How To Do Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Poses

The term ashtanga vinyasa refers to the linking postures that allow one pose to flow into the next, creating a continuous movement.

There are a few linking movements in the standing poses in the first series, although a lot of the standing poses flow into each other without the particular pose that is meant by the term vinyasa.

It is in the seated poses that a lot of use is made of vinyasa ashtanga poses. Let's define what that is more fully here.

Despite the somewhat different term, most people are probably familiar with the actual postures. A full vinyasa refers to the complete version of the first salutation to the sun (A). Thus, we start off in Mountain Pose, move into a standing forward bend, from there go chaturanga dandasana (the four limbed stick pose), then move into upward facing dog pose, downward facing dog pose, jump forward so your feet are at the start position, move into a standing forward bend again, then reach up to the sky, and finally, back into mountain pose.

That is a full vinyasa, however, usually we do a half vinyasa in the seated poses in ashtanga vinyasa yoga. In the standing poses, there is a full vinyasa used, as well as modifications of it. Where a pose finishes (ie standing up or sitting down), obviously has an impact on the type of linking sequence used.

Half Vinyasa Instructions For Ashtanga

1. You've completed your posture. Sit up, bend your knees, and cross your ankles. Place your hands palm down on the floor beside you.
2. Lift! This can be the challenging part, but if you persevere, it can be done. You want to lift yourself - with knees bent and legs crossed, and your bottom - off the ground onto your hands.
3. As you lift yourself, inhale, and swing your legs in front of you a little.
4. From here, as you exhale, tip your upper body forward a little, then swing your legs under and extend them back. Essentially, you're jumping back into a push up, and your legs should not touch the floor. The pose you actually move back into is called Chaturanga dandasana.
5. Next, on the inhale, move into downward dog.
6. Then on the exhale, upward dog.
7. Finally, inhale and jump through to Stick pose, which is simply sitting with your legs extended in front of you and your back straight.

Most people, when they start out trying to do ashtanga yoga vinyasa, take a bit of practice before they can do it. It does help to see this in action, so try and find a DVD or class to really learn it from. I was not very strong in the upper body when I started ashtanga, as is common with a lot of women, and I did have trouble with it. But I also discovered, when I started to do it well, that it was as much a skill of internal strength as well. Using mula bandha helps, and the abdominal strength that you develop from the practice helps lift your legs as well.

References: Beryl Bender Birch, Beyond Power Yoga

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