces a state of relaxation. Once you have established the
proper anatomical and technical details for your lower body,
begin aligning your torso and pubic bone along the centerline
of your body, facing forward as much as possible. Janu
Sirsasana B involves a deeper stretch through the sacrum and
lower back, and it helps open this area for deeper external
rotations. Remember to support your body by drawing in your
abdomen, engaging your pelvic floor, and lifting your torso up
and away from the external rotation that grounds your pelvis.
Gaze at the toes on your left foot. If your chin cannot make
contact with your shin, you can either place your forehead on
your shin and gaze at your nose, or reach your torso forward
and keep your gaze on your toes. After five breaths, inhale and
lift your spine. Exhale and settle into the pose. Inhale and lift
up; exhale and jump back. Repeat the pose on the opposite
side.

BENEFITS
Cleanses the liver, kidneys, and abdominal organs
Stimulates the kidney meridian
Improves digestion
Opens the sacrum

JANU SIRSASANA C
Head-to-Knee Pose C
Drishti: Padhayoragrai (Toes)

Figure 7.11

This is one of the poses in the Ashtanga Yoga sequence that

seems a little scary when you first approach it. While you do
want to proceed with caution, this is a safe and effective pose if
practiced with awareness.
Inhale, and jump through to a seated position from
Downward-Facing Dog after the last vinyasa in Janu Sirsasana
B. Begin by moving into Janu Sirsasana A, closing your right
knee joint totally and externally rotating your hip joint to the
fullest extent. Soften your knee and place no tension around
the muscles that support it. Lift your whole right leg off the
ground while keeping the knee bent and closed. Flex your right
foot strongly but keep your knee soft; increase the external
rotation and movement in your right hip joint. Grip the base of
your toes by interlacing your right hand around your ankle so
you are holding your foot underneath your ankle. Twist your
foot by opening the Achilles tendon and ankle joint, and place
all five toes on the ground as close to your left thigh as
possible. Point your heel up, slightly back, and to the left.
Support the instep of your right foot on your inner left thigh.
Keep your toes and ankle engaged, and support the pose with
the external rotation of your right hip joint and the engagement
of your pelvic floor.
Once you have fully rotated your hip joint and your ankle,
your right knee should be out to the side between seventy-five
and eighty degrees. Do not put pressure on your knee. If you
are able to keep all five toes on the floor, let go of your foot and
see if your knee floats down to the ground. If it doesn’t reach,
do not try to force it. You may need to place a block, towel, or
some other support under it. If all five toes are not on the
ground, see if you can scoot your hips and pelvis forward to
increase the fold in your ankle joint. If this is not possible, you
may want to sit on a block when you first attempt this pose;
this gives you space to rotate your hip joint and figure out how
to twist your ankle without injuring your knee. Should you
choose to use a block, do so for a few months and gradually
lessen your dependence on it.
This pose should be slightly uncomfortable for your toes.
Relax as much as possible and surrender to the experience. By
entering this movement, you are stretching your ankles deeply
and relieving pressure in your feet and toes. Be sure to engage
your pelvic floor for support.
After twisting your ankle as much as possible, align your
body forward over your left leg and grip your left foot or clasp
your wrist around your ankle. Exhale to enter the pose, folding
forward over your left thigh (see fig. 7.11). As you bend, your
right knee will move closer to the ground, but do not force your
body into the movement. After five breaths, inhale and lift your
spine, then exhale and settle into the pose. Inhale and lift up;
exhale and jump back. Repeat the pose on the opposite side.

BENEFITS
Cleanses the liver, kidneys, and abdominal organs
Stimulates the kidney meridian
Improves digestion
Stretches the toes, Achilles tendons, and ankles

MARICHASANA A
Pose Dedicated to Sage Marichi A
Drishti: Padhayoragrai (Toes)

Figure 7.12

This is the first in a series of four poses named after the Indian
sage Marichi, son of Brahma, who could create life with the
power of his mind. It is said that by practicing poses named
after a sage, you get the qualities of that particular person.
Marichi is also considered to be the progenitor of the Vedic
Adam, or father of humanity, so it is no wonder that so many
poses are named after him. There are, in fact, four additional
poses named after Marichi in the Ashtanga Yoga Fourth Series.
All of them involve either forward bends or twists from a seated
position while you attempt to keep your pelvis as stable and
level as possible.
To enter Marichasana A, inhale as you jump through to a
seated position from Downward-Facing Dog after the last
vinyasa in Janu Sirsasana C. Bend your right knee and place
the sole of your right foot flat on the floor about a hand’s
distance away from your left thigh. Bend your right knee
completely so the heel of your right foot is as close as possible
to your right thigh, aligning your foot with the outer edge of
your sit bone or the outer edge of your right hip joint. Keep
your pelvis as level as possible. Bend slightly forward from the
waist toward your left thigh while firmly drawing in your
abdomen and pelvic floor. Reach your right arm and shoulder
down around your right shin, rotating your shoulder forward,
bending your elbow, and reaching your hand along the back of
your body, making contact with either your right thigh or your
right lower back. Reach your left arm behind your back and
search for your right hand. Catch your left wrist with the right
hand or interlace the fingers of both hands. If you cannot reach
your fingers, hold a towel behind your back or let your fingers
hover in the air. Look for the sensation of binding your fingers
to close the energetic loop between your right and left hands.
Engage your shoulders by drawing your shoulder blades
down your back and away from each other and stabilizing your
deltoids. Square your chest and keep your shoulder girdle
open. Exhale as you bend forward and place your chin on your
left shin (see fig. 7.12).
Resist the temptation to let your right sit bone come off the
ground too much when you bend forward. While it is okay to
allow the sit bone to rise slightly, do not dump your weight
forward or to the left. Instead, keep your sit bone grounded,
even if you allow it to rise off the ground a little bit.
There are two crucial directions at work in the body in this
pose. Your right hip joint is in a parallel position but drawn
back intensely and toward the ground. You should feel your
right thigh separating and pulling back from the forward
direction of your torso. This movement opens your sacrum,
widening it to prepare for deep hip-opening poses later, and
also releases all the muscles along your lower back. The second
direction is the reach of your torso forward and away toward
your left thigh. This can only be achieved with a careful
application of all the technical points related to forward bends
that most of the preceding poses have prepared you for. Try
not to round your back or worry about touching your head to
your shin if you feel very tight. Instead, focus on separating
your torso from your right thigh and elongating your spine
forward while reaching your hips back and down. This will
create the type of higher body consciousness needed to go
deeper safely. Remember to coordinate each movement with a
breath so that if you need more than the traditional single
breath to enter and exit the pose, you always unite one breath
with one movement.
Gaze forward toward your left toes. After five breaths, inhale
and straighten your spine. Exhale to settle into the pose. Inhale
and lift up; exhale and jump back. Repeat the pose on the
opposite side.

BENEFITS
Cleanses the liver, kidneys, and abdominal organs
Improves digestion
Opens the hips and shoulders

MARICHASANA B
Pose Dedicated to Sage Marichi B
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 7.13

Marichasana B increases the challenge of opening your hip

joints, sacrum, and shoulders, and it demands greater support
from your lower belly and pelvic floor to enter the pose safely.
Inhale and jump through to seated position from Downward-
Facing Dog after the last vinyasa in Marichasana A. Take your
left leg into half-lotus position, following the movement pattern
outlined in Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimattanasana. Make
sure the top of your left foot is resting firmly in your hip crease,
your heel is pressing into the right side of your lower abdomen,
and your left knee is resting on the floor. Bend your right knee
in the same fashion as in Marichasana A. As you do this, your
left knee will rise off the floor slightly. Be careful not to tense
your left knee; just let it be there in a relaxed and open way. If
you are already challenged and find this movement hard, stay
here for at least five breaths and then modify by placing your
left foot underneath your right hip joint to proceed to the next
step of the pose (see fig. 7.14).

Figure 7.14

With the half-lotus or a sufficient modification in place, lean

your weight forward so your left knee rests firmly on the floor
and your sit bones start to lift off the ground a bit. Do not dump
your weight forward or to the left. Carefully shift your weight
into your right big toe and heel. Just as in Marichasana A, you
must work with at least two different directions: forward with
your torso, and back and down with your hips. Do not be too
rigid in your application of the technique; remember to explore
with your body and the movement.
Once you have bent forward from the waist, reach your right
arm and shoulder down around your right shin, rotating your
right shoulder forward so that your hand rests gently along the
back of your body, making contacting with either your right
thigh or your right lower back. Bend forward deeply to
elongate your spine and get your shoulder into the most ideal
position. Reach your left arm behind your back and search for
your right hand; grasp your left wrist, interlace your fingers, or
hold a towel to complete the bind. Align your chest to the
centerline of your body so your sternum and pubic bone point
forward between your legs. Once your hands are bound, exhale
and reach your chin or your forehead to the floor (see fig.
7.13).
Draw your abdomen in and keep your pelvis as level as
possible. Keep your sit bones grounded, even as they rise
slightly off the ground. If your head does not easily reach the
ground, ignore the temptation to round your back forward;
instead, elongate and lengthen your torso out of the solid
foundation of your pelvis. After five breaths, inhale and
straighten your spine; exhale to settle into the pose. Inhale and
lift up; exhale and jump back. Repeat the pose on the opposite
side.

BENEFITS
Cleanses the liver, kidneys, and abdominal organs
Improves digestion
Opens the hips and shoulders
Deepens the bandhas

MARICHASANA C
Pose Dedicated to Sage Marichi C
Drishti: Parsva (Side)

Figure 7.15

This pose deeply cleanses your digestive system by twisting

your spine and torso. When you use the support of your
abdominal and back muscles to facilitate twisting, this
cleansing motion is both safe and effective.
Inhale, jump through from Downward-Facing Dog following
the last vinyasa in Marichasana B, and begin with both legs
outstretched in Dandasana. Bend your right leg and place your
right foot flat on the floor near the outside edge of your right
hip joint and the heel just in front of the sit bone with a hand’s
distance between your foot and your left thigh (the same
position as in Marichasana A). Keep both sit bones firmly
planted on the ground and your pelvis as symmetrically aligned
as possible.
 Draw your lower belly in and lift your spine out of your
pelvis, feeling the energy reach and extend out through the top
of your head. On an inhalation, lift your chest and reach from
your waist and torso over to the right, while bringing your left
arm up and to the right. As you exhale, lean over to the right
with your whole torso, twist your spine, and reach your left arm
down around your right thigh. Rotate your left shoulder
downward while engaging the muscles around your shoulder
girdle on the left side, including the serratus anterior, deltoid,
and lattisimus dorsi. The fingers of your left hand start off
pointing toward the ceiling, but as you rotate your left shoulder
forward, your left elbow bends naturally, creating a bind
around your right shin and knee. Reach the fingers of your left
hand toward your upper left thigh. This becomes the receiving
hand and should not activate too much once it is in place. As
you exhale reach your right hand around your back and allow
both hands to make contact above your upper left thigh. Clasp
your fingers together or hold your right wrist with your left
hand. If you unable to reach your hands, either allow them to
float in the air or use a towel to create a bind. Once you have
achieved this bind by yourself or with assistance, check to be
sure that your pelvis has not shifted from one side to the other
and align the back of your pelvis in as straight a line as
possible. Check that your lower back is not rounded; it should
be lifted and supported up and out of the pelvis (see fig. 7.15).
Eventually this movement is performed as you create space
as you jump through on one inhalation and then take the bind
and enter the pose on one exhalation. However, take your time
if you are a beginner and use your breath to open your body.
Every inhalation creates length and spaciousness in your
body, and every exhalation uses that space to bend safely.
Every movement is a combination of strength and flexibility. If
you are naturally strong, you will need to breathe deeply to get
your strength to soften; if you are naturally flexible, you will
need to concentrate your mind to be sharp and precise so that
your body will strengthen.
In the complete version of this pose, you will feel energy
traveling up to the top of your head. Despite this upward
motion of energy, be careful not to change the rotation of your
left shoulder forward and the position of your torso or you will
twist yourself right out of the bind. Keep your shoulder girdle
in a position so that your left shoulder rotates downward while
the right one opens backward. If you can bind your wrist, then
press down into your left thigh with your right fingers. You
need to keep your torso as close to your right thigh as possible
and lean as much of your body around your right thigh as you
can. Also, keep your abdomen drawn in so the purification of
your internal organs takes place and your spine is supported.
Think about the twisting motion as beginning from just above
the pubic bone with the combination of a lean to the side and a
twist along the spinal axis. Both sit bones should be on the
ground, and your right knee should remain aligned over your
right foot. The slight inward rotation of your right hip joint
flexes your hip and deepens the pose.
After five breaths come out of the pose on an inhalation.
Continue to inhale as you lift up and exhale to jump back, then
repeat the pose on the opposite side.

BENEFITS
Cleanses and massages the abdominal organs
Improves digestion
Relieves constipation
Opens the spine and shoulders
Deepens the bandhas
Relieves back pain
Increases energy flow

MARICHASANA D
Pose Dedicated to Sage Marichi D
Drishti: Parsva (Side)

Figure 7.16

Marichasana D is one of the most challenging poses in the

Ashtanga Yoga series. Considered to be a gateway pose, this
movement challenges your ability to rotate your hip joints
externally and internally, open your shoulders, twist deeply
from your spine, and support your lower back. Full attainment
of the pose indicates proficiency in at least half of the Primary
Series. To avoid unnecessary injury, surrender your ego and
relax your effort in this pose.
Inhale, jump through to a seated position from Downward-
Facing Dog following the last vinyasa of Marichasana C, and
begin in Dandasana. Take your left leg into half-lotus position
as outlined in Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimattanasana. Place
the top of your left foot as close to your right hip crease as
possible, aligning the heel with your lower belly. If you are
unable to perform half-lotus position, take five breaths in your
best half-lotus to open your hip joint and focus on external
rotation. Modify the half-lotus by simply bending your left knee
and tucking your left foot under the top of your right thigh (see
fig. 7.17). Continuing either with half-lotus or modification,
bend your right knee and plant your right foot flat on the
ground so that your foot aligns with the outer edge of your
right hip joint. Lean your weight forward so your left knee
touches the floor, and allow your right sit bone to rise slightly,
if necessary. Even if your right sit bone lifts away from the
floor, keep a sense of groundedness in it.
 Figure 7.17

If you feel pain in your left knee, stop here for five breaths
and then continue with the easy modification. If you do not feel
pain in your knee, keep the half-lotus and hug your right knee
to your chest; flex your right hip joint deeply, and draw your
abdomen in to support your spine. Holding your torso close to
your right leg encourages an internal rotation of the right hip
joint that is necessary for deep twisting. Inhale as you lift your
rib cage, spine, and torso up and over your right thigh from
down inside your pelvis. Reach your whole torso to the right,
lifting it fully around your right thigh.

MODIFICATION

Hook your left shoulder around your right lower thigh and knee
in the same manner as Marichasana C. Reach and rotate your
left shoulder around your right thigh so the elbow bends
naturally around your right shin. Rest your left hand on your
left leg as it is folded in lotus position. Keep your torso close to
your thigh as you reach around your right leg. Avoid pushing
too hard with your left arm, and focus on creating space within
your pelvis and spine to enter the pose. You may need to put
your right hand on the floor behind you to help transfer your
weight forward.
Roll your right shoulder blade down your back, transfer your
weight forward, and exhale as you clasp your hands together to
bind the pose near your left thigh. Once your hands make
contact, either interlace your fingers or hold your right wrist
with your left hand. When your hands come together, the
balance will feel very precarious. Draw your abdomen in and
engage your pelvic floor, allowing your weight to pour into your
right big toe. Soften your left knee; do not squeeze it or force it
down to the floor (see fig. 7.16).
If you cannot bring your hands together, you can either allow
them to float toward each other or use a towel or belt to create
a bind. Once you have achieved this bind by yourself or with
assistance, check to be sure that your pelvis has not shifted too
far from one side to the other and align the back of your pelvis
in as straight a line as possible. Check that your right foot and
left knee are not too far apart or too close together. Be sure
that your lower back is not rounded; it should be lifted and
supported up and out of your pelvis.
Eventually, this movement is performed as you jump through
on one inhalation and then take the bind and enter the pose on
one exhalation, as indicated in the vinyasa count appendix.
However, take your time if you are a beginner and use your
breath to open your body. Do not rush the movement. The
healing benefits of this pose come from wringing out your
digestive system and torso like a wet towel. Toxins will flood
your bloodstream as they release from the rest of your body.
Breathe deeply and remain calm.

ADVANCED POSE WITH BOTH SIT BONES DOWN

Figure 7.18

Some students can enter the complete pose with both sit bones
on the ground, but this is not recommended for beginners or
even intermediate students (see fig. 7.18). There are many
roadblocks to achieving this pose, but if you practice regularly
and relax your effort, you will find your way. Remember to take
each movement as a complete step, and do not rush into
attempting the bind. Listen to your body and be sure that you
have fully integrated each step before moving on to the next. If
you feel a sense of panic or restricted breathing, relax into the
uncertainty. Over time, you will learn how to breathe into new
spaces in your lungs to get a full, deep breath while in this
pose.
After five breaths, inhale and lift up; exhale and jump back.
Repeat the pose on the opposite side.

BENEFITS
Cleanses and massages the abdominal organs
Improves digestion
Relieves constipation
Opens the spine and shoulders
Deepens the bandhas
Relieves back pain
Increases energy flow

NAVASANA
Boat Pose
Drishti: Padhayoragrai (Toes)

Figure 7.19
 Figure 7.20

There are two parts to this pose, and both are repeated five
times to build strength. The first portion (see fig. 7.19) is
typically referred to as Navasana by all the yoga traditions,
whereas the second portion (see fig. 7.20) is more commonly
referred to as Lolasana (Pendant Pose) in styles other than
Ashtanga. Both are repeated, challenging movements that train
your core muscles.
Inhale and jump through to a seated position from
Downward-Facing Dog following the last vinyasa of
Marichasana D. Bend your knees and roll your pelvis under
toward the back of your sit bones. Allow the flesh between the
sit bones and the tailbone to melt into the floor. Before
attempting to lift your legs off the ground, build a foundation
from the inside of your pelvis. Let your sit bones, tailbone, and
pubic bone move toward each other while you strongly engage
your pelvic floor.
Gently pull in your abdomen, and draw your stomach back
toward your spine. Once this inward motion is accomplished,
let your stomach draw down so that it feels like you are
thrusting your sit bones into the ground from within. Like
anchors that hold your body in place, your sit bones and the
bottom of your pelvis should feel firmly planted in the ground.
Once your foundation is strong, allow your legs to lift and
straighten as an extension of this inner awareness. Pull the
heads of the femurs deeply into your pelvis. Press your big toes
together and engage the inside of your quadriceps to
encourage a slight inward rotation. Try not to overuse your hip
flexors; instead, lift your lower body with deeper, more internal
muscles. Lift your spine out of your pelvis to create length and
lift your torso. Ignore the temptation to round your back. Arms
are straight and parallel with the floor, shoulders are rolled
down your back, and chest is raised.
If you find this pose challenging, you may, for a limited time,
bend your knees while lifting your feet off the floor, as long as
you are still doing the work of strengthening the interior space
of your pelvis. Each time you do Navasana, try to straighten
your legs a little more so that your body is at a ninety-degree
angle. If you are not able to do this in five repetitions of five
breaths each, you can build up to the full version of the pose
with regular practice. Do not compromise the work of your
pelvis for a higher lift of your legs. After one round of five
breaths, move into the second portion of the pose.
The second portion involves lifting your entire body off the
ground. You perform this lift in between the five successive
Navasana repetitions so that the interior work on your pelvis
accelerates in intensity, and it can actually get very strong if
you maintain inner awareness. Enter the movement directly
from the first part of Navasana; bend your knees into your
chest, cross them at the shins as in the photo, and hold them
there as tightly as possible. Place your hands on the floor a few
inches in front of your pelvis slightly wider than your hips.
Engage your upper body, strengthen your shoulder girdle, and
keep your abdomen drawn in and your pelvic floor engaged.
Lean forward into your arms and lift yourself up. Try not to let
your feet touch the floor, but if they do, keep lifting your hips
higher, drawing the heads of your femurs into the hip joints,
and squeezing your knees into your chest. If you can lift your
hips but not your feet, keep practicing and the strength will
come. Beginners can try lifting only one foot at a time after
they feel solid in lifting the hips while leaning forward into the
arms.
Keeping your legs tucked into your body is crucial in the lift
section. If your legs are soft, they cannot float when you lean
your weight forward into your arms. Practicing Navasana
deepens the flexion of the hip joint, and if done with inner
awareness of the interior space of your pelvis, it can easily
prepare your legs to lift lightly off the ground. After one breath,
gently come down and enter the first phase of Navasana again.
Repeat five times, then jump directly back as you exhale.

BENEFITS
Relieves constipation
Strengthens the core muscles
Energizes the kidneys, prostate, and thyroid

BHUJAPIDASANA
Shoulder Pressing Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 7.21

Bhujapidasana is the first arm balance of the Ashtanga Yoga

Primary Series. It combines the external hip rotation and basic
strength developed in the vinyasa movements in a challenging
yet accessible way. If you have never tried an arm balance
before, it will feel like a magical lift off the ground and test
your boundaries for what you believe is possible. Start with a
relaxed attitude and be willing to put in the work it takes over
a long period. Both the pose itself and the traditional entry and
exit are demanding. The complete movement requires mental
and physical stamina. Do not quit, even if it seems absolutely
impossible at first. Surrender to the whole learning and
evolutionary process.
From Adho Mukha Svanasana, jump your feet forward and
apart so that they are on the outside edges of your hands. Walk
your feet even farther forward so they move ahead of your
hands. Allow your hip joints to flex and your thighs to separate
from your torso and roll forward of your shoulders like in
Marichasana A. For an easy setup, bend your arms slightly and
step on your hands while keeping the heels of both hands
planted firmly on the ground and allowing the thighs to rest on
the shelf of the upper arms. If you find this challenging, stop
here and work on this movement for five breaths, then jump
back. If you are able to continue, lower your hips slightly while
keeping your thighs above your elbows and engage your
shoulder girdle for upper body support. Grip your fingertips
slightly into the floor, feel the strength of your body, and
engage the pelvic floor. Once you feel stable here, bend your
knees and walk your feet closer together in front of your hands
until the big toes touch. Keep your feet on the floor as you inch
them toward each other; the weight of your body stays
supported by your hands and core strength. If you find this
difficult, stay here for five breaths and then jump back.
Continuing the motion, cross your right foot over your left,
flex them firmly around each other, and hold that position.
Once you feel stable, press into your arms, lean forward
slightly, and lift your feet off the floor in a flexed position
without falling backward (see fig. 7.21). Thrust firmly into your
hands, opening your collarbones, and drawing your shoulder
blades down your back; support your body with a firm lift from
your abdomen. If you are new to the pose, stay here for five
breaths and keep your weight away from the floor. Send your
chest forward without arching your back, lift your pelvis, and
press firmly down into your hands.
 If you can balance in the preliminary movement, exhale and
bring the top of your head down to the floor while maintaining
the support in your hands and arms. Walk your feet through
the space between your hands, point your toes, and lift your
feet completely off the floor while keeping your ankles crossed
(see fig. 7.22). If you can maintain balance throughout the
movement, keep your feet floating while you bend your arms
and lift your feet between your hands.

Figure 7.22

Advanced students who can flow through these movements

easily can jump directly into the first portion of the pose, where
you cross your feet and balance on your hands, in one breath. If
you are this advanced, you should reach your chin and not the
top of your head to the floor, keeping your feet off the ground
for the whole movement. This is the complete version of the
pose (see fig. 7.23).
 Figure 7.23

Whether you have the top of your head or your chin on the
floor, hold the pose for five breaths, then lift your head off the
ground and bring your feet back to the front of your hands.
Repeat whichever movement you used to get your feet behind
your hands, walking on the floor or floating them back. When
you lift your head, think about sending your chest forward
while pressing firmly into your arms. You ideally exit a pose
with same level of integrity as when you entered it. Be careful
not to let too much weight rest in your hips or else you will fall
backward. If that happens, just pick yourself up and try again.
Give yourself at least three tries every day, but no more.
Jumping back from this pose requires endurance and stamina
of the mind and body. First, find your balance again in the
preparation stage where your feet are crossed and you are
balancing on your arms. Lean to your right and bring your left
leg around so that the left knee is bent and sits as close to the
left armpit as possible. Then lean to the left and bring your
right leg around to a similar position. This transition passes
through a posture called Bakasana (Crow Pose). Bend both of
your arms and exhale to jump back. Originate the movement
from your core and breathe deeply. Take as many breaths as
you need to complete the movement; do not rush. Do not worry
about attaining a perfect transition, just lean your chest
forward and press your arms to jump back.
If you are an advanced student, you will be able to bring both
feet around your arms at the same time by leaning your chest
forward and lifting your pelvis in equal measure up and
forward over your arms. Once in Bakasana position, lean your
body weight farther forward while bending your arms slightly
to initiate the jump back. There will be a strong temptation to
put your feet down before jumping back. Breathe deeply and
keep your body lifted with the strength of your shoulder girdle
and your core muscles. Let the interior space of your body do
the work in the pose as much as possible. Exhale as you jump
back to Chaturanga Dandasana.

BENEFITS
Improves balance
Strengthens the core, arms, shoulders, and wrists
Purifies the abdominal organs
Builds self-confidence

KURMASANA/SUPTA KURMASANA
Tortoise Pose/Sleeping Tortoise Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 7.24
 Figure 7.25

These two poses form one of the great gateway poses of the
Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series, and they test the strength,
stability, and openness of both body and mind. This movement
asks you to have a good understanding of the bandhas, hip
rotation, and elongation of the back muscles. The challenge of
moving deeply into the pelvis and the hip joints here may be
rather intense. Proceed slowly, giving your body the time and
space it needs to open.
From Adho Mukha Svanasana, jump or step your feet around
your hands, walking them as far forward as you can so that
your thighs hug your shoulders and your torso fits between
your thighs as much as possible. Bend your elbows, allow your
hips to sink to the ground, then slide your hands out to the
side, palms facing downward. You might feel like letting your
hips hit the ground with a clunk, but try to control the
movement as much as possible. (More proficient students will
be able to jump directly into position, with the thighs resting on
the upper arms and balancing above the ground before
allowing the hips to sink.) Once your hips and pelvis are on the
ground, extend your legs out from your hips and straighten
your legs and knees. Ignore the temptation to let your legs
widen by squeezing your thighs as close to your shoulders as
possible. Flatten your back by elongating your spine and torso.
Reach your heart and the center of your chest toward the floor
and open your collarbones by pressing your shoulders into your
thighs to prevent any compression around the front of your
chest. Roll your shoulder blades down your back while
engaging your shoulder girdle for both stability and openness
through your chest, hips, and back.
If you can, engage your legs until they are totally straight
and your heels lift off the ground. To lift your legs higher, pull
the head of each femur deeper into its hip socket and activate
your pelvic floor. Engage the insides of your knees and press
your chin into the ground while lifting your hips, thereby
creating deeper flexion of the hip joints and space to slide your
torso farther back between your thighs. Breathe deeply
through your whole body, but don’t breathe too much into your
abdomen. Try to soften and relax your hip joints while allowing
energy to flow freely throughout the interior space of your
pelvis. Stay in Kurmasana for five breaths (see fig. 7.24).
Moving into Supta Kurmasana (see fig. 7.25) requires that
you rotate your hip joints externally while keeping the
elongation in your back muscles and the openness in your
shoulder girdle. Begin by turning your knees out to the sides
and slide your arms even farther back under your thighs;
bending your arms back will cause your shoulders to rotate. If
possible, bring your feet as close together as possible. Rotate
your shoulders downward and elongate the joints so that your
hands reach up around the lower portion of your back. See if
you can interlock your fingers or hold your wrist as you exhale.
You can hold a towel if your hands won’t touch. If you are
practicing with a teacher, this is the place to wait for an
adjustment to help take you deeper.
Once your hands are interlocked, cross your right ankle over
the left in front of your head, or bring your feet as close
together as possible. More advanced students will find that
sitting up and placing both legs behind the head is a better
option for going deeper into the pose. If you are attempting the
more advanced method, you should master crossing your
ankles on the floor or seek the assistance of a teacher first. Be
careful to locate the external rotation in your hip joints. If you
feel pressure on your knees while moving into the beginner or
advanced version, back off.
Having both legs behind your head increases the upward
flow of energy along your spine and demands a high degree of
openness in your pelvis and hip joints. It also requires stability
deep within the body. After holding with your ankles crossed
for five breaths, inhale as you lift directly off the ground,
keeping your legs crossed behind your head (see fig. 7.26). To
lift up while maintaining the full posture, spread your arms
slightly wider than shoulder width apart when lifting up from
the floor. Engage your deltoids and your shoulder girdle while
pressing your neck back into your legs. Begin looking up as you
press your arms into the ground with the same power
cultivated in the vinyasas and in Navasana. Release your feet,
coming into Tittibhasana or Firefly Pose (see fig 7.27).
Although this is a full posture in the Intermediate Series, you
pass through it only in transition, so do not worry too much
about perfecting it. Just move through the pose as best as
possible. Exhale as you take back your legs to Bakasana pose
(see fig 7.28) in the same manner as in Bujapidasana. In full
Bakasana pose the knees are placed directly into the armpits,
but in the Primary Series, this pose is a transition; just pass
through it to the best of your ability. The key lesson of this
transition is to move through the best possible version of the
challenging poses while keeping your feet off the ground. Do
not stop to set up for these poses; just flow through them. After
you reach Bakasana, exhale as you jump back to Chaturanga
Dandasana.
Figure 7.26
Figure 7.27
 Figure 7.28

The entire movement will challenge your endurance and

stamina. This energetic pose deeply heals past emotional hurt,
particularly around the hip joints, and increases inner
awareness of the body. If you cannot perform this pose with
ease in your daily practice, I advise stopping here before
moving on. Skip the remaining seated poses and proceed to the
backbending section.

BENEFITS
Opens the hips and the energy channels around the hips
Strengthens the shoulders
Improves digestion
Treats depression, anxiety, and anger
Builds endurance

GARBHA PINDASANA
Womb Embryo Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 7.29

This is the first full lotus position of the Primary Series. You
may find it strange that it comes after you’ve put your legs
behind your head, but this pose comprises far more than
merely sitting in lotus position. It involves having enough
relaxed, dynamic control of the position to generate movement
within the lotus. Additionally, since the knees are fully bent, it
requires the full rotation of the hip joints along with complete
relaxation of the lower back and interior space of the pelvis. So
in some ways this is a more demanding movement than Supta
Kurmasana.
Start out by following the healthy external rotation
techniques outlined for Ardha Baddha Padma
Paschimattanasana. If you can do half-lotus comfortably, which
should be possible if you can perform all the preceding poses in
the Primary Series with relative ease, then begin rotating the
right leg externally, making sure your knee joint is closed and
the knee points out to the side. Lift your right knee slightly as
you bring your left foot under your right shin to move into
seated half-lotus position. Once you feel comfortable here, take
your left knee out to the side even more while keeping your
knee joints closed. Allow your right knee to float toward the
ground, but do not push it there. Gently lift your left foot over
your right shin, aiming the top of the foot toward your right hip
crease. Be careful not to let your right foot slip off as you direct
your left foot into position. Ideally, both heels will align on the
outside edges of your navel so that when you fold your lotus in
toward your body, your heels will press into the interior space
of your pelvis.
If you feel comfortable in lotus position and are able to relax
completely, then you can move further into the full expression
of the pose. If you find the full lotus position challenging, do
not attempt to force your way into the pose. You can proceed
by continuing from half-lotus pose after reaching your
maximum capacity or proceed directly to backbends, skipping
the remainder of the seated poses.
Continuing with the pose, draw your legs into your chest. If
you are working with half-lotus, wrap both of your arms around
your thighs and hold your bottom foot to support it underneath.
If you are working with full lotus position, aim your hands
through the small holes between your upper calf and your
thigh. If your hands get stuck, roll up your pants (or wear
shorts) and spray yourself with water to make your skin more
slippery. Next, cup your hands and aim them, fingers first,
toward the center, through the seemingly imperceptible holes
and twist your arms from your fingers to your elbows like
corkscrews. Once you get as far as your elbows, bend your
arms, continue twisting, and follow the spiraling motion to
support the rotation of your arms through your legs.
You may find it easier to start off with your right arm and get
it all the way through. Then once the left arm gets in a little
more than halfway, you can use your right hand to grip the left
and pull it through. Finally, bend your elbows deeply, reach
your hands to your ears, and gaze at the tip of your nose (see
fig. 7.29). Be careful not to squeeze your knees while you are
trying to wiggle your arms through your legs. If you can get
into lotus position but cannot reach your hands through, then
merely hold your lotus into the chest and bind your hands
together around your legs.
Once you find your balance, use your bandhas to ground your
pelvis firmly while creating space around your hip joints to
rotate outward even farther. Beginners will find that merely
holding the lotus or half-lotus position into the body while
grabbing the thighs really challenges their sense of balance
(see fig. 7.30). Apply the same grounding principles as you
used in Navasana. The strength you developed inside your
pelvis establishes the awareness you need to roll over your
spine in the next step of this and many other poses in the
remainder of the series.
 Figure 7.30

Once you are able to take five breaths in this balancing

position, you are ready to begin rolling up and down on the
outside of your spine, exhaling as you go back and inhaling as
you come up. To prepare, hold your head with your hands and
roll down along the outer portion of your right back muscles
and up along the outer portion of your left back muscles,
keeping the movement as close to your spine as possible
without putting pressure on the vertebrae (see fig. 7.31). The
first time you try this, you may want to go up and down in the
same position just to get used to the movement. If you have a
thin yoga mat, place a towel under your spine for the initial
stages of rolling. Once you get proficient at the movement, you
will not need any additional padding.
 Figure 7.31

After you are able to easily roll up and down five times in the
same position, you can try rolling to the right in a circle,
turning very slightly on each backward and forward movement.
Draw your abdomen in and direct your movement based on
your center of gravity. Use your pelvis as the steering wheel for
your body and avoid using your hands to direct the movement.
Relax your shoulders and allow your inner strength to control
the whole movement. Do not give up if you fall off to the side;
use your pelvis to return to your back and begin again,
initiating the movement with the breath so that you exhale
down and inhale up while turning slightly. Although
traditionally, you get five rolls to return to your starting point,
take as many as you need while you are learning. Continue
immediately into the next pose with no vinyasa.

BENEFITS
Builds the bandhas, core strength, and awareness of the
central axis
Improves digestion
Increases balance
Strengthens the entire body

KUKKUTASANA
Cock Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 7.32

Enter this pose directly from Garbha Pindasana. Inhale after

you return to center and roll all the way up to a seated position.
If you are in full lotus and your arms are through your legs, you
will need to allow your legs to slide down slightly so they are
closer to the ground and your wrists. If you are in either half-
lotus or full lotus without your arms through your legs, then
place your hands in the same position as they were in the lift-
up between Navasana counts. Whichever version you are using,
lean your body weight forward into your hands and press the
base of the fingers, fingertips, and heel of each hand firmly into
the ground. Pull in your lower belly, squeeze your lower ribs
toward each other, engage your legs, and draw your shoulder
blades down your back. Be careful not to lean so far forward
that you fall. Find the perfect balance between too much and
too little effort (see fig. 7.32).
 Draw your knees as far into your chest as possible and
breathe deeply. Allow your strength to come from your whole
body. After five deep breaths, release the pose, gently releasing
your hands and removing your arms from between your thighs
but keeping the lotus position if you can. More advanced
students can jump back directly from lotus position. Beginners
can release their version of lotus or half-lotus and then jump
back from a simple cross-legged position. Remember to inhale
as you lift up and exhale to jump back to Chaturanga
Dandasana.

BENEFITS
Builds the bandhas, core strength, and awareness of the
central axis
Improves digestion
Increases balance
Strengthens the entire body
Increases self-confidence

BADDHA KONASANA A AND B

Bound Angle Pose A and B
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 7.33
 Figure 7.34

This pose involves an external rotation of both hip joints and a

full bend in the knees, doubling the flexibility required in Janu
Sirsasana A. Be careful from the beginning not to force yourself
into the pose and damage your knees. Be patient and allow the
movement to come from your hip joints and a release of your
inner thighs.
Inhale and jump through to a seated position from
Downward-Facing Dog. Begin by drawing the soles of your feet
together. Press the outer edges of both feet together and,
holding your feet at the base of the big toe mound in the ball of
each foot, use your hands to actively turn the soles of your feet
toward the ceiling. Keep the outside edges of your feet by the
little toes together so that the bases of the little toes and the
outside of the heels maintain contact. Keep pressing your heels
together and keep your legs active. Your knees should point out
to the side and bend as deeply as possible. Keep the knee joints
closed while thrusting your feet into each other to help protect
your knees while your hips and thighs open. If this pose is new
to you, expect to feel a steady burning sensation along your
inner thighs and around your hip joints closest to the pelvis.
Breathe deeply, and draw your pelvic floor and abdomen in.
Make sure your spine is straight.
Once you have established your foundation in your legs,
begin applying the safe forward bend technique used
throughout the Primary Series to reach your chest and chin
toward the floor and send your pubic bone back as you exhale.
Keep your back straight for the first version of the pose,
lengthening and elongating your back muscles, and ignore the
temptation to round your back to get closer to the floor (see fig.
7.33). Gravity needs time to soften your inner thighs, so give
this pose more than the usual five breaths if necessary to reach
maximum flexibility. Get your pelvis as close to your feet as
possible when you fold forward. After at least five breaths,
inhale back to an upright straight spine and then exhale to
round your back for the second version.
Draw your abdomen in strongly and support your spine’s
movement into deeper flexion to enter Baddha Konasana B (see
fig. 7.34). Round your back and aim the top of your head at
your insteps. Be careful not to compress your spine; use the
spaciousness created by your strong inner work to enter the
pose safely and easily. Stay in it for five breaths.
My teacher would recommend that students who felt very
tight in their hips hold this pose for up to fifty breaths. But if
you feel a burning or pinching sensation in your knees, that is a
sign to back off, not to go deeper. The pain may lessen if you
place a towel, block, or bolster under each knee. If, however,
you feel intense sensations in your ankles, back muscles, hip
joints, or inner thighs, that is a sign that the pose is targeting
the intended areas. Continue on with caution, care, and love.
Return to a straight spine on an inhalation. Exhale and hold
the pose (see fig. 7.35). Then inhale to lift up; exhale to jump
back.
 Figure 7.35

BENEFITS
Cleanses the kidneys, bladder, prostate, ovaries, and other
abdominal organs
Opens the kidney meridian
Improves circulation
Stretches the inner thighs, groin, and hips
Treats fatigue
Aids in childbirth

UPAVISTHA KONASANA
Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose) and Urdhva (Up to the Sky)

Figure 7.36

Figure 7.37

Inhale, and jump through to a seated position from Downward-

Facing Dog following the last vinyasa in Baddha Konasana.
Spread your legs wide apart and hold on to the outside edge of
each foot. Your legs should be as far apart as the width of your
shoulder girdle allows. There is no need to attempt a full
straddle here, as the purpose of this pose is more on releasing
your back forward and deepening the rotation of your hip joints
in relation to your torso. Once your legs are spread and you are
holding your feet, engage your arms just enough to guide your
shoulder blades down your back. Do not pull too hard or you
may overstretch your inner thigh and hamstring.
Moving gently from the waist, draw your lower belly in and
let gravity help your torso slide down between your thighs to
enter the pose (see fig. 7.36). Draw your trochanters (the upper
portion of the thighbone near the pelvis) back to ground your
pelvis and prevent your sit bones from rising off the floor.
Engage your quadriceps and send energy out through the base
of each big toe while pulling the heads of your thighbones into
your pelvis. Keep the feet flexed. Be careful not to pooch your
belly out. For the first segment of this pose, it is crucial that
you relax your effort and be gentle with your body. If you
cannot reach your chin to the floor, place the top of your head
on the floor. If this is impossible while maintaining a relatively
straight spine, breathe patiently and soon it will be possible.
Opening your inner thighs releases a key meridian for kidney
and sugar balance in the body. Stay in this position for at least
five breaths.
For the second portion of the pose, lean back so your pelvis is
in the same position as it was in Navasana, with your abdomen
drawn in and your pelvic floor engaged. Inhale as you let go of
your feet, lift your legs with either straight or bent knees, and
again grip the outsides of your feet near the little toes in a
balancing position (see fig 7.37). Engage your legs fully and
reach them outward from the base of each big toe; point your
feet and counterbalance by drawing the head of each femur
deeper into its hip socket. Lift your spine up and out of your
pelvis to create the hint of a spinal extension and look up while
raising the sternum. Make sure your pelvis is planted firmly on
the ground and supported by your inner body. To make the
transition out of intense forward bends into backbends, which
comes at the end of the practice, you must be able to release
your spine and gently encourage extension. This pose goes
from a forward bend that is supported on the floor to a balance
that encourages extension and strengthens your back muscles.
Balance here for five breaths. Take your hands to the floor.
Inhale and lift up; exhale and jump back to Chaturanga
Dandasana.

BENEFITS
Cleanses the kidneys, bladder, prostate, ovaries, and other
abdominal organs
Opens the kidney meridian
Improves circulation
Stretches the inner thighs, groin, and hips
Treats fatigue

SUPTA KONASANA
Reclining Angle Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 7.38

Inhale and jump through to a seated position from Downward-

Facing Dog after the last vinyasa from Upavistha Konasana.
Exhale as you lie flat on your back. Inhale and lift your legs
over the top of your head so that you roll all the way onto your
shoulders. Touch your toes to the floor and spread your legs as
wide apart as the length of your arms permits. Grasp your big
toes firmly and flex your feet while taking the majority of your
weight on your shoulders and your big toes. Leave enough
space for at least a finger under the arch of your neck when
you enter the pose fully (see fig. 7.38). Lift your spine out of
your pelvis so that your back muscles support and lift your
body. Keep your hips neatly stacked over your shoulders.
Ignore the temptation to collapse your back into a rounded
position. Draw your lower belly in and lift with your body’s own
strength. This pose prepares you for inverted poses like
Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand) that come in the
finishing sequence and strengthens your back for backbends.
After five breaths, inhale and roll your spine slowly up
through a very brief balance and exhale softly as you land on
the ground. Keep your legs straight throughout the movement.
Do not hold the balance point; just pause long enough so that
you can control the landing. When lowering down, try to land
gently by reaching the calf muscles into the floor first and
pulling back on your big toes with your fingers. Lower your
feet, chest, and chin all the way down to the floor (see fig.
7.39). Just as in the previous pose, do not push when folding
forward; simply relax into the movement. After your head and
feet touch down, immediately inhale and lift your head while
holding on to your toes, exhale and settle into the pose. Inhale
and lift up; exhale and jump back.

Figure 7.39

BENEFITS
Cleanses the kidneys, bladder, prostate, ovaries, and other
abdominal organs
Opens the kidney meridian
Improves circulation
Stretches the inner thighs, groin, and hips
Treats fatigue
Increases awareness of the body’s center of gravity and the
bandhas

SUPTA PADANGUSTHASANA
Reclining Big Toe Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose) and Parsva (Side)

Figure 7.40

Inhale and jump through to a seated position from Downward-

Facing Dog after the last vinyasa of Supta Konasana. Exhale as
you lie flat on your back. Point your toes, press your heels into
the ground, and place both hands on top of your thighs. Inhale
as you lift your right leg into the air and hold on to your right
big toe with your right hand, keeping your left hand firmly on
your left thigh. Press your left heel into the ground and
stabilize your pelvis by strongly drawing in your abdomen. As
you exhale, lift your torso up to meet your right leg. Even if you
are flexible enough to place your right foot on the floor by your
ear, keep your right leg elevated and reach up with the
strength of your body to meet your leg. This pose is not meant
purely to increase flexibility but also to build strength. Feel
your back and core muscles working to lift your torso while
drawing in your lower belly to support that lift. Reach your chin
toward your shin and lift strongly (see fig. 7.40). Flexible
students should pay careful attention to lifting up into the core
strength of the pose. Less flexible students may need to bend
their knees to reach the toe and should focus on keeping both
legs as straight as possible. After five breaths, inhale and lower
your head back to the ground.
Exhale as you extend your right leg out to the side, while
maintaining pressure on your left leg with your left hand. Look
over your left shoulder. Rotate your right hip joint externally to
take your leg fully out to the side (see fig. 7.41). Ignore the
temptation to lift your hips off the ground so you can lower
your right foot all the way. Instead, allow gravity to do the
work for you and concentrate your efforts on keeping your hips
stable and lengthening your inner right thigh. Make sure your
left leg is stable and firm as your foundation. Pressing the
pelvis firmly into the ground will help the hip joints relax. Keep
the right foot pointed.

Figure 7.41

After five breaths, inhale and return your right leg to the
center position. Exhale, lift up, and touch your chin to your
right shin again. Inhale as you put your head down; exhale as
you lower your leg. Repeat the sequence on the opposite side.
Finally, inhale and roll backward into Chakrasana (Wheel
Pose). For a complete explanation of this vinyasa, refer to
Chapter 10.

BENEFITS
Strengthens the core muscles
Stretches the hamstrings
Steadies the mind
Stimulates the prostate

UBHAYA PADANGUSTHASANA
Two-Foot Pose
Drishti: Urdhva (Up to the Sky)

Figure 7.42

Inhale and jump through to a seated position from Downward-

Facing Dog after the last vinyasa in Supta Padangusthasana.
Exhale as you lie flat on your back. Inhale as you lift your feet
over your head and roll onto your shoulders (see fig. 7.43).
Clasp your big toes firmly and exhale. Roll forward again one
vertebra at a time, keeping your abdomen drawn in. Come up
to a balancing position as you inhale to enter the pose fully (see
fig. 7.42). If you are proficient at forward bends, keep your legs
and arms straight as you roll up. If you are a beginner, you
might find it necessary to roll up with bent knees and then
enter the full pose once you find the balance in your pelvis.
Concentrate your locus of control deep within the center of
your body. Ground your pelvis in the floor just as you did in
Navasana, lift your spine out of your pelvis, and look up. Lift
your sternum to the ceiling and spine away from the pelvis.

Figure 7.43

This pose teaches you how to maintain full control over each
vertebra. By performing the movement, you will develop the
inner awareness you need to extend your spine safely. You will
also learn how to move from your center of gravity and direct
your pelvis with its own inner strength. Do not try to hold the
pose with arm strength. Instead, let your arms be relatively
free while your shoulders roll down your back. Reach out
through the soles of your feet and the base of the big toe. Let
each distinct body part be responsible for its own movement.
Your spine lifts itself, your legs remain engaged and rotate
inward, while you gaze up. Pull the head of each femur deeper
into its hip socket to ground your pelvis and lift your legs more
easily. Press the bases of your big toes together to encourage a
slight inward rotation. Point your toes fully. After five breaths,
take your hands to the floor and inhale to lift up; exhale and
jump back.

BENEFITS
Improves digestion
Stretches the hamstrings
Builds the bandhas, core strength, and awareness of the
central axis
Cleanses the internal organs

URDHVA MUKHA PASCHIMATTANASANA

Upward-Facing Intense Stretch
Drishti: Padhayoragrai (Toes)

Figure 7.44

Inhale and jump through to a seated position from Downward-

Facing Dog following the last vinyasa of the previous pose.
Exhale as you lie flat on your back. Inhale as you lift your feet
over your head and roll onto your shoulders as in the previous
pose (see fig. 7.45). Hold the outside edges of your feet near
the heels rather than the big toes. Exhale firmly as you grasp
your feet, rolling back so that your weight presses into the pads
of your toes to develop momentum so you can push off as you
go back. Inhale as you roll up vertebra by vertebra, slowly
controlling the movement and coming to a balancing pose with
your arms and legs straight (see fig. 7.46). If you feel yourself
falling backward, either bend your knees into your chest to roll
up or use your toes to pull the weight of your body forward
while grounding your hips to roll up with straight legs.

Figure 7.45

Figure 7.46

Point your toes as you ground the pelvis with the inner work
of the bandhas. Lift your spine out of this solid foundation. Use
the strength in your arms to pull your thighs down into the
ground and the heads of the femurs deeper into the pelvis.
Exhale as you fold forward, bend your arms bringing your chest
toward your thighs and your chin toward your shins to enter
the pose fully (see fig. 7.44). Look up at your toes. Allow your
shoulder blades to roll down your back and increase the sense
of grounding in your pelvis. Be conscious of keeping
spaciousness around your neck. Let your core muscles rather
than your arms do the work of the pose. Let your sit bones melt
into the floor and strongly draw your abdomen in. Feel your
lower ribs drawing toward the centerline of the body. Be
conscious of the three components of the healthy forward bend.
Hold the full pose for five breaths, then inhale as you
straighten your arms and look up; exhale as you balance in this
position. Place your hands on the floor slightly in front of your
pelvis. Inhale and lift up; exhale and jump back.

BENEFITS
Improves digestion
Stretches the hamstrings
Builds the bandhas, core strength, and awareness of the
central axis
Cleanses the internal organs

SETU BANDHASANA
Spinal Lift Bridge Pose
Drishti: Broomadhya (Eyebrow center)

Figure 7.47

Inhale and jump through to a seated position. Exhale as you lie

flat on your back. Bend your knees, placing your heels together
and your toes apart so the toes point outward and the outside
edge of each foot by the base of the little toe rests on the floor.
Arch your back, placing the top of your head on the floor, and
lift your spine completely off the ground (see fig. 7.48); your
hips remain on the floor. Cross your arms over each other so
that each hand holds the opposite shoulder. As you inhale, lift
your hips by sending your body weight into your legs and up to
the top of your head to enter the pose fully (see fig. 7.47).
Engage your quadriceps and rotate your legs externally to help
them straighten. Send your pelvis and tailbone forward; keep
your abdomen drawn in. Lift your spine vertebra by vertebra,
and engage and elongate your back muscles. Try not to settle
your weight in your neck. Open your upper back and lift your
sternum. Once you feel stable in the pose, if possible point your
toes fully.
 Figure 7.48

This pose prepares your body for backbends by opening the

spine, creating strength throughout your erector spinae
muscles, and solidifying the sense of foundation and direction
in your legs.
You will probably feel an uncomfortable sensation in your
neck; if so, you may want to use your hands for support,
placing them under your shoulders as you lift your hips off the
ground. Gradually lessen your dependence on this support,
because the strengthening of the neck plays a crucial role in
more advanced poses. As your neck, back, and legs get
stronger in this pose, the uncomfortable feeling in the neck will
dissipate.
After five breaths, exit the pose in the same manner as you
entered it, and exhale to come fully down. Place your hands
under your shoulders and inhale, rolling backward into
Chakrasana (see Chapter 10).

BENEFITS
Stretches and strengthens the neck and back
Lifts energy up the spine
Treats fear, anxiety, and depression
Calms the brain
Improves digestion
 8
Backbends: Open Your Heart

WHEN YOU PRACTICE YOGA, YOU SPEND HOURS DELVING into your inner
world. The best yoga practitioners are scientists of the spiritual
world who search for the highest truths. As you enter this
sacred domain, one of the first major challenges you will meet
is the test of your emotionality. The poses that most often crack
open the Pandora’s box of sleeping emotions are backbends.
Emotions have a reality and a life that can sometimes seem
larger than you are. When anger or sadness sets in, a
biochemical reality changes your heart rate, hormonal balance,
and level of muscular tension. Emotions change the chemical
balance of your brain and your body. You think differently
when you feel angry, sad, anxious, depressed, happy, or in love.
Your emotions play a huge role in your overall state of being
and color your world with their many hues. Some portion of
your life will be spent trying to contain your emotions, reacting
to them, or acting on them.
When I first started a daily Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga
practice, my emotions took me for a roller-coaster ride. Not
only did I become more aware of my own sensitivity, but the
yoga practice unearthed a new heightened awareness of the
power and scope of what I was feeling. For example,
backbends often brought up sadness that I would otherwise
have avoided. I could escape the underlying reality of my
feelings for most of the day, but when I opened my spine, I had
no place left to hide. Sometimes there would be no physical
pain, but the tears came anyway. The overwhelming sense of
sadness that releases after deep backbends can feel like the
tears of a thousand lifetimes, but you never have to know
where the sadness comes from; you just want to observe it and
experience it.
The sadness hidden within layers of the emotional body rises
to the surface through the tool of asana. The premise of
emotional healing through deepening yoga poses is based on
the idea that by freeing up and inhabiting every inch of space
in your physical and inner body, the light of your awareness
unlocks and heals old, stuck emotions and patterns. It is hard
to explain, but after a deep backbend, you literally see the
world differently because you inhabit your own body with a
different consciousness. It was through the emotional journey
of the body that I became explicitly conscious of the
repercussions of my actions, in tune with the depth of my own
feelings, and more clear about everything. I attribute much of
my own evolution to the higher insight gained through daily
yoga practice.
The particular revelations that followed deep spinal
movements were usually associated with releasing,
surrendering, letting go. One of the stated purposes of the
deep twisting and bending motions in yoga is literally to stir up
sleeping areas of the body and the emotions. Backbending did
and still does that for me.
In the world of yoga, the body is not separate from the mind.
The body can be understood to exist in an energy field that
contains your physicality, your thoughts, your emotions, and
your spirit. It is within that realm that the yoga poses work. By
manipulating your body into pretzel-like positions that defy the
master key of logic, you ask your body to go places it has never
been before. In doing so, you simultaneously ask your mind to
go places it has never been as well. When you act, think, feel,
speak, and live from a particular paradigm, it has a lasting
impact on your body. Your habitual pose is nothing more than
the sum total of your thoughts about yourself written on the
canvas of your physical form. Think negative thoughts about
yourself and others, and you will see the results in your body
over time. Luckily, the magic of yoga practice is that it effects
transformation by asking you to move your body in new ways
over a long period of time. When you do, your mind, being
deeply connected to your body’s movement pattern, changes.
As you learn to access dormant muscles, tissues, bones, and
spaces in your body, you simultaneously learn to access
dormant thoughts, emotions, feelings, power, and success.
Backbends are perhaps the greatest teachers available. To
get the full benefit from backbends, it is imperative that you
think of the movements as coming from more than just “the
back.”They involve every muscle in your body, including your
toes, legs, spine, diaphragm, shoulders, and head. In traditional
Urdhva Danurasana (Lifted Bow Pose), the foundation of the
backbend is the strength of your legs. Openness along the front
of your hip joints (where the thighbones insert into the pelvis)
allows your pelvis to tilt forward and move over your legs and
the iliac crests to move forward. Each vertebra lifts and
extends with the support of your core and back muscles, while
your shoulder blades move down your back to support the
lifting of your sternum. Your arms form your upper foundation
by pressing firmly into the ground.
In other words, backbends can be better understood as the
backward bending of the entire body. Yet your spine remains
the central focus, as it is the epicenter for emotions, feelings,
and energy. The esoteric anatomy of the body locates the
chakras, or energy centers, at certain key points along the
spine. Go to any chiropractor, and you will see the importance
he or she places on keeping the spinal column healthy. Any
obstruction in the vertebrae can yield disastrous and
paralyzing effects on your life. Yoga asks you to have
consciousness within every vertebra. Backbends teach you to
lift, extend, create space, and bend deeply by using that space
between the joints.
As you work deeply with your spinal column, you may begin
to confront all types of issues. There is the pain of asking an
area of your lower or upper back that may be used to rounding
forward to extend backward. If you spend a good amount of
time hunched over your desk, then learning to move your spine
in an arched, extended pattern will challenge your entire
notion of physicality. If you do it over an extended period, it
will not only free up new patterns of movement but also protect
the health of your spine throughout your life with safe and
proven methods. Despite the healing benefits of backbends, it
is this very process of opening and bending that stirs the
emotional pot. Many people experience intense muscular pain
when working with backbends and even in a simple Urdhva
Mukha Svanasana. Muscular pain is relatively safe to work
with under the supervision of a teacher who can check your
alignment in the pose. It often occurs along the long erector
spinae in the back.
These are postural muscles that work to set your daily pose,
among other things. People who perpetually experience pain in
backbends must look at postural alignment both in their yoga
practice and in their daily lives. When you ask your body to
move in an unfamiliar way, pain is usually associated with it.
Just as when you ask yourself to break your routine and move
way outside the box, there is often an ample amount of mental
anguish. By contrast, sharp, pinching pain in the vertebrae is a
very different type of pain, and you should not try to work with
it. Address it and have it diagnosed immediately. If you feel a
sharp, pointy pain in your spine during any pose, back off from
the movement.
Your hips determine the base point of your spine’s ability to
move backward. The iliopsoas and hip flexors are two of the
major muscle groups whose flexibility is crucial here. If these
muscles are tight, then the degree to which you will be able to
tilt your pelvis and open your hip joints will decrease.
Sometimes lower back stiffness and pain stem from tightness in
the iliopsoas and hip flexors. Moving your tailbone forward is
important in preventing your lumbar vertebrae from being
compressed while moving backward. But it is a movement that
is often misunderstood. If you have an injury in your lower
back, tuck your tailbone under strongly to protect and avoid
the affected area during practice. However, tucking the
tailbone also encourages a flattening of the lumbar region,
which is not good for deep backbends. For these poses, the
tailbone should move forward to direct the weight of your
pelvis over the solid foundation of your legs. Then the iliac
crests tilt forward to encourage a slightly forward tilt in your
pelvis. This action is controlled by the pelvic floor and the
strength of your legs. The movement does not flip your tailbone
out but activates a rocking of the sacrum that gives space to
your lower back and pelvis. This movement is called sacral
nutation and indicates that the top of the sacrum tilts forward
and into the pelvis, thereby allowing you to use the sacroiliac
joints in a similar manner to a spinal process. The ability to
open the front of your hips and pelvis is often connected with
the ability to move forward in life with a powerful thrust. By
allowing your musculature to relax, release, and lengthen, you
gain the greater range of motion necessary to literally send
your hips forward while you bend your back.
Your shoulders form the upper support for your spine in
backbends. Being much more mobile than your hip joints, your
shoulder girdle can move in ways that are more likely to
facilitate poses and are also more likely to create pain. Working
with a knowledgeable teacher who has a keen understanding of
alignment will help you dramatically with safe shoulder
alignment when you progress to deep backbends. Understood
as the gateway to the heart, the shoulders can protect,
stabilize, release, reach, extend, get stuck, collapse, give out,
and break down. Sometimes tight shoulders prevent you from
experiencing the joy of spinal mobility, even if your vertebrae
are flexible and strong. When you lift into a backbend, keep
your shoulders rolled down your back and rotated externally.
Align your wrists, elbows, and shoulders over each other, and
avoid turning your hands inward or bending your elbows out to
the side. Squeeze your elbows toward each other while
pressing firmly into the floor through your fingertips and
hands.
During the process of opening your spine, hips, and
shoulders in backbends, some common and intense negative
emotions such as fear, anxiety, sadness, claustrophobia,
suffocation, and anger crop up. Some equally common and
intense positive sensations such as joy, happiness, trust,
release, surrender, peace, heightened energy, and true power
can also emerge. The process of accepting your experience of
pain in poses like backbends is often simply about learning not
to run away from the physical pain and emotional upheaval.
When you feel these emotions, remember that they are
temporary and focus on breathing more deeply and relaxing. If
you are confronted with an overwhelming emotion or intense
physical pain, the best thing to do is focus on your breath. This
will give you a pause between the pain stimulus and your
automatic desire to run away. From that space of increased
awareness you will see more clearly what the appropriate
action should be. For example, you will be able to determine
whether the pain is muscular or in the joint and whether the
emotion is anger or anxiety. Expanding your consciousness one
breath at a time is a powerful way to use patience, awareness,
and acceptance to move deeper into asanas.
The yoga path is one of freedom, and it is a freedom built on
a deep and fundamental acceptance of the truth of life. Life
contains suffering, and when you come face-to-face with it,
your only logical choice is to accept it, surrender to it, and
allow it to teach you one breath at a time.

URDHVA DANURASANA
Lifted Bow Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 8.1

This pose (see fig. 8.1) is repeated three times at the end of the
Primary Series. Beginners may find it useful to start off with a
simple bridge pose instead of attempting a full backbend right
away. To try this easy preparatory exercise, inhale and jump
through to a seated position following the last vinyasa after
Setu Bhandasana. Exhale as you lie flat on your back. Bend
your knees, placing your feet parallel to the outside of your
hips. Hold on to your ankles (see fig. 8.2) or interlace your
fingers with your arms straight out on the ground under your
pelvis. As you inhale, thrust your heels firmly into the ground,
send your knees forward over your ankles, and engage your
quadriceps to support the movement. Send your pelvis forward,
while pulling in your abdomen and engaging your pelvic floor.
Let your sacrum tip into your pelvis, and begin lifting your
spine out of your pelvis while elongating your back muscles.
Fold your shoulders under your upper chest, raise your
sternum, and lift your rib cage forward to potentially make
contact with your chin. Take five breaths, paying careful
attention to the space you create between your vertebrae while
elongating and strengthening your back muscles. Exhale to
return all the way to the floor.

Figure 8.2

If you are using this as an introductory movement, do not

force your spine to bend too deeply; just focus on your breath
and the feeling of elongation. You can repeat this pose up to
three times. If this presents a challenge, stop here and do not
proceed with any full backbends.
When you are able, move into the traditional Urdhva
Danurasana sequence. Advanced practitioners can skip the
simple bridge pose and move directly here from the last
vinyasa after Setu Bhandasana. The next three full backbends
are done in succession from the floor. You will only come down
onto your head for a short break in between. From a prone
position, bend your knees and place your feet parallel to the
outside edges of your hips. Place your hands directly under
your shoulders, fingers pointing toward your feet, elbows
stacked over your palms, and fingers spread wide apart.
On an inhalation, apply the same technique as you did to lift
into simple Bridge Pose. Send your knees forward over your
ankles, thrust your heels firmly into the ground, and engage
your quadriceps to send your pelvis forward over your feet. Tip
your sacrum into the pelvis while lifting your spine out of your
pelvis. This time, when your body begins to lift off the ground,
allow your chest to rise over your hands and roll your shoulder
blades down your back to lift your sternum and rib cage.
Bending your upper back is crucial to relieving pressure on
your lower back, so be sure to distribute the bend equally
throughout all your vertebrae and the entire spinal column.
After five breaths, come down onto your head as you exhale
(see fig. 8.3). Walk your hands slightly closer to your feet, then
lift up again as you inhale. Be careful not to lift your heels, or
you will lose your connection to the ground. A healthy sign of
good backbend technique is to feel an intense burning
sensation in your quadriceps but no pinching in your spine or
lower back. Think about the inhalation creating space in your
joints and the exhalation using the space to go deeper. Be
careful not to push too hard and hurry the motion. Give your
spine the time it needs to open, and be gentle with yourself. At
the same time, find your limit of flexibility and strength, and
work to go deeper in a healthy way.

Figure 8.3

Exhale and come down onto your head, walking your hands
in toward your feet again. Inhale and lift up for the last
repetition. Hold each backbend for at least five breaths. Since
breathing is sometimes shortened during backbends, you could
increase the number of breaths to eight or increase the
repetitions by one or two. If you feel challenged, stop here.
Exhale and lower down, inhale and roll over backward into
Chakrasana, then jump through to Paschimattanasana.

STANDING UP AND DROPPING BACK

Figure 8.4
Figure 8.5

Figure 8.6
 Figure 8.7

The second portion of the backbend sequence is very hard to

perform. Attempt it only when you can easily straighten your
arms fully in Urdhva Danurasana and walk your hands slightly
in toward your feet. When you shift your weight forward onto
your legs, you create the space to walk your hands closer to
your feet and learn to stand up.
If you are ready to try, begin in full backbend and walk your
hands as far as you can in toward your feet. Be very conscious
about keeping the heels firmly planted on the ground. If the
heels lift, do not attempt to walk in any farther. Shift your
weight forward onto your feet as you inhale, then backward
onto your hands as you exhale. Do this at least five times to test
the limits of your flexibility and strength. See if you can come
all the way onto your fingertips with the heels planted on the
ground as you inhale and send weight forward over your feet. If
you can do this easily, then you are ready to try Standing Up
and Dropping Back. If not, simply try that gentle rocking
motion every day to build up your strength and flexibility. If
you are working on the rocking motion, think of it less as
building momentum and more as a subtle weight transfer
forward into the solid foundation of the pelvis, legs, and feet.
Starting in full backbend, walk your hands as close to your
feet as possible. Maintain the same principles of healthy
alignment as you did in Urdhva Danurasana. Try not to turn
your feet outward, but if it is unavoidable, then strongly rotate
your thighs inward to help release your sacrum and press
strongly into the ball of the big toe. Keep your knees moving
forward over your ankles and then begin to transfer your
weight forward onto your feet, pressing down into your heels
and the base of each big toe. Send your pelvis farther forward,
allowing the iliac crests to tilt and reach forward as well. Bring
your weight far enough into your legs that you come up onto
your fingertips or your hands come off the ground (see fig. 8.7).
If you are strong enough, you can transfer your weight forward
by pressing into your feet and pulling yourself up with the
power of your legs and pelvis. If you are not that strong, you
can rock forward and backward to generate just enough
momentum to carry you up. Either way, once your hands are
floating in the air, there will be a huge temptation to bring your
head up. Avoid this at all costs; your head is always the last
thing to come up. Instead, let your head and hands hang back,
and send your hips forward again until the weight of your torso
is stacked over your hips and feet. Once your chest moves
forward over your hips, bring your hands into prayer position
in front of your upper chest and your head into alignment over
your feet. Try not to splay your feet outward, lift your heels, or
widen your stance too much.
When you have risen to standing, it is time try dropping back
into Urdhva Danurasana. Some students may find dropping
back dramatically easier than standing up. Feel free to try
dropping back first if you think that will be easier. Begin with
your feet as close to parallel as possible, hip-width or slightly
wider apart. Engage your quadriceps while thrusting your
weight firmly into the base of each big toe, keeping your legs
straight. Place both of your thumbs on your sacrum and push
your pelvis forward to take more weight into your big toes (see
fig. 8.4). Engage your pelvic floor, draw your abdomen in, and
begin lifting your spine out of your pelvis. Allow your sacrum to
nutate while lifting and extending your vertebrae. Lift your rib
cage to create space as you inhale, and be careful not to let go
of that space as you exhale. Lift your sternum as high as
possible toward the ceiling. Roll your shoulders down your
back. If you feel challenged, stay in this position for five
breaths and then inhale to return to standing. If you feel
confident here, then continue.
Place your hands in prayer position at the level of your
sternum and drop your head back, breathing freely and fully
(see fig. 8.5). Be careful to keep the elongation in your spine,
as you no longer have the support of your hands at your
sacrum to keep your hips moving forward and remind your
lower back to lengthen. If this is challenging, stay here for five
breaths, then inhale and return to standing. If you feel
confident here and have no painful sensations in your back,
then continue.
Raise your hands over your head while drawing your
shoulder blades down your back (see fig. 8.6). Keep your head
dropped back while pushing your pelvis farther forward and
thrusting more weight into your feet. Allow a slight bend in
your knees, but keep your heels firmly grounded. Look for your
mat and hold this position for five breaths. Do not be surprised
if you feel as though you cannot breathe; nevertheless, try to
breathe fully into your rib cage and allow your lungs to expand.
If you can comfortably hold this position for five breaths, see
your mat, and think clearly, then you are ready to drop all the
way back to the floor. If you feel dizzy, be sure to gaze at one
point. If you feel nauseated, breathe deeper and continue.
Find a spot on your mat on which to focus. Exhale as you
prepare your arms for landing by spreading your fingers and
very slightly bending the elbows, and allow your hands to drop
to the floor. Do not rush this process. Be happy if it takes a few
years or a few lifetimes to master this movement. When you do
decide to try it, remember to keep your weight moving forward
into your feet, your spine supported by the lift through your
core muscles, and your chest lifted to elongate your upper
back. When you drop your hands to the floor, it is crucial that
you do not literally drop them; if you do, you will take too much
pressure in your wrists and risk hitting your head. Think of it
more like placing your hands on the floor while your legs
support the weight of your body.
After you have successfully dropped back, inhale and stand
up again. Repeat this up-and-down motion three times. With
practice, you will refine the movement until it is fluid, graceful,
and easy. Eventually, you will perform it in three linked
continuously flowing breaths: exhale down—inhale up—exhale
down—inhale up—exhale down—inhale up. However, that is a
very advanced movement, and you should not try it before you
are ready. If you are practicing with a teacher, wait for
assistance before going deeper.
Coming out of the pose from a standing position, if you are
practicing at home, you can skip the vinyasa that indicates you
should roll over backward, and simply sit down and perform
Paschimattanasana. Or you can lie down as you exhale, inhale
and roll backward through Chakrasana, and continue the
vinyasa.

PASCHIMATTANASANA
Seated Forward Bend
Drishti: Padhayoragrai (Toes)

Figure 8.8

Either jump through to a seated position on an inhalation or sit

down from standing backbends. Apply the same forward bend
techniques as you did in Chapter 7. The intention of this pose
differs slightly as it is meant as a counterstretch to the
backbend. In Ashtanga Yoga, we consider it mandatory to
release all the back muscles after deep backbends in order to
keep the spine healthy. Do not rush the forward bend. Keep
your abdomen and pelvic floor engaged, keep the inner
integrity of pose intact, and ignore the temptation to just
collapse forward. Think consciously about releasing your back
muscles into the supportive framework along the front of your
body. Lengthen your spine on an inhalation and use the
exhalation to help make your transition into the finishing poses
smoother (see fig. 8.8).
This is often the time when the emotions stirred during deep
backbends will rise to the surface. If you feel the need to cry
during this forward bend, allow your emotions to flow without
indulging them. Remain calm and just observe what you feel in
a nonjudgmental manner. Stay in the bend for ten breaths,
then inhale and straighten your spine. Exhale and settle into
the movement. Inhale and lift up; exhale and jump back.
 9
Finishing Poses: Entering the Inner Space

TRANSITIONING FROM THE HEIGHTENED FLEXIBILITY, strength, and

cardiovascular challenges of the Primary Series and backbend
sequence creates a natural shift from hard work to healing
space. The finishing poses should be done with minimal force
and an attitude of relaxation and ease.
Meant to seal the energy of the practice into your body and
mind, the finishing poses restore balance on multiple levels.
Since asanas work with the energetic pathways of the body, it
is crucial to breathe deeply and take your time throughout the
entire finishing pose sequence. It is not just a cool-down
routine to be skipped if you do not have time. Always leave
enough time in every yoga session to perform the finishing
poses and the final relaxation. Although it is best to go through
the entire sequence of poses in each session, if you are brand-
new to the practice, you may perform only the last three poses
of the finishing sequence and the final relaxation until you
progress deeper into the Ashtanga Yoga method. If you are
performing half of the Primary Series, you are certainly ready
for a full finishing pose sequence.
Practically speaking, the finishing poses are meant to be
performed by everyone, every day, with two notable
exceptions. Pregnant women are advised to modify the inverted
postures based on their own unique experience at different
times during their pregnancy. Menstruating women should not
perform inverted poses of long duration, since the flow of
energy in the body is downward during that time. Inversions
can disturb the natural flow of the body during this time.
Additionally, the psoas muscle sits directly adjacent to the
ovaries, and inverted poses demand a deep application of the
bandhas, so this is contraindicated during menses. In fact,
women should rest for the first three or the heaviest days of
their menstrual cycle. When they return to practice, they can
perform all noninverted poses normally.
Having dedicated time at the end of your daily practice gives
you a chance to check the state of your body and mind after
you complete the rigorous yoga routine. Simply taking time to
allow yourself to feel the effects of the practice on your
emotional, physical, and spiritual state provides you with an
honest mirror to the inner body. This careful turning inward of
the mind toward the subtlety within is the deepest goal of yoga.
The finishing poses are the perfect chance to allow your mind
to become more meditative in focus and intention. One easy
way to ensure that you are focusing inward is to be conscious
of the expression on your face. If you notice yourself furrowing
your brow or squinting with effort, soften your expression and
look for more subtlety within.
Begin this portion of the series by lying flat on your back for
five deep breaths while keeping your body still, your legs and
arms outstretched, and your eyes only slightly open. Before
starting the finishing poses, allow a neutral, five-breath
transition from the work of the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series.
Lying in this neutral, easy position also gives you a chance to
stabilize your breath and regain conscious control of the length
and quality of each inhalation and exhalation, extending and
deepening them. This will help you calm your mind and body
and turn your attention even deeper within.
Whereas the cleansing and purifying work of the Primary
Series aims to develop intense internal fire, the finishing poses
transform the fire of purification into the spiritual fire of
awakening. Keeping your mind centered and calm throughout
this sequence is essential for success. Additionally, if you work
deeply with the poses of any Ashtanga series, the finishing
poses will ensure your body’s health and prevent injury. The
finishing poses are done one after another with a jump back
and a jump through between each sequence. This differs from
the seated poses, which have a jump back and a jump through
between each pose within each sequence. Stringing the poses
together allows more of their energy to accumulate, while
excluding the vinyasas between each movement helps the body
cool down. When done correctly and with the right attitude of
relaxation, the finishing poses produce a deeply healing effect
that calms the nervous system, protects the joints, and
encourages a healthy and spiritually open mind.
These poses are generally easier and less challenging than
those of the Primary Series. They are some of the most
essential poses of the entire yoga tradition, and their benefits
cannot be overstated. They provide some of the deepest
healing available, and you will only receive these benefits if you
commit yourself fully to practicing these poses every day of
your practice.
Such daily practice creates an inner stillness of mind and
spirit. Cultivating a meditative awareness of the inner body
throughout this sequence is essential to reaping the long-term
benefits of practice. This series of poses creates an end point to
the practice just as Surya Namaskara creates a starting point.
These poses, along with the standing poses, are performed
regardless of which series or group of poses you are working
on. The main focus of the finishing poses is on inversions and
the healing effect of such asanas. My teacher, Sri K. Pattabhi
Jois, would often talk about a substance that he described as
the “nectar of life” (amritabindhu). He said that the Upanishads
(sacred spiritual texts) indicated that one drop of this
substance is made after about a month of yoga practice if you
eat good-quality food. After six months of practice, one small
drop of the highest form of this purified energy of life will be
stored in the center of your head, at the energy center known
as sahasrara chakra (crown chakra). Jois would say that this is
the minimum amount of time that a new student needs to
practice in order to experience life changes. When you can hold
inversions easily for a long time, in comfort, and with deep
breathing, the pace at which the vital life essence is created is
accelerated, and the pace at which it is destroyed is decreased.
In daily life, we often spend this spiritual essence on simple
daily tasks and lose the luster of our spirit in the world.
The finishing poses are the best place to feel the
accumulation of new spiritual energy. When you hold your body
upside down for long periods of time, the amritabindhu collects
in the part of your brain that is associated with spiritual growth
and awakening. Here, gravity works in reverse, so the
downward pressure on your organs is reduced. While the
amritabindhu is one of yoga’s many esoteric concepts of
spiritual awakening, others may notice an inner glow in
advanced practitioners. Their physical body houses their spirit
with grace and the light of knowledge shines out. Without
careful cultivation of the vital life essence, this inner glow is
more a dream than a reality. But with daily practice, even
things that at first seem strange can become real-world
experiences. Regular practice of the finishing poses bridges the
gap between the physical and the spiritual and gives you the
opportunity to experience your spiritual energy every day.

SALAMBA SARVANGASANA
Shoulderstand
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 9.1

Start off lying on the floor with a straight spine. Prepare your
core muscles to lift your body weight off the ground with a
careful application of the bandhas (see Chapter 10 for an
explanation of bandhas). Lift directly into the pose on an
inhalation. Thrust your upper arms into the ground and engage
the bandhas as you send the weight of your lower body over
the foundation of your upper arms. As you lift your hips off the
ground, send them over your torso and immediately roll your
shoulders under your body. Be careful not to squeeze your
shoulder blades together, as this may cause unnecessary
tension in your neck. Simply allow your shoulders and upper
arms to press into the ground and under your now lifted body.
Place your hands at the middle of your back to help support
your spine. You may find it useful to roll slightly from side to
side to let your arms rotate fully underneath your body. Once
you have completed the lift, your feet, legs, hips, rib cage, and
shoulders should all be in a straight line and your body should
be perpendicular to the ground (see fig. 9.1).
Bring your elbows closer together until they are in line with
your shoulders; any closer than that is not necessary. When
your elbows are farther apart than your shoulders, it is a good
indication that your shoulders may be tight and need some
additional stretching. Shoulderstand is a safe place for you to
gain this flexibility. Make sure that you actively press your
fingers and hands into your lower back to provide stability and
the right amount of activation. Do not press your neck into the
ground. Instead, thrust down with your shoulders and upper
arms, making the pose a true “shoulder” stand. Keep your neck
in line with your spine while gazing at your nose. By pressing
your chin against the sternoclavicular joint you perform
jalandhara bandha (chin lock), which helps regulate the flow of
energy in this pose.
If you find it impossible to lift directly into the pose, or if this
lift stresses your neck, there is another easy but nontraditional
way to enter Shoulderstand. Start by lying flat on your back.
Instead of lifting straight up to the full pose, press your hands
into the floor, fold your body at the hip joints, and roll your legs
over your head. Rest the tips of your toes on the ground to
provide support, and then roll your body from side to side to
deepen the rotation in your shoulders. Line up your elbows
with your shoulder blades, place your hands on your midback
for support, and lift one leg at a time. If you still feel pain in
your neck, try placing a blanket under your arms and letting
your neck hang over the edge toward the floor. Whichever
version you perform, do your best to keep the curve of your
neck off the ground so you do not damage the cervical
vertebrae.
To support the weight of your body, engage your pelvic floor
and activate the bandhas. Lift your hips higher with each
breath, using the strength of your whole body to raise yourself
strongly off the ground. Draw your ribs in so that your torso
lifts itself as well. Point your toes firmly and reach for the
ceiling with your feet. Actively press the bases of your big toes
together so your thighs rotate inward slightly. Engage the
inside of your quadriceps to encourage this rotation. Try to feel
that the entire length of both legs is linked energetically as one
long, clean line as well as being connected to your pelvic floor
and torso.
Sarvangasana stretches your upper back and neck while
strengthening the bandhas and your core muscles. It is also the
most easily accessible inverted pose. Stretching your upper
back demands that you release any tension around your
trapezius muscles, an area where many people hold chronic
stress. To move the joints of your upper back and neck freely, it
is necessary to release the state of mind associated with long-
term stress. Your nervous system must relax. The process of
lifting your own weight completely off the ground for prolonged
periods of time builds inner confidence and self-esteem, and it
ultimately cures fear-based stress responses. To lift your own
body weight off the ground, you need to cultivate a deep inner
strength. Regular practice of Sarvangasana builds the
foundational elements needed to be both physically and
mentally strong enough to perform much harder inverted
positions. Careful application of safe anatomical techniques can
easily be integrated for all practitioners to establish the
foundations needed for harder movements. This pose also
induces deep purification of the pineal glands and the
lymphatic system. Try to hold the pose for at least fifteen to
twenty-five breaths. Proceed directly into the next posture.
One final modification for menstruating women or individuals
with serious neck injuries is a pose called Viparita Karani, or
Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose (see fig. 9.2). For the easiest version of
this pose, lie on the floor with your pelvis as close to a wall as
possible. Straighten your legs up the wall and lock the sides of
your heels and big toes together. Keep your feet flexed. For a
slightly more challenging version without the wall, lie with your
back flat on the ground and lift your legs straight up from your
pelvis so that they are perpendicular to your torso. Apply all
the same techniques already outlined for Sarvangasana. Hold
for between ten and twenty breaths. Proceed directly to
Matsyasana.

Figure 9.2

BENEFITS
Regulates glandular functions, including those of the thyroid
and parathyroid Treats asthma, bronchitis, and throat
disorders
Soothes the nervous system
Treats depression and anxiety
Treats urinary tract infections, uterine disorders, and hernias
Aligns the spine
Stretches the neck
Tones the legs and pelvic floor
Improves digestion and circulation

HALASANA
Plow Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 9.3

Halasana immediately follows Sarvangasana and continues its

deep healing work and subtle focus on the inner body.
Halasana is a semi-inverted pose that is deeply relaxing and
requires less effort than Sarvangasana. It can be performed
easily and comfortably by nearly everyone. Enter this pose
directly from the one preceding, creating a cumulative effect of
your spiritual work.
Lower your hands to the ground behind your back. Keep your
shoulders locked in place beneath your upper body and your
cervical spine fully raised off the floor. On an exhalation, slowly
change the position of your legs drawing in your abdomen and
allowing your hip joints to flex deeply; point your toes, touch
the bases of the big toes together, and keep your legs straight.
Ideally, the line of your legs from hip to toe is at an angle
greater than ninety degrees so that the tops of your feet rest
firmly on the ground. To achieve this alignment, rotate your hip
joints internally, engaging your quadriceps and softening your
hip flexors. Let your toes rest on the floor, but do not press
them down. Just allow the natural point of the toes to extend
toward the floor with the strength of your legs. (If you press
your toes into the ground, you will take your foot out of full
point.) Pointing the toes is a crucial alignment connection that
helps the energy flow along the subtle pathways in the body,
enabling Halasana to provide maximum effect. Finally,
interlock your fingers on the floor and straighten your arms so
that your body is now supporting itself with the strength of
your torso, arms, and core (see fig. 9.3).
Your spine should be straight in this pose. The deep flexion of
the hip joints when your legs are totally engaged allows your
toes to reach toward the ground. Avoid rounding your back or
forcing your legs down to get your feet on the floor. Keep your
abdomen drawn deeply into your body. Since you have a good
view of your lower belly at this point, you can be even more
aware of the deep work with the bandhas that helps the
finishing poses achieve their powerful effect. If you are unable
to touch your feet to the ground because your body is too tight,
try using your hands to support your lower back instead of
clasping them on the floor. Gravity will work on your legs and
increase the flexion in your hips if you let your legs dangle in
the air. Try to keep your knees totally straight in both versions
of the pose, as this increases the flow of energy throughout
them and connects them deeply to the interior space of your
pelvis.
This pose is a mini-inversion that requires you to lift your
spine from within and let each body part be responsible for
lifting itself. Be careful not to press your upper neck into the
ground; keep your weight supported on your shoulders and
upper arms.
This simple pose integrates the work of the Ashtanga Yoga
Primary Series by helping bring energy up your spine and
stimulating the amritabindhu. Holding the position for a long
time helps settle the mind and calm the breath. Place careful
emphasis on controlling the length of your inhalations and
exhalations so they are equal. Hold this pose for eight breaths.
Come down directly into Karnapidasana.
BENEFITS
Regulates glandular functions, including those of the thyroid
and parathyroid Treats asthma, bronchitis, and throat
disorders
Soothes the nervous system
Treats depression and anxiety
Treats urinary tract infections, uterine disorders, and hernias
Aligns the spine
Stretches the neck and hamstrings
Tones the legs and pelvic floor
Improves digestion and circulation

KARNAPIDASANA
Ear Pressure Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 9.4

Continue the flow created from the beginning of the sequence

by entering Karnapidasana directly from Halasana. Bend your
knees so that they reach toward the floor and press your knees
against your ears; keep your fingers interlocked and your arms
outstretched on the floor as they were in Halasana.
Whereas the previous two poses required as straight a spine
as possible, this pose involves flexing your spine. To do this
safely, you must draw your abdomen in and activate your pelvic
floor for the full application of the bandhas (see Chapter 10).
The only healthy way to round your back is to give it full
support with the muscles on the front side of your body. If you
attempt to keep your spine straight in this pose, you will miss
the chance to develop your inner strength and increase your
awareness of the bandhas. Similarly, if you merely round your
back without the support of your front muscles, you will miss
the essence of the pose. Use the bandhas to actively lift your
spine over your head as explained for Baddha Konasana B in
Chapter 7. The torso lifts itself away from the ground, creates
space and relieves pressure around the back of the neck, and
supports the vertebrae as you go into a deep forward bend.
Throughout this pose, the back of your neck should never be
flat on the ground. If you feel undue pressure there, use the
bandhas to lift your body away from your neck while pressing
your shoulders more firmly into the ground, thereby creating
space for your cervical vertebrae.
If possible, touch your knees to your ears and the floor at the
same time (see fig. 9.4). If you cannot do this, then simply
press your knees to your ears as tightly as possible while
curving your back inward. Squeezing the ears is crucial for
Karnapidasana, because it is meant to heal all imbalances in
the ear and inner ear. With the application of equal pressure
directly on both ears, the balance centers inside the ears are
normalized. If your knees are on the ground, you can also press
them down slightly, but the pressure on your ears should
remain constant.
If you cannot immediately touch your knees to your ears,
draw your stomach in even farther and allow your back to
round a little more to increase the flexion of your spine. Do not
squeeze your abdomen to get into the pose. If your knees still
do not reach, you may find it useful to support your lower back
with your hands. If your knees do not touch either your ears or
the floor, you might also try draping your arms around the
backs of your knees to help bring them into position. Apply this
modification only on a temporary basis when it is absolutely
necessary, as the pose is more effective when you use only your
core strength. If you are able to press your knees into your
ears, but your knees still float above the ground, keep your
arms outstretched and your fingers interlocked. One helpful
modification is to lean your pelvis to one side, placing one knee
on the ground for a few breaths and then switch sides. Squeeze
your ears with your knees once more, while flexing your spine
in a final attempt to bring your knees all the way to the floor.
The weight of your body should be distributed between your
hands, shoulders, and the center of the back of your head. You
ideally feel an equal distribution of weight between these
areas. Most students initially feel challenged to let their weight
bear down on their shoulders and the back of their head;
however, this is essential for balance in Karnapidasana. Having
full control of your weight distribution helps increase your
awareness of your body in space and helps relieve the fear
associated with being out of balance. Be sure to keep your body
supported with core strength and with careful use of the
bandhas. Listen to your body and feel the inner energy
channels to support the pose.
A further aspect of turning inward evident in this pose is the
direction of the sense organs to the inner body. By cutting out
sound from the external world, you are invited (and better
able) to tune in to the quieter inner channels. See if you can
hear your heartbeat, pulse, circulation, or any other sounds in
your subtle body. As your powers of concentration become
more refined, you will hear and feel more sounds and
experiences.
Hold this pose for eight breaths. Come out of it and move
directly into the next one, Urdhva Padmasana.

BENEFITS
Heals ear disorders such as ringing in ears
Alleviates insomnia and fatigue
Stretches the back muscles
Evens out imbalances and twists, like scoliosis
Tones the pelvic floor

URDHVA PADMASANA
Flying Lotus Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 9.5

This pose asks you to perform a full lotus position while

balancing upside down. Before you even attempt this, it is a
good idea to test your ability to get into lotus position safely
and easily while seated. If you find Padmasana difficult to
perform while resting in a comfortable seated position, it will
be even harder in an inverted pose. Wait until you can do that
easier version before you work on the full version of this pose.
If lotus position is unattainable now, do not force it. You may
do a half-lotus position or simply cross your legs in the air.
Decide which modification you will use before you try the pose.
Once you have decided on either full lotus, half-lotus, or no
lotus, start from Karnapidasana, lift your legs, and come back
into full Sarvangasana. If you need to, use your hands to
support your midback. Once you are in Sarvangasana, find your
balance and begin entering your chosen cross-legged position.
Be sure not to turn or twist your neck while attempting the
next series of movements. If your hips are open enough, you
may be able to enter lotus position without using your hands.
However, most people need a little help to direct their legs and
feet to the appropriate places. Entering lotus position from an
inverted pose requires that the front of your pelvis be a little
more open than it is in the seated version. Be careful and
gentle with your body, as there is a lot to oversee throughout
this motion. Just as in the seated pose, do not squeeze your
knees to get into position and follow the same safety guidelines
for getting into lotus.
Start your attempt for full lotus by bringing your left leg
toward the back of your body, away from your face to open the
hip joint and hip crease. Aim your right foot toward the left hip
crease, using an external rotation of the right hip joint to get
the foot in place. If necessary, use your hands to guide your
right foot down toward the left hip crease. Once your right foot
is in place, move your right knee up toward the ceiling, pulling
it back and away from your face. Angle your left foot toward
the back of your right knee, externally rotating the left hip joint
to get it into place. If possible, slide your left foot around your
right knee and down toward the right hip crease. If your left
foot gets stuck, you can either try to wiggle it and inch the toes
around or use your hands. The latter challenges your balance
but makes for an easier transition into lotus. If you are working
with half-lotus, leave your left foot dangling in the air behind
your right knee. If you are working with no lotus, simply cross
your ankles in the air.
Once your legs are comfortably folded into place, transfer
your weight to your upper shoulders and the back of your head,
and lift your hands to your knees. Your balance point in this
pose will usually be a little more toward the back of the head
and the shoulders than at first seems comfortable. Play around
with the balance until you can safely lift your hands off the
ground. One way to try is to place one hand firmly on the
appropriate knee for five breaths, lower it, and then take
another five breaths with the other hand in position. Once you
build confidence in your body’s ability to balance upside down,
you can lift both hands.
Once you can balance safely with both hands touching both
knees, straighten your arms and actively press your hands into
your knees to lift your lotus position into the air (see fig. 9.5).
Ideally, your spine should hold the same position in Urdhva
Padmasana that it does in seated Padmasana—as straight as
possible with no flexion. If you can easily hold your knees in
lotus or half-lotus position, then draw your shoulder blades
down your back, strengthen your back muscles to support your
body, suck in your abdomen, and stabilize your arms.
Regardless of which type of leg position you have chosen, the
essential nature of the pose remains intact. Lift yourself as
though fully inverted in shoulderstand while keeping your
spine as straight as possible. Let your knees rest in the palms
of your hands, but avoid putting your full weight into your
hands. Let the contact be just enough to establish an energetic
connection but not so much so that the work of lifting your
spine and body from within is compromised. If you merely let
your weight fall into your hands, your neck could receive too
much pressure. If you start to feel compression in your neck,
lift your body away from the ground with the full strength of
each individual part to relieve some of the pressure. In this
pose, the spine lengthens in a neutral position, neither
extended nor flexed, following the natural curvature of the
back.
This pose should feel active and dynamic as well as restful
and healing. Once your shoulders and the back of your head
are pressed fully into ground, your hands are touching your
knees, and the bandhas are lifting you from within, you will be
able to find perfect balance. Holding Urdhva Padmasana also
helps the subtle energy channels in the center of your brain to
open, stimulating the production of the amritabindhu.
Hold this pose for eight breaths. Come directly out of it and
into the next one, Pindasana.

BENEFITS
Strengthens bandhas
Increases blood flow to the brain
Strengthens the shoulders
Directs the vital life energy into the central column of the
sushumna nadi Calms the nervous system

PINDASANA
Embryo Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 9.6

Enter this pose directly from the previous one. Fold your lotus
or modified lotus position in toward your body. Lift your spine
toward your head, creating space to round your back inward.
Imagine that you are curling in on yourself and folding deeply
within your inner body to form cavernous openings like the
inside of a shell. The physical inward turning stimulates a
similar inward turning of the mind. As you begin to feel the
inner spaces within your pelvis open, your mind will also open
to new levels of spiritual awareness.
From Urdhva Padmasana, try to reach the shins all the way
forward until they make contact with the eyebrow. Rather than
just resting your legs on your chest or stomach, actively lift
your body over your head to create space within your pelvis
and abdomen. Use this space to stretch your back muscles
while flexing the spine and feeling the inner body. Once you
feel balanced, reach your hands around your thighs and hold
your wrist or interlace your fingers (see fig. 9.6).
This movement is similar to Baddha Konasana B and
demands that you pay attention to the bandhas. It is crucial
that throughout this spinal flexion motion your lower belly is
drawn in to stabilize your spine and protect your vertebrae.
When your abdomen and pelvic floor are engaged, it is easier
for your body to lift itself off the ground, and you will develop
the strength to jump back, jump through, and perform much
more challenging inversions. The intention of this pose is to
assist the motion of your spine back toward a dynamic place of
strength and ease as well as to deepen the inner work of the
finishing poses. You will feel your steady progression to deeper
states of consciousness in the inner body. Elongating the
breath is a crucial component of the efficacy of this portion of
the Ashtanga Yoga series, so pay careful attention to extending
and equalizing the length of your inhalations and exhalations.
Hold this pose for eight breaths. Exhale as you unroll and lie
down. Move directly into the next pose, Matsyasana.

BENEFITS
Turns the mind inward
Flexes the spine
Strengthens the bandhas
Stimulates the ajna chakra

MATSYASANA
Fish Pose
Drishti: Broomadhya (Eyebrow center)

Figure 9.7

Enter this pose directly from the previous one. Place your
hands on the ground beside your pelvis, sucking in your
abdomen and lifting your body away from the floor. Leaving
your head and shoulders on the ground, unroll your spine as
though you were unraveling a very delicate ball of string.
Control the movement of each vertebra and allow your spine to
unfold gently to the ground to assist its full range of motion.
Once you are lying prone, place your lotus or modified lotus on
the ground so that your knees touch down; do not force them
down. Lift and extend your spine as you inhale. You may find it
helpful to rest your elbows on the ground as you lift backward
to get more height. Finally, place the top of your head on the
ground in the same position as when you prepared for Setu
Bandhasana and gaze between your eyebrows. You might want
to use your hands to reposition your head so that it bends even
farther under your neck, increasing the extension of your
cervical spine. Remember to engage your neck muscles to lift
the vertebrae rather than letting them collapse down.
Moving from the previous two poses into this one will take
your spine gently through a full range of motion, from neutral
to flexed to extended. Ending with a long extension helps lift
the energy in the central column of your body and increase its
flow toward the subtle currents that lead to spiritual
realization. Be sure to keep your lower abdomen drawn in
throughout the movement to both support your spine and allow
the energy to rise fluidly along the inner body.
Once you have established a firm foundation in this pose,
reach your hands forward and take hold of your feet if they are
in lotus position. If you have modified the lotus, place your
hands on the tops of your thighs. Straighten your arms while
rolling your shoulders down your back to help open and lift
your upper chest (see fig. 9.7). Engage your back muscles just
as in Urdhva Danurasana and support your spine through its
full extension. Press your sit bones into the ground to stabilize
your pelvis and consciously apply the bandhas. Tip your sacrum
forward into your pelvis while actively lifting your lumbar spine
away from the downward thrust of your sit bones. Try to press
your knees fully into the floor but do not create tension in your
knees. Let the movement of your thighs toward the floor come
from opening your hip flexors. Gaze steadily at the space
between your eyebrows to help push the energy up your spine.
The main purpose of this pose is to lift energy currents along
the subtle body so they can reach the center of spiritual
knowingness in the center of your head. Once the vital life
force reaches this high level of awareness, a sense of deep
peace and integration enters the body and mind. The longer
hold required as part of the closing sequence promotes the
steady accumulation of energy.
Hold this pose for eight breaths. Come out directly into the
next pose, Uttana Padasana.

BENEFITS
Extends and strengthens the spine
Lifts the life energy along the central column of the sushumna
nadi Opens the ajna chakra (psychic center) and throat
center
Encourages abdominal support of the spine
Treats fatigue, anxiety, and respiratory dysfunction

UTTANA PADASANA
Extended-Foot Pose
Drishti: Broomadhya (Eyebrow center)

Figure 9.8

Enter this pose directly from the previous one. Keeping your
spine fully extended, release your legs from the lotus or folded
position. Extend your legs up and out at a forty-five-degree
angle to the floor. Release your arms and reach forward to
form a forty-five-degree angle with them as well. Touch your
palms together and make sure that your legs and arms are
parallel to each other. To counteract the pressure on your
lower back, draw your abdomen in strongly, push your sit
bones into the ground, engage your lower back muscles to lift
your spine out of your pelvis, and engage your legs so they lift
with their own strength (see fig. 9.8). Any pressure in your
neck is counterbalanced by the forward reach of the legs.
This is a challenging pose that demands your full attention
physically as well as energetically. It brings the energy even
more strongly up your spine and into the central column of
your body so that the next inverted pose is easier and your
degree of realization is deeper. It also strengthens your back
muscles to ease any tension created during deep backbends.
Gaze strongly at the space between your eyebrows. If the
tension in your spine and neck is too intense, you may lie flat
on the ground and simply lift your arms and legs without the
spinal extension. However, try the extension if at all possible,
because it is crucial to the benefits of this pose. Hold this pose
for eight breaths.
Come out by lowering your back to the floor, while keeping
your legs raised as you exhale. You may pause for a moment to
let your back flatten and release, but keep your legs in the air.
Place your hands under your shoulders, suck in your belly,
draw the lower ribs toward the center, and lift your legs over
your head as in Halasana, except this time you curl your toes
under to flex the feet. On an inhalation, lift your hips over your
head and roll over backward, performing Chakrasana. Exhale
as you land in Chaturanga Dandasana.

BENEFITS
Stimulates the thyroid
Strengthens the spine, legs, and back
Lifts the life energy along the central column of the sushumna
nadi Opens the ajna chakra (psychic center) and throat
center

SIRSASANA
Headstand
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 9.9

Sirsasana is one of the most ubiquitous poses in the Hatha

Yoga tradition, and there are many variations. In the finishing
sequence of Ashtanga Yoga, we use the easiest and most
accessible version (see fig. 9.9). Traditional yoga texts state
that you must remain in a headstand for at least three to five
minutes before you begin to feel the healing benefit, but be
sure to build up to that duration over time. Your spine is ideally
in a neutral position when you are in the full pose, and the
strength of your shoulder girdle creates a solid foundation for
your body. Many people make the mistake of putting too much
weight on the head in Sirsasana instead of applying an
integrated approach to balance, stability, and strength. Jois
always said that headstands were to strengthen the shoulders
on a physical level and steady the mind on a spiritual one. The
deeper spiritual benefits of this pose come from the balanced
attitude you maintain while attempting it and the strength you
need to hold it for a long time at the end of your practice.
Energy can only enter your body’s central column if your mind
and body are open and strong. The longer you are able to hold
the pose, the stronger the effects will be. By stimulating the
glandular and endocrine systems, the headstand is a healing
pose that works on many layers of the body.
Start in a kneeling position; place your forearms on the
ground. Cup your elbows with your hands to determine the
correct distance between the elbows. Maintain this distance
but interlock your fingers while keeping your palms open. Your
arms should now form a kind of tripod. Engage your deltoids
and latissimus dorsi muscles, and draw your shoulder blades
down your back and away from each other. Feel this solid
foundation in your arms before you move forward, and do not
continue if you do not feel stable in your shoulder girdle. If you
do, place your head on the floor at the apex of the tripod, in the
open space between your palms. Grip your head with your
fingers, which are still interlaced, with the pinkies pressed into
the ground. Keep your shoulders firm and your arms activated
while you thrust down more firmly with your elbows and hands;
use the strength in your latissimus dorsi muscles for support.
Be sure there is ample space between your ears and your
shoulders just as in Adho Mukha Svanasana.
Having established this firm foundation, straighten your legs,
pushing up onto your toes (see fig. 9.10). Walk your feet in as
close to your head as you can, but be careful not to lift your
elbows off the ground. Press even harder into your solid
foundation, strengthen your shoulder girdle, and send your
hips forward over that foundation. Initiate the movement by
feeling the sacrum and the back moving over the shoulders.
Inhale as your hips move past your elbows to a point where a
natural feeling of liftedness wants to happen in your pelvis. Do
not immediately try to lift or kick up; keep moving your pelvis
forward until your feet get lighter and lighter and ultimately
rise off the ground naturally. If your hamstrings are open, you
can continue this movement with straight legs. If your
hamstrings are too tight to let you walk close into your head,
bend your knees while you walk in. If you are having a hard
time lifting off the ground, draw one knee to your chest and
squeeze it in while sending your pelvis forward until the other
foot naturally wants to lift. If you are able to balance with both
knees at your chest (see fig. 9.11), this is a great intermediary
step to doing the full pose. If you cannot lift both feet off the
ground, then stay in the preparation pose for five or ten
breaths. At the end of those five or ten breaths you might
gently bend your knees and see if you can rock onto you arms
with a small, soft jump that sends your pelvis forward. Do not
jump with a lot of force.

Figure 9.10
 Figure 9.11

If you are able to lift with either straight legs or both knees
bent, allow your feet to go up steadily while you breathe
calmly. Do not jerk your body or lose your foundation. Keep
pressing into your arms and sending your pelvis forward while
drawing your abdomen in and engaging your pelvic floor. When
you reach the point where your thighs are about parallel to the
ground and your feet are floating in the air, begin to bring your
hips back over the center of your tripod foundation. Suck your
abdomen in and stack your hips over your ribs and torso; your
whole body is stacked in the center of your tripod foundation.
Keep pressing firmly into your elbows, engaging your deltoids
and latissimus dorsi muscles. Pull your abdomen in and
strengthen and straighten your legs, reaching your toes up
toward the sky. Remain calm and balanced and gaze at the tip
of your nose.
Hold this pose for fifteen to twenty-five breaths—around five
minutes—or as long as possible. Begin to lower your legs to a
half-inverted position so that they are parallel to the ground
and your pelvis is pushed backward, slightly off-center in the
same halfway-up position as when you entered the pose. Keep
your legs as straight as possible (see fig. 9.12). Consciously
suck your belly and lower ribs in and do the work of the pose
from the front side of your body rather than just arching your
spine and overworking your back muscles. Let your pelvis be
hollow to create the space for a natural pelvic lift. Hold this
pose for ten breaths, then lift up to a full headstand again and
come to balance.

Figure 9.12

Once you find your balance, lower yourself all the way down
to the ground and enter Balasana, or Child’s Pose (see fig.
9.13), in which you bring your knees together, draw your belly
in, and rotate your thighs slightly inward. Rest your forehead
on the floor, rest your sit bones on your heels, close your eyes,
and stretch your arms out above your head. Relax and turn
your mind inward. Stay in this pose for five breaths, then jump
back to Chaturanga Dandasana as you exhale.
 Figure 9.13

BENEFITS
Builds strength throughout the body and mind
Calms the nervous system
Draws the life energy up along the central column of the
sushumna nadi Increases blood flow to the brain
Stimulates the pineal and pituitary glands
Improves digestion
Drains the lymph system
Relieves swelling in the legs
Increases self-confidence and inner strength

BADDHA PADMASANA / YOGA MUDRA Bound Lotus Pose /

Sacred Seal
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 9.14

Baddha Padmasana and Yoga Mudra are considered to be a

sacred seal. The intention of these poses is to complete the
ritual of the Ashtanga Yoga practice and turn the full attention
of the mind inward. Once this happens, the spiritual body
awakens and the vital life force flows freely. The result will be
a calm mind, a healed body, and an inner glow.
Enter this pose by jumping through to a sitting position on an
inhalation. Exhale as you take your right foot into half-lotus
position, and bring your left foot up to full lotus following the
instructions on safe external rotation of the hip joint in seated
poses (see Chapter 7). Try to let your heels spread away from
each other so they align on either side of your navel without
touching it. If possible, allow your knees to touch the ground,
but do not force them. Once you feel at ease in this pose, reach
around your back to hold your left foot with your left hand and
your right foot with your right hand. This movement literally
binds your lotus and seals the energy lines of the body (see fig.
9.14). You do not need to cross your elbows in back, just reach
your arms around enough to clasp your feet firmly. To do this,
you must reach from deep within your shoulder joint, just as
you did in Supta Kurmasana. This movement ensures that your
chest and its corresponding energy centers are open to the free
flow of subtle energy.
If you are unable to perform the lotus position, use either
half-lotus or a simple cross-legged pose. Take your hands
behind your back and hold on to your elbows to simulate the
bind. If you are able to get into the lotus position but cannot
bind your feet, try wrapping a towel around each foot and
holding those rather than just clasping your elbows. If you grip
each towel firmly, this activation will help you open your
shoulders. If you are able to grab one foot but not the other, try
placing a towel around the foot you cannot grab and
alternating feet each day. Over time, your shoulders will open.
Hold Baddha Padmasana for only one breath to prepare for the
next pose.
Having established this bind or modified bind, fold forward
on an exhalation to enter Yoga Mudra (see fig. 9.15). Lift your
belly inward and hollow out your pelvis. If you can do lotus
position easily, you can even press your heels into your belly to
assist the hollowing motion. Keep a sense of grounding in your
sit bones, although you may allow them to rise slightly off the
ground. Reach your spine up and over your feet and aim your
chin toward the ground. If you cannot reach your chin to the
ground, then touch your forehead to the floor or let it hover in
the air while reaching toward the floor. Elongate your spine
forward in a slight flexion while the muscles in the front of your
body provide support from underneath. This pose firmly
cements all the learning and energy you have experienced
during the practice session into your body and mind.
Consciously lengthen your inhalations and exhalations while
you are in this pose.

Figure 9.15

Hold the pose for ten breaths. Come up and go directly into
the next pose, Padmasana.

BENEFITS
Opens the hips and shoulders
Directs the mind toward the inner body
Improves digestion
Increases awareness of the bandhas
Treats arthritis

PADMASANA
Full Lotus Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 9.16

Full lotus position tests your spiritual energy and intention with
the Ashtanga Yoga method. If performed with power and
integrity, Padmasana can be the gateway to far deeper states
of consciousness than any other pose. It is also used as a
preparation for meditation and breathing exercises.
To enter this pose, inhale and sit up from Yoga Mudra,
release your hands, and keep your legs in the lotus position.
Roll your shoulders down your back, lift your chest and heart
center, and straighten your elbows. Turn your palms outward,
holding your hands in the gesture known as yoga mudra (which
is different than the pose you just held). On each hand, place
the tips of your thumb and index finger together to form a link
that symbolizes the unity of personal identity with the cosmic,
universal life force. Stretch out the three remaining fingers on
each hand; they represent mastery over the three gunas
(sattva, rajas, tamas), which are manifestations of the forms of
nature and are in a state of eternal flux.
While maintaining Padmasana, you must pay careful
attention to the inner work of your pelvis. Emphasize the
bandhas, and focus your mind deep within the cavernous pelvic
regions. At the end of each inhalation and exhalation, bring
your mind into true contact with your inner body. See if you
can feel the natural application of the pelvic floor contraction
as your breath moves in and out of your body. With conscious
intention, keep your abdomen drawn in and apply even more
pressure to your pelvic floor muscles with each breath. In
doing so, you will charge the power center inside your pelvis
and fully pump spiritual energy up your spine. Lengthen the
inhalation and exhalation even more while drawing in on the
bandhas; aim for a full ten-second inhalation and exhalation.
Ground your sit bones firmly into the floor while lifting your
spine away from your pelvis. Each inhalation lifts your
sternoclavicular joint (at the junction of the sternum and
clavicles) toward your chin. Let your chin gently rest
downward. On the exhalation, there will be a space between
your chin and your chest. Keep your abdomen strongly drawn
in throughout the breathing process. Make sure that your spine
is in its natural position throughout this pose, neither overly
extended nor flexed. Gaze at the tip of your nose (see fig. 9.16).
Breathe deeply and strongly, feeling the full power of the
Ashtanga Yoga method. Let the sound of your breath be the full
expression of your vital life energy, and feel the central channel
of your spirit body being charged with this power.
Hold the pose for ten breaths. Proceed immediately to the
next pose.

BENEFITS
Opens all the chakras
Stabilizes the pelvis
Increases the subtle flow of energy
Equalizes the breath
Calms the nervous system
Opens the hips and shoulders

UTPLUTIH
Sprung-Up Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 9.17

Literally translated as “sprung-up,” Utplutih uses the power of

the charged inner body to spring upward both physically and
energetically. It is a true test of mental and spiritual
endurance, and most students find it overwhelming. But with
regular practice and good technique, anyone can perform it
and receive its benefits. The key to mastering this pose is your
willingness to do the inner strength work no matter what it
takes. Every student of yoga wants to come down and quit
early here, but the deeper lesson is about developing the
determination to stay the course regardless of how arduous it
seems at first. When you master this pose, you will have tapped
into one of the deepest sources of strength available through
physical yoga practice.
Place your hands on the floor in front of your pelvis and
about mid-thigh. Spread your fingers apart and consciously
build a strong foundation with your shoulders. Engage your
deltoids, latissimus dorsi muscles, serratus anterior muscles,
and rhomboids while you prepare to lift your body off the
ground. Flex your hip joints, squeeze the lower ribs toward the
center, draw your abdomen in strongly, and engage your pelvic
floor to lift your knees into your chest. Inhale as you lean
forward into the solid foundation of your arms and engage the
interior spaces of your pelvis to lift your body off the floor (see
fig. 9.17). Use every muscle you have to do this lift, because
each part of the body is responsible for lifting itself. Press
strongly into your arms, engage your legs, draw your abdomen
farther in, squeeze your rib cage, press into your fingertips,
and activate your transverse abdominal muscles. Make your
breath long, slow, steady, and deep. Ignore the temptation to
quicken or shorten your breath. Stay in this lift for ten breaths
or more, even if you have to come down and raise back up
again.
If you cannot raise your pelvis off the ground, simply raise
your knees into your chest and push your arms into the ground.
Even if you feel that nothing is happening, this static strength
movement builds the muscle fibers that will one day lift you off
the floor. Lean forward into your arms, focus on lifting your
pelvis with its own strength, breathe, and have faith. I tried
this every day for three months before I could even lift myself
an inch off the ground, so keep practicing, and one day your
pelvis will come up too. Charging your inner body with energy
right before entering final relaxation encourages your entire
body to rest completely. Without this powerful charge, some
muscles and tissues would not fully release their tension.
After at least ten breaths, jump immediately back into
Chaturanga Dandasana rather than coming to rest. Inhale and
go into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana; exhale into Adho Mukha
Svanasana. Jump forward to standing and chant the closing
mantra of Ashtanga Yoga (see Appendix A). Next, inhale and
raise your hands as in Surya Namaskara A, exhale and fold
forward, inhale and look up, exhale and jump back. Inhale and
go into Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, exhale into Adho Mukha
Svanasana, and finally jump through to lie down and rest in
Sukhasana, or final relaxation (see fig. 9.18).

SUKHASANA
Easy, Comfortable Pose

Figure 9.18

This pose is often called Savasana in other styles of yoga, but in

the Ashtanga Yoga method it is called Sukhasana, or Easy,
Comfortable Pose. In Ashtanga Yoga the posture called
Savasana, literally translated as “corpse pose,” is a challenging
movement in the Fifth Series. Here you should simply lie down
and relax.
From Downward-Facing Dog jump through and lie down.
Spread your feet wider than hip-width apart and let them
externally rotate as much as is natural for you. Relax all the
work in your legs. Roll your shoulder blades down your back
and spread your arms at approximately the same angle as your
legs. Open your shoulders and let the palms turn up. Close your
eyes, clear your mind, and stay here for at least five minutes
but not longer than twenty minutes. If you have a hard time
calming your mind, bring your attention to the breath and the
subtle body.
 10
Strength: The Yoga of True Power

THE ASHTANGA YOGA METHOD CAN BE THOUGHT OF AS a heroic

journey to the center of the soul. Each practitioner faces
certain tests and trials along this sacred path. One of the great
lessons that each weary traveler of the spiritual path of yoga
must learn is the lesson of strength. In Ashtanga Yoga, strength
is not measured in mere brute force or physical prowess.
Instead, the power and presence demanded by the full yoga
practice cultivate a kind of inner fortitude that can only be
described as spiritual realization.
Although one of the products of a lifelong commitment to
Ashtanga Yoga is a lithe body that is capable of gravity-defying
moves, the journey that takes you there is entirely a spiritual
one. The process of building the strength and structural
support you need to facilitate a healthy range of motion is not
an end in itself. Rather, the poses are testing grounds on which
you learn liberating life lessons that teach self-esteem, self-
confidence, and self-worth. Most people who first attempt to
balance on their hands or stand on their head often feel that
these poses are impossible for them. When faced with new
movements, the mind often rebels and presents a preconceived
notion about what the body can and cannot do. Most of these
beliefs are deeply entrenched within the individual psyche and
are more closely related to emotional boundaries than to any
real truth about physical or spiritual potential. On the yoga
mat, your deeply held beliefs about yourself become evident,
and confronting those beliefs within this safe space can lead to
liberation. If you believe yourself to be weak and quit easily,
then the challenge of strength will be a good teacher that may
take many years to get through to you. If you believe you are
naturally strong and will be able to perform the yoga poses
easily, strength may teach you humility.
In yoga practice, strength is not just a physical experience, a
way to build lean muscle mass. Rather, the strength gained in
yoga practice is more about steadying the mind and healing the
body. Many people think that yoga is all about flexibility and
stretching. While a good portion of it does work on making the
body more bendy, the real heart of yoga is a balance between
strength and flexibility for the body and mind. Strength in yoga
demands a balance between openness and stability. For
example, you must have a solid structural foundation in your
shoulders so you can bear your body weight while allowing the
joints to be free enough for a natural range of motion. Strength
in yoga is an integration of the sum of the body, mind, and soul
in a way that gives access to something much larger than any
individual part.
Once you stand at the bottom of a mountain that feels
impossible to climb and then with slow, steady perseverance
begin to find the technique, strength, and faith needed to
ascend to the peak, you build self-esteem. The challenging arm
balance positions in the Ashtanga Yoga method are meant to do
just that. The idea in yoga is that there is no one to ultimately
rely upon for your success except yourself. When most students
attempt the heroic lifts of the Ashtanga Yoga method, they
stand at the bottom of their own mountain of impossibility and
slowly, steadily begin the humble work of finding their own
inner strength. Yoga does not ask you to be strong from the
first day. You might not be able to perform various yoga poses
on the first try, but if you unroll your mat every day and try for
many years, the promise that yoga makes you is that one day
you will indeed be strong beyond your wildest dreams. When
you see the techniques presented here, you will be challenged
and your limits will be tested. This is a good thing! Only if you
actually reach your limits will you ever grow spiritually,
mentally, or physically.

THE QUIET STRENGTH OF A WOMAN’S BODY

Contemporary dogmas of what is possible for men and women

contribute to what yoga practitioners believe is possible for
male and female bodies. If you are a woman, you may wonder
whether you are the wrong shape, size, weight, or gender to be
able to catapult your hips through the air and resign yourself to
being just flexible. But this type of thinking undermines a true
sense of power for either gender.
In yoga, there is an unfair assumption that all men
effortlessly perform gravity-defying lifts and all women snake
their way into positions a contortionist would envy. While the
mind-set of teachers and students often perpetuates some
traditional gender roles, reality tells a different story. There are
men who are hypermobile and unable to lift their butts off the
ground, and there are women who are stiff as a board but can
balance unwaveringly in a handstand. One of yoga’s greatest
lessons is that there are no universal standards for bodies and
that all bodies, genders, races, and ages can benefit from and
master this ancient practice.
When you look for evidence that women can be strong in the
yoga world, you dig into the very essence of femininity.
Sometimes it seems like women who can perform asanas that
require great strength are overcompensating, being tough to
excel in a male-dominated world. Locking down traits typically
associated with femininity, such as softness, openness,
sensitivity, and tenderness, means that powerful women are
often feared for their harshness.
Trading quintessential female traits to succeed in a man’s
world devalues women’s essence. The complexity of gender is
such that there are no easy answers to what constitutes
essential male or female traits. My personal journey into yoga
led me to ask the difficult question of whether the natural
strength in a woman’s body is different but not less than a
man’s. I started out thirteen years ago as the stereotypical,
flexible girl with no strength. In awe of the mysterious lift-up,
all arm balances, handstands, and vinyasas, I looked critically
at the extra cushioning around my bum, small arms, and petite
frame and blamed my shape and gender for what I could not do
easily. Male teachers in the West meant well and simply let me
slide, saying they did not expect women to match men’s
strength. Movement-based, scientifically backed anatomy
books state that women’s bodies have a lower center of gravity
and therefore work with a different set of rules, casting women
as the physically weaker gender. Science, stereotypes, and
points of view were creating an artificial limit, so I dug in
deeper.
My ninety-three-year-old master Jois once said in a group
conference in Mysore, “Yoga is changing. Now some women
are very strong. Correct asana performing is possible. Before,
not possible. Now possible. All women are doing all asanas
correctly.” Jois’s teacher, Krishnamacharya, was the first
Brahmin teacher to allow women into the secret study of the
Indian sacred texts and is also quoted as saying that women
are the future of yoga. In a world of quickly equalizing power,
it is fitting that women’s role in yoga also changes and evolves.
The basic teaching in yoga is the unification of extremes, and in
that light, it is appropriate that both men and women are asked
to move toward a balance between strength and flexibility
When I attempted to experience this balance in my own body, I
was pushed to the limit of my physical, emotional, and spiritual
potential.

BANDHAS
Most people equate physical strength with upper body
strength, but Ashtanga Yoga teaches your entire body to be
strong from the inside out. Each part is integrated with the
larger whole while retaining individual responsibility for lifting,
stretching, and strengthening itself. When they try to lift their
hips off the ground, many students feel as though their arms
are too short, their upper body is too weak, or their bums are
too large. The answer to this doubt is the magical mystery of
the bandhas, which literally means “locks.” These mysterious
locks are internal and can be cultivated through the careful use
of the pelvic muscles. We will discuss the movements that help
you feel the bandhas, but remember that these are energetic
experiences that are closer to emptiness than to any muscular
movement. When you find out just how strong you can be at the
center of your body, you will feel light and liberated. The
bandhas are invaluable in the sacred effort to bring energy up
the spine, along the central column of the body, and through
the crown of the head.

MULA BANDHA
Root Lock
Sit in a comfortable, cross-legged position on the floor with
your spine in a neutral, erect position. Feel both your sit bones
and the space between them. Now squeeze your sit bones
together without changing the position of your pelvis and
without squeezing your gluteal muscles. Next, feel your
tailbone and pubic bone. Draw them closer together so that all
four points of your pelvis move toward each other. Increase the
level of activation so that your sit bones, tailbone, and pubic
bone draw in as much as possible. This consciously activates
the interior space of your pelvis (see fig. 10.1). Be careful not
to change the position of your pelvis or activate your thighs and
gluteal muscles.

Figure 10.1
 Next, contract your anus and squeeze your urethra as though
you are stopping yourself from urinating. Add that to the
activations you’re already doing. Contract your perineum
(pelvic floor) by lifting it into your pelvis. If you are a woman,
squeeze your cervix and the walls of your vagina; if you are a
man, lift your testicles. Connect your anus, urethra, perineum,
and genitals in one big contraction. Finally, draw this
contraction into your body along your spine and try to move it
up and in. Feel the movement into the interior space of the
pelvis. Over time you will be able to activate this whole
network of movements in one fluid contraction.

UDDIYANA BANDHA
Upward Flying Lock
Applying what you now know about mula bandha, relax your
stomach and let go of any overexertion in your abdominal
muscles. Draw your belly, from the navel to the pubic bone,
back and into your body as though you are trying to suck in
your stomach to fit into a tight pair of jeans. Let this action be
released but not soft, more like an elongation than a static
contraction. Try thinking about it as a reverse contraction or a
sucking in of the abdominal muscles. If the abdominal wall
hardens, let go and start again.
Combine the mula bandha action with this reverse
contraction, and let all the muscles come together to provide
support for your pelvis and lift from within. Breathe into your
lungs—into the front, back, and sides of your body—while
allowing the energy of the breath to travel up and down your
spine. Avoid breathing into your belly; in the challenging
movements of Ashtanga Yoga, this can predispose you for
injury.

APPLICATION

The pelvic floor and the accompanying muscles are like any
other part of the body. The more you use them, the stronger
they get on a physical and energetic level. You can expect your
awareness and control of this area to increase as you practice
more. The total contraction in these exercises is intended to
help you feel your body. In your yoga practice, you can apply
the tools of the bandhas at anywhere from 10 percent to 100
percent of their activation and power. When working on
challenging strength poses, you will need every ounce of
activation possible. When working on flexibility poses, you will
need only a certain percentage of this power to support your
spine and pelvis. Activating these muscles is the key to making
your pelvis and hips strong enough to lift themselves from
within. Once you literally feel your pelvic floor, you will be able
to direct your body through space from the inside out. It is
important to be able to connect to the dynamic work of the
bandhas in all positions of the spine, through extended, flexed,
and neutral poses.
It might be useful to think of mula bandha and uddiyana
bandha coming together to create an energetic sensation of
emptiness or even brilliant light located at your center of
gravity. The spiritual power center inside the pelvis is referred
to by some classical Hatha Yoga texts as the Kanda center. All
72,000 nadis are said to originate from this deep place inside
the pelvic region. Only by drawing your life energy back to this
power center can you actualize the full potential of the
Ashtanga Yoga method.

FOUNDATION

Figure 10.2
 Figure 10.3

The upper body is crucial to the development of strength but

works most efficiently when it is integrated into the whole.
Rather than thinking about arm strength, it is better to develop
a solid structural foundation.
Begin on your hands and knees. Align your shoulders over
the palms of your hands and your hips over your knees. Relax
your spine. Engage your fingertips, plant your knuckles (but
not your fingers or palm), and thrust the heel of your hand into
the floor. Allow the “smiles” of your elbows to point
approximately forty-five degrees forward and rotate your
shoulders down your back to open them. Broaden your
collarbones and guide your shoulder blades down your back
and away from each other. Activate your deltoids, latissimus
dorsi, and serratus anterior muscles (see figs. 10.2 and 10.3).
Lift the center of your sternum to fill out the space between
your shoulders. Draw your ribs in, apply mula bandha and
uddiyanan bandha, and tuck your tailbone under. Finally,
engage your legs and straighten your knees while keeping your
chest forward over your hands (see fig. 10.4). This is the
foundational position from which all strength-based poses can
be performed. If you find it challenging, hold the position for as
long as possible once a day and you will grow stronger.

Figure 10.4

DIRECTION IN STRENGTH

While the external result of strength in yoga means you lift

“up” into a headstand, a handstand, or many other arm
balances, the truth is that you transfer the weight of your body
forward over a solid foundation that integrates your arms with
the strength of your torso and the bandhas. When you direct
your pelvis over your arms, the magical “up” happens along the
way. The great Zen riddle of strength in yoga is that if you
think up, you will go down, and if you think forward, up
happens along the way. When working on a headstand,
jumping back and through (covered in the next section),
Bujapidasana, and other arm balances, find the direction
forward with your pelvis over your arms as the foundation to
initiate movement.

HOW TO JUMP THROUGH

When I first tried Ashtanga Yoga, I thought this was one of the
most mysterious movements. It looked like magic and seemed
impossible. I watched students of all shapes and sizes start in
Adho Mukha Svanasana, bend their knees, and float through
their arms to come to a sitting position. When I tried it the first
time, I nearly hit my arms with my feet and toppled over. But
with regular practice, a bit of technique and anatomical
knowledge, and the grace of a good teacher, I figured out an
easy way to break down this technique so almost anyone can
do it.
Figure 10.5
 Figure 10.6

There are four segments that should ultimately be combined.

First, walk or jump your feet forward to a crossed position (see
fig. 10.5). Second, guide your feet through your hands by either
walking, wiggling, lifting, or sliding them forward while
keeping your hands firmly planted on the ground. Third,
stretch out your legs so they are extended forward while your
hips remain above the ground and your shoulders are strongly
engaged (see fig. 10.6). Fourth, complete the movement and
lower yourself to a seated position on the ground. Keep your
spine in a flexed position throughout the movement.
For the beginner’s option, start in Adho Mukha Svanasana
and lean your weight forward onto your arms, building a solid
foundation in your upper body and strengthening your shoulder
girdle. Next, bring your right foot forward so that the top of it
rests on the floor behind your hands; point your toes. Keep
your pelvis off the ground and your spine flexed. Bring your left
foot forward, point your toes, and cross your left foot behind
the right. Your knees should be pointing between your arms.
Keep the heels of your hands planted on the ground, your
abdomen drawn in, and your pelvic floor engaged. Slowly begin
to wiggle your right foot forward a few inches, then repeat the
wiggle with the left foot. Keep your hands planted flat on the
ground and your hips high. Aim forward with your pelvis and
keep your upper body strong. Keep wiggling and inching your
way, foot by foot, through your arms until both legs are
stretched out in front of you. Lower your hips and pelvis to the
floor. Ignore the temptation to rush, lift your hands, or just sit
down. Stay strong mentally and physically.
Once this is easy, jump both feet forward and land with your
right and left foot crossed behind your hands, knees pointing
between your arms, and hips lifted high. Either drag both feet
through at the same time, or lift your feet off the ground by
leaning farther forward into your arms and drawing your legs
into your chest. Finally, stretch your legs all the way out and
lower to the ground. Do not lift your hands at any time.
The most difficult version of this movement is easy if you
have spent enough time performing the beginning versions.
Once you are able to walk, drag, or lift your feet through your
arms without a problem, you are ready to try for the full jump
through. From Adho Mukha Svanasana, bend your knees and
look at a spot all the way through your arms. Say to yourself
that you will send your hips and pelvis forward over the solid
foundation of your arms. Then do it; inhale as you jump forward
while pressing firmly into your arms and drawing in your lower
belly and rib cage (see fig. 10.7). Keep your legs tucked into
your chest and slowly lower them down and through your arms
until they are stretched out in front of you. Last, place your
hips on the ground. Feel free to combine any version of all
these movements as long as you keep breathing throughout
your efforts. If you ever feel that your legs can float through
your arms without bending, you can jump through with straight
legs too.
 Figure 10.7

HOW TO JUMP BACK

This is one of the most difficult movements in the entire
Ashtanga Yoga series. Some students who are able to perform
advanced handstands still cannot jump back. The phrase used
to describe this movement is a bit misleading, because there is
no jump involved. Jumping back is a static lift with no
momentum to help you. Only your strength and understanding
of the inner workings of your body will get you through this
complex movement.
Figure 10.8
Figure 10.9
Figure 10.10
 Figure 10.11

Starting in any seated pose, begin by crossing your legs into

your body as tightly as possible and placing your hands a few
inches in front of your hips (see fig. 10.8). This may be
challenging, as it involves both a deep external rotation and
flexion of the hip joint to get a deep fold and a strong interior
space in the pelvis to hold your legs to your chest once they are
flexible enough to get there.
Holding your legs against your chest, lean your weight
forward onto your hands and allow your pelvis to rise off the
ground (see fig. 10.9). Do not worry about up; think about
transferring the weight of your body forward onto your arms
and hands. Strengthen your shoulder girdle to support this
weight, and engage your pelvic floor to lift your hips using
their own strength.
 If you are a beginner, you will find it impossible to keep your
feet off the ground, so slide, wiggle, or walk your feet through
your arms as you lean forward, coming into the same position
as in the first version (see fig. 10.5). Some rather strong
practitioners who are able to lift their feet into this position will
get “stuck” halfway back for many years (see fig. 10.10).
Both beginners and advanced students can try the next
modification to build strength. With your feet crossed behind
your hands, lean forward so that your arms bend and your
shoulder girdle strengthens. Then lift one foot off the ground
and lean even farther forward, perhaps lowering your head
close to the ground as in Chaturanga Dandasana (see fig.
10.11). If you feel your arms shaking and your deltoids and
chest muscles burning, be careful not to overdo it, but be
aware that this is exactly the strength you need to perform the
movement. Finally, allow your legs to either step or float back
to Chaturanga Dandasana after you initiate that backward
movement by leaning farther forward into your arms.
It took me five years of dedicated practice to learn this
movement, and I am still working on improving it. Be patient
with yourself and remember to have faith, no matter how hard
it seems, that one day you will do it too.

HOW TO JUMP BACK FROM LOTUS POSITION

There are two methods for jumping back from lotus position.
The first is to come onto your knees, keeping your legs in lotus
(see fig. 10.12). Place your hands in front of your knees, bend
your elbows, and push your elbows into your stomach. Lean
your weight forward on your hands until your lotus lifts off the
ground. When your knees hover in the air, release your lotus,
and jump back to Chaturanga Dandasana (see fig. 10.13).
 Figure 10.12

Figure 10.13

If you are more advanced, lift your lotus position straight off
the ground, swing your knees through your arms, and release
your lotus to jump back. Hook your feet around your upper
arms to get a little extra lift if necessary (see fig. 10.14).

Figure 10.14

CHAKRASANA
Wheel Pose
Drishti: Nasagrai (Nose)

Figure 10.15

Start in a prone position. Place your hands under your

shoulders, fingers pointed toward your pelvis. Inhale as you
bring your legs over your head. Curl your toes under. Press
your hands into the floor as you send your hips over your hands
and lift your lower ribs into the core; roll over backward by
pressing into your arms (see fig. 10.15). Be sure to inhale as
you roll over. Exhale and land in Chaturanga Dandasana.
If you cannot perform the backward roll, try to lift your legs
over your head and prepare for the pose. Then rock three
times, sending your pelvis over your head while pushing into
the floor with your arms and drawing in your abdomen. If you
are unsuccessful at this, sit up and jump back normally.
 APPENDIX A Mantras

OPENING MANTRA

I bow to the lotus feet of the Gurus

The awakening happiness of one’s own Self revealed,
Beyond better, acting like the Jungle physician,
Pacifiying delusion, the poison of Samsara.

Taking the form of a man to the shoulders,

Holding a conch, a discus, and a sword,
One thousand heads white,
To Patanjali, I salute.


CLOSING MANTRA

May all be well with mankind.

May the leaders of the earth protect in every way by keeping to
the right path.

May there be goodness for those who know the earth to be

sacred.
May all the worlds be happy.
APPENDIX B
Sanskrit Vinyasa Count

Publisher’s Note: This section contains Sanskrit diacritics. If

you encounter difficulty displaying these characters, please set
your e-reader device to publisher defaults (if available) or to an
alternate font.

SŪRYANAMASKĀRAḤ A (9 movements)

EKAM Inhale, arms up

DVE Exhale, fold forward
TRĪṆI Inhale, look up, lengthen
CATVĀRI Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
PAÑCA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
ṢAṬ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
SAPTA Inhale, jump forward, look up, lengthen
AṢṬAU Exhale, fold forward
NAVA Inhale, arms up
Exhale, Samasthiti

SŪRYANAMASKĀRAḤ B (17 movements)

EKAM Inhale, Utkatasana

DVE Exhale, fold forward
TRĪṆI Inhale, look up, lengthen
CATVĀRI Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
PAÑCA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
ṢAṬ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
SAPTA Inhale, right side Virabhadrasana A
AṢṬAU Exhale, Chaturanga
NAVA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
DAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, left side Virabhadrasana A
DUĀDAŚA Exhale, Chaturanga
Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
 Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA
CATURDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
PAÑCADAŚA Inhale, jump forward, look up, lengthen
ṢOḌAŚA Exhale, fold forward
SAPTADAŚA Inhale, Utkatasana
Exhale, Samasthiti

PĀDĀNGUṢTHĀSANA (3 movements) (start with feet apart,

hold big toes)
EKAM Inhale, look up, lengthen
DVE Exhale, fold forward
TRĪṆI Inhale, look up, lengthen
Exhale

PĀDAHASTĀSANA (3 movements)

EKAM Inhale, hands under feet, look up, lengthen

DVE Exhale, fold forward
TRĪṆI Inhale, look up, lengthen
Exhale, Samasthiti

UTTHITA TRIKOṆĀSANA A (5 movements)

EKAM Inhale, open to the right, arms out

DVE Exhale, hold the right big toe
TRĪṆI Inhale, up
CATVĀRI Exhale, fold, hold the left big toe
PAÑCA Inhale, up

UTTHITA TRIKOṆĀSANA B (5 movements)

DVE Exhale, twist left, hand down
TRĪṆI Inhale, up
CATVĀRI Exhale, twist right, hand down
PAÑCA Inhale, up
Exhale, Samasthiti

UTTHITA PĀRŚVAKOṆĀSANA A (5 movements)

EKAM Inhale, open to the right, arms out
DVE Exhale, right hand down, left arm reaches
TRĪṆI Inhale, up
CATVĀRI Exhale, left hand down, right arm reaches
PAÑCA Inhale, up

UTTHITA PĀRSVAKOṆĀSANA B (5 movements)

DVE Exhale, twist left hand down
TRĪṆI Inhale, up
CATVĀRI Exhale, twist right hand down
PAÑCA Inhale, up
Exhale, Samasthiti

PRASĀRITA PĀDOTTĀNĀSANA A (5 movements)

EKAM Inhale, open to the right, hands to waist

DVE Exhale, fold forward, hands on the floor
Inhale, look up, lengthen
TRĪṆI Exhale, fold head down
CATVĀRI Inhale, look up, lengthen
Exhale
PAÑCA Inhale, up

PRASĀRITA PĀDOTTĀNĀSANA B (4 movements)

EKAM Inhale, arms out
DVE Exhale, hands to waist
Inhale, look up, lengthen
TRĪṆI Exhale, fold head down
CATVĀRI Inhale, up
Exhale

PRASĀRITA PĀDOTTĀNĀSANA C (4 movements)

PRASĀRITA PĀDOTTĀNĀSANA C (4 movements)

EKAM Inhale, arms out

DVE Exhale, interlace hands behind back
Inhale, look up, lengthen
TRĪṆI Exhale, fold head down
CATVĀRI Inhale, up
Exhale

PRASĀRITA PĀDOTTĀNĀSANA D (5 movements)

EKAM Inhale, hands to waist, look up

DVE Exhale, fold forward, hold big toes
Inhale, look up, lengthen
TRĪṆI Exhale, fold head down
CATVĀRI Inhale, look up, lengthen
Exhale
PAÑCA Inhale, up
Exhale, Samasthiti

PĀRSVŌTTĀNĀSANA (5 movements)

EKAM Inhale, open to the right, hands in prayer behind back

DVE Exhale, fold
TRĪṆI Inhale, up, turn to the front
CATVĀRI Exhale, fold
PAÑCA Inhale, up, open to the side
Exhale, Samasthiti

UTTHITA HASTA PĀDĀNGUṢṬHĀSANA (14 movements)

EKAM Inhale, right leg up, hold toe
DVE Exhale, fold
TRĪṆI Inhale, up
 Inhale, up
CATVĀRI Exhale, open leg out, look left
PAÑCA Inhale, leg to the front
ṢAṬ Exhale, fold
SAPTA Inhale, up, hands to waist
Exhale, Samasthiti
AṢṬAU Inhale, left leg up, hold toe
NAVA Exhale, fold
DAŚA Inhale, up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, open leg out, look right
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, leg to the front
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, fold
CATURDAŚA Inhale, up, hands to waist
Exhale, Samasthiti

ARDHA BADDHA PADMOTTĀNĀSANA (9 movements)

EKAM Inhale, right foot up, bind

DVE Exhale, fold
TRĪṆI Inhale, look up, lengthen
Exhale
CATVĀRI Inhale, up
PAÑCA Exhale, leg down
ṢAṬ Inhale, left foot up, bind
SAPTA Exhale, fold
AṢṬAU Inhale, look up, lengthen
Exhale
NAVA Inhale, up
Exhale, Samasthiti

UTKAṬĀSANA (11 movements)

EKAM Inhale, arms up

DVE Exhale, fold forward
TRĪṆI Inhale, look up, lengthen
CATVĀRI Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
PAÑCA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
ṢAṬ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
 Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
SAPTA Inhale, jump forward, Utkatasana
Exhale, fold forward
AṢṬAU Inhale, up
NAVA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DASA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

VĪRABHADRĀSANA A & B (14 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, right side Virabhadrasana A
AṢṬAU Exhale, left side Virabhadrasana A
NAVA Inhale, right side Virabhadrasana B
DASA Exhale, left side Virabhadrasana B
Exhale, hands down
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, up
DUĀDAŚA Exhale, Chaturanga
TRAYODAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

PASCHIMATĀNĀSANA A (14 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through Dandasana (5 breaths)

Exhale
AṢṬAU Inhale, hold toes (A), look up
NAVA Exhale, fold
DAŚA Inhale, look up, lengthen
Exhale
AṢṬAU Inhale, take your wrist (D), look up
NAVA Exhale, fold
DAŚA Inhale, look up, lengthen
Exhale
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, lift up
DUĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
TRAYODAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

PŪRVATĀNĀSANA (13 movements)

PŪRVATĀNĀSANA (13 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through
Exhale, hands on the floor behinds hips
AṢṬAU Inhale, up
NAVA Exhale, down
DAŚA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

ARDHA BADDHA PADMA PASCHIMATĀNĀSANA (20

movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, right foot bind

AṢṬAU Exhale, fold
NAVA Inhale, look up
Exhale
DASA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Inhak, jump through, left foot bind
PAÑCADAŚA Exhale, fold
ṢOḌAŚA Inhale, look up
Exhale
SAPTADAŚA Inhale, lift up
AṢṬAUDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
EKUNAVIMŚATIḤ Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
VIMŚATIḤ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

TIRYANGMUKHAIKAPĀDA PASCHIMATĀNĀSANA (20

movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, right knee forward

Exhale, fold
AṢṬAU Exhale, fold
NAVA Inhale, look up
Exhale
DAŚA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Inhale, jump through, left knee forward
PAÑCADAŚA Exhale, fold
ṢOḌAŚA Inhale, look up
Exhale
SAPTADAŚA Inhale, lift up
AṢṬAUDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
EKUNAVIMŚATIḤ Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
VIMŚATIḤ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

JĀNU ŚĪRṢĀSANA A (20 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, right foot in

AṢṬAU Exhale, fold
NAVA Inhale, look up
Exhale
DAŚA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Inhale, jump through, left foot in
PAÑCADAŚA Exhale, fold
ṢOḌAŚA Inhale, look up
Exhale
SAPTADAŚA Inhale, lift up
AṢṬAUDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
EKUNAVIMŚATIḤ Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
VIMŚATIḤ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

JĀNU ŚĪRṢĀSANA B (20 movements)

Inhale, jump through, right foot in

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, right foot in
AṢṬAU Exhale, fold
NAVA Inhale, look up
Exhale
DAŚA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Inhale, jump through, left foot in
PAÑCADAŚA Exhale, fold
ṢOḌAŚA Inhale, look up
Exhale
SAPTADAŚA Inhale, lift up
AṢṬAUDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
EKUNAVIMŚATIḤ Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
VIMŚATIḤ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

JĀNU ŚĪRṢĀSANA C (20 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, right foot in

AṢṬAU Exhale, fold
NAVA Inhale, look up
Exhale
DAŚA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Inhale, jump through, left foot in
PAÑCADAŚA Exhale, fold
ṢOḌAŚA Inhale, look up
Exhale
SAPTADAŚA Inhale, lift up
AṢṬAUDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
EKUNAVIMŚATIḤ Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
VIMŚATIḤ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

MARĪCHĀSANA A (20 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, right knee up
AṢṬAU Exhale, fold
NAVA Inhale, look up
Exhale
DAŚA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Inhale, jump through, left knee up
PAÑCADAŚA Exhale, fold
ṢOḌAŚA Inhale, look up
Exhale
SAPTADAŚA Inhale, lift up
AṢṬAUDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
EKUNAVIMŚATIḤ Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
VIMŚATIḤ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

MARĪCHĀSANA B (20 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, left foot in, right knee up, bind
AṢṬAU Exhale, fold
NAVA Inhale, look up
Exhale
DAŚA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Inhale, jump through, right foot in, left knee up, bind
PAÑCADAŚA Exhale, fold
ṢOḌAŚA Inhale, look up
Exhale
SAPTADAŚA Inhale, lift up
AṢṬAUDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
EKUNAVIMŚATIḤ Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
VIMŚATIḤ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

MARĪCHĀSANA C (16 movements)



SAPTA Inhale, jump through

Exhale, take posture twist to the right
AṢṬAU Inhale, lift up
NAVA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, jump through
Exhale, take posture twist to the left
TRAYODAŚA Inhale, lift up
CATURDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
PAÑCADAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
ṢOḌAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

MARĪCHASĀNA D (16 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through

Exhale, left foot lotus right, knee up, twist right, bind hands
AṢṬAU Inhale, lift up
NAVA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DAŚA Inhak, Upward-Facing Dog
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, jump through
Exhale, right foot lotus left knee up, twist left, bind hands
TRAYODAŚA Inhale, lift up
CATURDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
PAÑCADAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
ṢOḌAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

NĀVĀSANA (11 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, legs up, reach forward
AṢṬAU Inhale, lift up
repeat SAPTA ASTAU 5 times
NAVA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
 Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

BHUJAPĪḌĀSANA (13 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump around hands, cross feet

AṢṬAU Exhale, fold chin down
NAVA Inhale, lift up
Exhale, Bakasana
DAŚA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

SUPTA KŪRMĀSANA (14 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump back, Kurmasana

AṢṬAU Exhale, take arms back
NAVA Cross feet
DAŚA Inhale, lift up with both legs behind the head and look up
Exhale, Bakasana
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, lift up
DUĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
TRAYODAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

GARBHA PIṆḌĀSANA (13 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, take Dandasana
AṢṬAU Exhale, take lotus, arms through, take face
NAVA Exhale, roll in circles (inhale up, exhale down)

KUKKUṬĀSANA (13 movements)

NAVA Inhale, lift up, take Kukkuṭāsana
Exhale, down, release arms
DAŚA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

BADDHA KOṆĀSANA (13 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, feet together
AṢṬAU Exhale, fold, chest forward (A)
NAVA Inhale, up
DAŚA Exhale, fold, head down (B)
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, up
Exhale
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, lift up
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
CATURDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
PAÑCADAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

UPAVIṢṬHA KOṆĀSANA (14 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, hold feet

AṢṬAU Exhale, fold
NAVA Inhale, look up
Exhale
DAŚA Inhale, lift up, look up
Exhale
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, lift up
DUĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
TRAYODAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

SUPTA KOṆĀSANA (14 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through
Exhale, lie down
AṢṬAU Inhale, legs up, take toes
NAVA Inhale, roll up, hold
Exhale, down
DAŚA Inhale, look up
Exhale
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, lift up
DUĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
TRAYODAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

SUPTA PĀDĀNGUṢṬHĀSANA (26 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through

Exhale, lie down
AṢṬAU Inhale, right leg up, take toe
NAVA Exhale, fold
DAŚA Inhale, head down
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, externally rotate right leg to the side, look left
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, leg to the front
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, fold
CATURDAŚA Inhale, head down only
PAÑCADAŚA Exhale, leg down
ṢOḌAŚA Inhale, left leg up, hold toe
SAPTADAŚA Exhale, fold
AṢṬAUDAŚA Inhale, head down
EKUNAVIMŚATIḤ Exhale, externally rotate left leg to the side, look right
VIMŚATIḤ Inhale, leg to the front
EKĀVIMŚATIḤ Exhale, fold
DUĀVIMŚATIḤ Inhale, head down
TRAYOVIMŚATIḤ Exhale, leg down
CATURVIMŚATIḤ Inhale, Chakrasana
Exhale, Chaturanga
PAÑCAVIMŚATIḤ Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
ṢAṬVIMŚATIḤ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

UBHAYA PĀDĀNGUṢṬHĀSANA (13 movements)



SAPTA Inhale, jump through

Exhale, lie down
AṢṬAU Inhale, legs up
Exhale, take toes
NAVA Inhale, roll up, look up
Exhale, down
DAŚA Inhale, lift up
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

ŪRDHVA MUKHA PASCIMATĀNĀSANA (15 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through

Exhale, lie down
AṢṬAU Inhale, legs up
Exhale, take feet
NAVA Inhale, roll up, balance with straight arms
DAŚA Exhale, fold head toward thigh
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, head up, straight arms
Exhale, hold the position
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, lift up
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
CATURDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
PAÑCADAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

SETU BANDHĀSANA (13 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, lie down

AṢṬAU Exhale, prepare for the pose with feet out, arms crossed
NAVA Inhale, lift up
DAŚA Exhale, down
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, Chakrasana
Exhale, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
 Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

ŪRDHVA DHANURĀSANA (13 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through, lie down

AṢṬAU Exhale, prepare
NAVA Inhale, lift up
DAŚA Exhale, down
repeat NAVA DAŚA 3 times
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, Chakrasana
Exhale, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

PASCHIMATĀNĀSANA (14 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through
Exhale
AṢṬAU Inhale, hold feet or wrist, look up
NAVA Exhale, fold
DAŚA Inhale, look up, lengthen
Exhale
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, lift up
DUĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
TRAYODAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
CATURDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

SARVĀṆGĀSANA (11 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through

Exhale, lie down
AṢṬAU Inhale, lift up

HALĀSANA (11 movements)



AṢṬAU Exhale, lower feet, bind

KARṆAPĪḌASANA (11 movements)

AṢṬAU Exhale, bend knees, bind

ŪRDHVA PADMĀSANA (12 movements)

NAVA Inhale, take lotus balance

PIṆḌĀSANA (12 movements)

NAVA Exhale, fold, bind

MATSYĀSANA (12 movements)

NAVA Exhale, lift up

UTTĀNA PĀDĀSANA (12 movements)

NAVA Inhale, take pose
Exhale, down
DASA Inhale, Chakrasana
Exhale, Chaturanga
EKĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
DUĀDAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

ŚĪRṢĀSANA (11 movements)



SAPTA Exhale, prepare

AṢṬAU Inhale, up
NAVA Exhale, halfway down
Inhale, lift up
DASA Exhale, down
Balasana 5 breaths
EKĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
DUĀDAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
TRAYODAŚA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog

BADDHA PADMĀSANA/YOGA MUDRĀ (14 movements)

SAPTA Inhale, jump through

AṢṬAU Exhale, take pose
NAVA Exhale, fold, yoga mudra

PADMĀSANA (14 movements)

DASA Inhale, come up, take pose

UTPLUTIḤ (14 movements)

EKĀDAŚA Inhale, lift up

DUĀDAŚA Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
TRAYODAŚA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
CATURDASA Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
PAÑCADAŚA Inhale, jump forward, look up
ṢOḌAŚA Exhale, fold
Inhale, Samasthiti
EKAM Inhale, arms up
DVE Exhale, fold forward
TRĪṆI Inhale, look up, lengthen
CATVĀRI Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga
PAÑCA Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog
ṢAṬ Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
 Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog
SAPTA Inhale, jump through, lie down, rest
Final relaxation
 APPENDIX C

The Complete Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series

SURYA NAMASKARA A
SURYA NAMASKARA B

STANDING POSES
SEATED POSES
BACKBENDS
CLOSING POSES
 GLOSSARY

ADVAITA VEDANTA: The philosophy following the spiritual

tradition of the Vedas that believes in the fundamental truth of
nonduality, or the ultimate connection between the individual
self and the highest, divine Self.

AGNI: Sanskrit for “fire,” also represented by the Hindu deity

Agni.

AHAMKARA: One of the three components of citta, symbolizing

the ego.

AHIMSA: The first of the yamas on the eight-limbed path of

Ashtanga Yoga, literally “nonviolence.”

ANANDAMAYA KOSHA: The innermost, rarefied of the five koshas,

the bliss body, associated with samadhi.

ANNAMAYA KOSHA: The outer layer of the koshas, associated

with food, sometimes called the Food Body.

APARIGRAHA: Nonattachment or nonpossessiveness, the fifth of

the yamas in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

ASHTANGA YOGA (also called Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga): The eight-

limbed path of yoga devised by Patajali; more specifically the
system of yoga propagated by the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois that
combines Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the classical Hatha Yoga
poses, and philosophy with the Bhagavad Gita into a total
system of spiritual transformation.

ASTEYA: Nonstealing, the third of the yamas in Patanjali’s Yoga

Sutras.
ATMAN: The true, eternal self that transcends time and space.

AYURVEDA: Indian system of medicine translated as the “science

of life”; Sri K. Pattabhi Jois strongly recommended following
Ayurvedic principles for yoga practitioners.

BANDHA: Sanskrit for “lock,” referring to the three energetic

locks in the body—mula bandha, uddiyana bandha, and
jalandhara bandha.

BHAGAVAD GITA: Key selection from the Mahabharata epic on

the eve of the great battle of Kurukhsetra where Krishna as the
avatar of God gives the warrior prince Arjuna the teaching of
yoga, sometimes given the status of an Upanishad.

BRAHMA GRANTHI: The karmic knot associated with Brahma

that lies at the sacrum along the central energy channel of the
body.

BRAHMACHARYA: The restraint of sexual impulses, the fourth of

the yamas in Patanj ali’s Yoga Sutras.

BRAHMAN: The one singular universal divinity, the supreme

God.

BUDDHI: One of the three components of citta, signifying the

higher intelligence and the source of wisdom and
discriminative discernment.

CHAKRAS: Translated as “wheels,” energy centers along the

subtle body; there are seven main chakras in the human energy
system, starting at the base of the spine and ending at the top
of the head.

CITTA: Often taken to mean the mind, it is comprised of three

components: ahamkara, buddhi, and manas. It includes the
subconscious mind and the full flow of consciousness.

DHARANA: Concentration, the sixth limb of the eight-limbed

path of Ashtanga Yoga in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

DHRIK-STHITI: Stability of vision, being able to control the flow

of the energy intake from the sense organs, absolute
concentration on a single point of attention.

DHYANA: Meditation, the seventh limb of the eight-limbed path

of Ashtanga Yoga in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

DIVYA DEHA: The divine body, the goal of all Hatha Yoga
practice.

DRISHTI: The gazing point stipulated in each pose utilized in

Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois to train the
mind to be singular and strong; one of the components of the
Tristana method of Ashtanga Yoga.

EKAGRATA: One-pointedness, the ability to maintain the mind on

a single chosen object of attention for a sustained period of
time.

GRANTHI: Energetic and karmic knots that lie along the central
column of the innermost body, which must be purified and
burned through with yogic practice.

GUNA: Sanskrit for “strand” or “chord,” referring to the three

gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas) in which Prakriti takes
manifestation.

HATHA YOGA PRADIPIKA: Classical Hatha Yoga text written

approximately five hundred years ago that contains key
teachings on asana, pranayama, bandhas, and other yogic
practices.

ISHVARA PRANIDHANA: Devotion to God, included as the third

aspect of Kriya Yoga and as the fifth niyama in Patanjali’s Yoga
Sutras.

JALANDHARA BANDHA: The throat lock, where the chin is placed

in contact with the sternoclavicular joint.

JANA DIPTIR: Sanskrit for “the lamp of knowledge,” referring to

the light that dispels the darkness once the inner work of the
Ashtanga Yoga method is complete.

KAMA: Desire, one of the six poisons that Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
mentioned live near the heart.

KARMA: The cycle of cause and effect, continuing on a large

scale over infinite time.

KARMA ASAYA: The sum total of all karmas remaining and

accumulated over multiple lifetimes.

KOSHA: Body, referring to the five koshas of layers that

comprise a living being.

KRIYA: Yogic purification practice taken to eradicate obstacles

on the physical, mental, or emotional level.

KRODHA: Anger, one of the six poisons that Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
mentioned live near the heart.

KUNDALINI: The life force that lies dormant, coiled like a snake
at the base of the spine, and that yogic practices seek to
awaken and draw up along the central axis of the body to the
top of the head.

KUNDALINI SHAKTI: The conception of the life force as a female

energy that upon rising to the crown of the head unites with
the Supreme Being as the aspirant, then achieves full spiritual
realization.

LOBHA: Greed, one of the six poisons that Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
mentioned live near the heart.

MADA: Envy, one of the six poisons that Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
mentioned live near the heart.
MAHABHARATA: The longest Sanskrit epic poem chronicling the
battle between the evil Kauravas and the good Pandavas,
contains the yogic teaching of the Bhagavad Gita.

MAHAVRTAM: The great vow, referring to the yamas and

niyamas in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras from which no one is
excused regardless of class, race, gender, or time.

MANAS: Sanskrit for “mind,” one of the components of citta

symbolizing the more mechanical aspects of the mind.

MANO MAYA KOSHA: The third layer of the five koshas,

symbolizing the mental body or body of thoughts.

MATSARYA: Sloth, one of the six poisons that Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
mentioned live near the heart.

MOHA: Delusion, one of the six poisons that Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
mentioned live near the heart.

MULA BANDHA: The root lock, practiced by engaging the pelvic

floor, the practice of which awakens kundalini at the base of
the spine.

MYSORE STYLE: The style of Ashtanga Yoga practice, named

after the city of Mysore in South India where Sri K. Pattabhi
Jois lived, in which students memorize the poses and go at their
own pace awaiting help from the teacher only when necessary.

NADI: Energy channels running through the subtle body that

yoga purifies, 72,000 mentioned in Classical Hatha Yoga texts.

NADI SHODHANA: Nadi or nerve cleansing, both associated with

the Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga and alternate nostril
breathing exercises.

NAULI KRIYA: An intense purification exercise stipulated in the

Hatha Yoga Pradipika that involves sucking in the lower
abdomen and churning the stomach from side to side.
NETI KRIYA: Nasal-cleansing technique mentioned in the Hatha
Yoga Pradipika that involves the use of water to cleanse the
sinus cavity.

NIYAMA: The second of the eight-limbed path of Ashtanga Yoga

in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras; it lists five moral observances for
how to treat yourself in accordance with yogic principles.

PRAKRITI: Nature, the eternally changeable manifest world of

mind and matter, comprised of the three gunas.

PRANA VAYU: The winds of the life force that, through yogic
practices such as pranayama, can be manipulated and
controlled.

PRANAMAYA KOSHA: The second most gross of the five koshas,

symbolizing the body of energy and air.

PRANAYAMA: Breathing exercises that purify the body in

classical yogic practice; also the fourth limb of the eight-limbed
path of Ashtanga Yoga in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

PRATYAHARA: Sense control by withdrawing the focus of the

sense on the external world and drawing their awareness into
the innermost body; also the fifth limb of the eight-limbed path
of Ashtanga Yoga.

PURUSHA: The eternal, deathless, changeless Self in traditional

yoga philosophy, sometimes taken to mean the individual soul
or the universal soul.

RAJAS: One of the three gunas, associated with motion, energy,

and passion.

RISHI: Seer, usually taken to mean the seer who originally

received the Vedas.

RUDRA GRANTHI: One of the three granthis that lie along the
sushumna nadi that must be purified through yogic practices;
associated with Shiva and said to be in the third eye.

SAMADHI: The last limb of the eight-limbed path of Ashtanga

Yoga in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras; the final state of peace.

SAMSKARA: Repetitive behavioral and thought patterns that take

root within the citta.

SANTOSHA: Contentment, the second of the niyamas listed in

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

SATTVA: One of the three gunas, associated with peace,

harmony, and balance.

SATYA: Truthfulness, the second of the yamas listed in

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

SAUCA: Cleanliness, the first of the niyamas listed in Patanjali’s

Yoga Sutras.

SIX POISONS: Six obstacles that Sri K. Pattabhi Jois said lived
around the heart, which must be purified through yogic
techniques: anger, desire, greed, sloth, envy, and delusion.

SUBTLE BODY: The body comprised of subtle sensations that are

often imperceptible to the untrained mind.

SUSHUMNA NADI: The central nadi running along the central

axis of the body, associated with the spinal column; the
pathway that the life force (kundalini) must flow up to reach
full liberation along the path of yoga.

SVADYAYA: Spiritual self-inquiry, the fourth of the niyamas and

the second component of Kriya Yoga in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras;
a paradigm of study when reading spiritual texts.

TAMAS: One of the three gunas, associated with ignorance,

resistance, and death.
TAPAS : Heat, the third of the niyamas and the first component
of Kriya Yoga in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras; associated with the
fire of purification cultivated in Ashtanga Yoga.

TRISTANA METHOD: Presented by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois as the

foundations of the daily practice in Ashtanga Yoga; comprised
of breath (deep breathing with sound based on the ujjayi
pranayama), asana (posture), and drishti (gazing point).

UJJAYI PRANAYAMA: The deep breathing practice that forms the

basis for the breathing method in the Ashtanga Yoga practice;
inhalation and exhalation are vocalized and equal to each
other, sometimes reaching up to ten seconds; translated as
“the breath of victory.”

UPANISHAD: Sacred philosophical texts that form the basis of

the orthodox schools of Indian spiritual thought.

VAJRA DEHA: Adamantine body, the body that glows and is

strong like a diamond; one of the stated goals of Hatha Yoga
practice of asana.

VASANA: An aggregate collection of the individual’s samskaras.

VEDAS: Ancient spiritual texts dating to the thirteenth century

B.C.E., considered to be divine revelation, consisting of four
main works: Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda.

VIJNANAMAYA KOSHA: The second most subtle of the five koshas,

symbolizing the body of wisdom, associated with buddhi, close
to realization but not the final step.

VINYASA: The coordination of breath with movement that founds

the Ashtanga Yoga method; the system of counting each
movement in the yoga practice with a Sanskrit number.

VISHNU GRANTHI: One of the three granthis that lie along the
sushumna nadi that must be purified through yogic practices;
associated with Vishnu and said to be in the heart center.
VIVEKA KHYATIR: Discriminative discernment, one of the stated
goals of the eight-limbed path of Ashtanga Yoga in Patanjali’s
Yoga Sutras; the ability to see and decipher the truth.

VRITTI: Wave or fluctuation appearing on the field of

consciousness known as citta; can be both painful and
harmless.

YAMA: The first of the eight-limbed path of Ashtanga Yoga in

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras comprising moral codes that include
ahimsa (nonviolence), satya (truthfulness), asteya
(nonstealing), brahmacharya (sexual continence), and
aparigraha (nonattachment).

YOGA CHIKITSA: Yoga therapy, also known as the Primary Series

of Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.
 RESOURCES

Bryant, Edwin. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. New York: North Point Press, 2009.
Donahaye, Guy, and Eddie Stern. Guruji: A Portrait of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois through
the Eyes of His Students. New York: North Point Press, 2012.
Feuerstein, Georg. The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice. Boston:
Shambhala Publications, 2003.
Frawley, David. Yoga and Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization. Twin Lakes,
Minn.: Lotus Press, 1999.
Freeman, Richard. The Mirror of Yoga: Awakening the Intelligence of Body and
Mind. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2012.
Jois, Sri K. Pattabhi. Yoga Mala: The Original Teachings of Yoga Master Sri K.
Pattabhi Jois. New York: North Point Press, 2010.
Long, Ray. The Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga: Scientific Keys, Vol. 1. Baldwinsville,
N.Y.: Bandha Yoga Publications, 2005.
Mohan, A. G., and Ganesh Mohan. Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings.
Boston: Shambhala Publications, 2010.
Swami Svatmarama. Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 3rd edition. Munger: Bihar School of
Yoga, 1998.
Yogananda, Paramahansa. The Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita. Los Angeles: Self-
Realization Fellowship, 2007.

Videos of the poses in the complete Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series may be found at
www.shambhala.com and at the author’s Web site, www.kinoyoga.com.


Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala

Publications.

Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala.