Ashtanga Standing Pose Vinyassas
Simple instructions for breach synchronized movement between the standing yoga poses of the Ashtanga Standing series
One of the things that I try to do is make things easier to learn. And one of the ways of doing that is to divide complicated things up into simpler component parts that are easy to remember.
Since vinyassas or "breath-linked movements" can be difficult to learn, particularly when you are also learning the order of the poses, I thought it might be helpful to provide a description of all of the standing vinyassas, separate from descriptions of the poses. (Or at least as much as one can do so.)
And so here you go.
Standing Ashtanga Yoga Pose Vinyasas
Padangusthasana Vinyasa
From mountain pose, to enter "big toe" pose forward bend:
- Jump (or step) your feet hip width with an inhale.
- Bend forward and grab your toes with an exhale.
- Inhale and lengthen your spine and neck (bend the lumbar and thoracic spine backwards) with an inhale.
- Exhale and bend forwards.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
Padahastasana Vinyassa
From Padangustasana:
- inhale and reach lengthen your spine, slide hands under feet,
- exhale and fold again.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
To Exit,
- Inhale look forwards and lengthen your spine.
- Exhale hands to waist.
- Inhale stand.
- Exhale to mountain pose.
Trikonasana and Pravrtta Trikonasana Vinyasa
To enter right Triangle
- Inhale and step or jump the feet apart. Turn to the right at the same time. Land with right foot turned out 90 degrees and left foot turned in slightly.
- Exhale and drop your right hip and reach your right hand down your leg. Reach your left hand up. Look up to your left hand.
- Hold for five breaths.
left Triangle
- Inhale and stand. Turn your feet to the left.
- Exhale to the left.
- Hold for five breaths.
Right Revolving Triangle
- From Left triangle, Inhale and stand. Turn to the back at the same time.
- Exhale bend forwards and twist to the right.
- Hold for five breaths.
Left Revolving Triangle
- Inhale and stand. Turn to the front at the same time.
- Exhale, bend forwards and twist to the left
- Hold for five breaths.
- Inhale and stand, turn to the side.
- Exhale to mountain pose.
You always do the right side of an asymmetrical ashtanga yoga pose first.
Parsvokonasana and Pravrtta Parsvokonasana Vinyasa
To enter right Side Angle
- Inhale and step or jump the feet apart. Turn to the right at the same time. Land with right foot turned out 90 degrees and left foot turned in slightly.
- Exhale and drop your right hip. Bend your right knee. Reach your right hand down to the floor (or rest forearm on thigh. Reach your left hand up and over to the right. Look up to your left hand.
- Hold for five breaths.
left Side Angle
- Inhale and stand. Turn your feet to the left.
- Exhale to the left.
- Hold for five breaths.
Right Revolving Side Angle
- From Left Side Angle, Inhale and stand. Turn to the back at the same time.
- Exhale bend the front knee. Tilt forwards and reach your left arm to the floor across the outside of the right thigh. Reach the right arm up and over the head.
- Hold for five breaths.
Left Revolving Side Angle
- Inhale, stand and turn to the front.
- Exhale, to the left
- Hold for five breaths.
- Inhale and stand, turn to the side.
- Exhale to mountain pose.
Prasaritta Padotanasana Vinyassas
From Mountain Pose to Prasaritta Padotanasana A
- Inhale, Turn to the right and step or jump the feet apart. Exhale and bend forwards with hands on the floor shoulder width apart.
- Inhale lenghten spine with elbows straight. Exhale and bend elbows nighe degrees.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale straighten elbows and lengthen spine. Look forwards.
- Exhale hands to waist.
- Inhale and stand.
- Exhale.
Prasaritta Padotanasana B
- Inhale
- Exhale and bend forwads.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale and stand.
- Exhale.
Prasaritta Padotanasana C
- Grab hands behind back.
- Inhale, lenghten arms and reach arms up and back
- Exhale fold.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale and stand.
- Exhale hands to waist.
Prasaritta Padotanasana D
- Inhale.
- Exhale and grab big toes.
- Inhale and lengthen spine, look forwards.
- Exhale and bend elbows. Look back.
- Hold for five breaths.
- Inhale and lengthen spine, straighten elbows, look forwards.
- Exhale hands to waist.
- Inhale Stand.
- Exhale to mountain pose.
Parsvotanasana vinyassa
- Inhale: Step or jump your right leg back and turn 180 degrees to the right so that your right leg is in front and your left leg behind. Put hands behind back in prayer.
- Exhale and fold.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
Left Side
- Inhale and stand, turn to the front
- Exhale fold
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale and stand, turn and face the right.
- Exhale to mountain pose.
Big Toe Pose
- Shift onto your left leg, bend your right knee and lift the foot. grab your right big toe.
- Exhale and straighten your leg to the front.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale.
- Exhale and open the leg to the side. Look in the opposite direction.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale foot to center.
- Exhale, lift the leg higher and kiss your knee.
- Inhale and let go of the foot.
- Hold the foot to the front for 5 breaths.
- Exhale and release.
- Repeat for left side.
- Return to mountain
Ardha Baddha Padmasana Vinyassa
For this pose especially, take extra breaths. Take your time moving your foot into lotus.
- With right foot in lotus and right hand binding foot, inhale.
- Exhale bend forwards and place hand on floor.
- Inhale lengthen forwards.
- Exhale bend your elbows and fold.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale look forwards.
- Exhale and hold
- Inhale stand.
- Exhale release.
- Repeat to other side.
- Return to Mountain Pose
Utkatasana, Virabhadrasana 1 and 2 Vinyasa
From mountain pose,
- Inhale lift the arms.
- Exhale fold.
- Inhale lengthen spine,
- Exhale to chaturanga dandasana.
- Inhale up dog,
- Exhale down dog,
- Inhale into chair pose.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Exhale fold
- Repeat chaturanga, up dog, down dog sequence.
- From Down Dog Inhale right foot forwards to warrior 1.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale stand, turn.
- Exhale warrior 1 left side.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale stand.
- Exhale Warrior 2 left side.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Inhale stand
- Exhale warrior 2 right side.
- Hold for 5 breaths.
- Repeat chaturanga, up dog, down dog sequence.
- From Down Dog Inhale and walk or jump your feet through your hands and sit down.
Published: 2017 07 07
Ashtanga Standing Pose Vinyassas
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