Building Your Ashtanga Primary Series

Welcome to the first class of your program! Today you'll learn fundamental concepts and practices such as prana, apana, bandhas and ujjayi pranayama, then begin building surya namaskar A and B and a sequence of standing poses. This class will thoroughly break down each posture to prepare you for the rigorous flow sequences to come. Each practice in this program will be followed with finishing poses, beginning today with detailed padmasana instruction and advanced variations.

Review the postures and concepts you learned in your first class, by repeating the practice. Repetition is the key to mastery in Ashtanga, so you'll continue to practice this segment for the rest of the week.

Surya namaskars strengthen and warm the body while focusing the mind. Let your breath and body synchronize as you create a rhythm for the practice to come.

As you begin to become more comfortable with the postures, focus on the internal aspects of the practice, such as your breath, bandhas and gaze.

When you become increasingly able to anticipate your movements, your awareness turns inward and your practice becomes a meditation in motion.

Remember that you can continue to repeat this practice until you feel ready to progress to the next segment. If you've practiced six days in a row, enjoy a day of rest tomorrow. You've earned it!

Take a pause from standing and seated postures to focus on the intensive, yet relaxing, finishing postures of the primary series. Building on the sequence in your last class, this practice introduces the shoulder stand family, including halasana, karnapidasana, urdhva padmasana, pindasana, matsyasana and chakrasana. You'll receive instructions for jalandhara bandha and the use of props, learning the subtleties of positioning your shoulders to provide spaciousness for your neck.

Revel in these contemplative poses again, allowing your breath to lead you inward.

Continue to explore the finishing postures, feeling how they calm your heart and mind.

As you practice today, be mindful of the patterns of your inhalations and exhalations (prana and apana).

Keep up the consistency! Though calming, these postures are complex. Repeat this class as often as you need to. You set the pace!

Take a day to rest, then come back to this practice or move on to the next week. In class four, you'll add seated poses and continue to refine the finishing postures.

Expand upon the previous four classes and complete the first half of the primary series by adding marichyasana A, B, C and D, navasana and setu bandha sarvangasana. The finishing poses taught are matsyasana, balasana and sirsasana. What if you don't have time for a long practice? You'll also learn abbreviated versions of the finishing poses, for those days when you don't have time to practice through the whole sequence.

As you settle back into these poses, pay close attention to the alignment cues to get the most out of each posture.

When you continue to repeat the same sequence, you have a chance to truly witness how your practice is progressing. Take some time today to appreciate where you're at.

Turn your attention inward and allow your breath to guide you as you flow from pose to pose.

Remember that Ashtanga is a lifelong practice. There is always something new to learn.

Whether this is your 6th time completing this class or your 60th, keep up the amazing work! Take a day to rest, and continue with the next class when it feels right.

Learn the final sequencing of the seated postures in your primary series practice with baddha konasana A, B and C, upavistha konasana, supta konasana, and supta hasta padangusthasana. Complete your practice of finishing postures with urdhva dhanurasana, while also reviewing detailed alignment for sirsasana and balasana.

The seated postures you've added help to cool you down from your rigorous practice and prepare you for the finishing poses.

As you continue to add new poses to your series, maintain awareness of your breath, bandhas and drishti.

Progress isn't always linear, so on some days you might feel tighter or less energetic. Allow your practice to meet you where you are.

If you focus on advancing anything in your practice, let it be consistency.

Take your time with this class and move ahead when you feel really comfortable. You've come so far and there are only a few more poses ahead.

This final class is the culmination of everything you've learned in this program - the entire sequencing of the primary series! Practice the full, uninterrupted flow with minimal instruction, honoring your level, and utilizing props and modifications as needed. Go back and review any part of this program at any time to refine your understanding of the postures. Remember, the most important element is your commitment to your own practice, regardless of progress or level.

In Ashtanga, this sequence is traditionally practiced six days on and one day off. By now you should feel familiar with the poses, but every day you can experience this practice anew. Keep practicing and watch what kinds of transformations occur.

Notice how the postures relate to one another. Poses meet counterposes. Heat-building postures give way to cooling postures. Take a moment to admire the intelligence of this ancient system, and give equal attention to each and every pose.

Are you finding that you can remember the order of the poses? If not, keep practicing, this ability will come with time.

While you'll undoubtedly gain strength and flexibility as you continue practicing, much of the transformation occurs within. Consider how you've progressed since you began this program and imagine all the room there is to grow.

You've completed this program! Take a moment to celebrate the commitment you've made to yourself. Today is a milestone on a lifelong journey. You can continue to use this practice to develop power and presence in your life.