Did you know that becoming skilled at the ashtanga primary series takes 60 to 90 minutes of dedicated practice, three to six times a week?
The foundational sequence of ashtanga vinyasa yoga will enhance your practice whether you’re new to yoga or want to go deeper. This series, also called Yoga Chikitsa, combines strength-building poses with focused breath work to detoxify and purify your body, mind, and spirit. The systematic approach includes standing poses, seated positions, and finishing sequences that build flexibility and stamina. You’ll notice improved concentration and lower stress levels too.
We’ll walk you through the key parts of this powerful practice and help you build strong foundations for your yoga trip. Let’s start by understanding the basics that will lead you to success.
Table of Contents
Understand the Purpose of the Ashtanga Primary Series
The Ashtanga Primary Series is the life-blood of this powerful yoga system. Its design focuses on therapeutic intentions and healing at its core. Sanskrit translation shows this foundational practice goes beyond physical postures. You get a comprehensive path to well-being that readies practitioners for deeper yogic experiences.
What is Yoga Chikitsa?
“Yoga Chikitsa,” the Sanskrit name for the Primary Series, means “yoga therapy”. This name reflects the series’ main goal to purify, heal, and strengthen the body. Looking deeper into the therapeutic aspects reveals layers of intention you won’t find in typical exercise routines.
Pattabhi Jois, the modern father of Ashtanga yoga, called the Primary Series both “roga cikitsā” (disease therapy) and “cikitsā vibhāga” (therapy section). My years of practice have shown how this therapeutic focus works on multiple levels:
Individual postures offer specific healing benefits. For example:
- Jānuśīrṣāsanas A, B, and C have both preventative and curative effects for diabetes
- Variations of paścimatānāsana strengthen digestive fire and help destroy toxins
- Marīcāsanas A through D purify the gall bladder and large intestine
The Primary Series shines in its sequential ordering. Each posture prepares your body for the next and creates a progressive unlocking effect. This method starts by strengthening the digestive system—the foundation of overall health—before moving to other bodily systems.
Why it’s ideal for beginners
People often think the Primary Series is easier than later series just because it comes first. But experienced teachers know it’s the most challenging to master. Beginners build essential fundamentals through the Primary Series that make future practice possible.
New practitioners benefit from this series in several ways. A well-laid-out framework lets them progress at their own pace. The set sequence feels familiar and makes tracking improvements easier.
The Primary Series builds both strength and flexibility intensely. Though challenging, its foundational nature takes beginners through forward bends before moving to twists, hip openers, and backbends. This natural progression builds the internal heat needed for deeper practice.
Benefits go far beyond the physical realm. The mind grows stronger with improved willpower, focus, and body awareness. Energy flows freely throughout the nadis (energy channels) of the body as poses clear obstacles. New practitioners transform across multiple dimensions of their being.
How it fits into Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
The Primary Series opens the door to five additional series: Intermediate Series (Nadi Shodana) and Advanced Series A, B, C, and D. In spite of that, most practitioners spend years—maybe their entire practice lifetime—working with the Primary Series.
The Primary Series isn’t just a prerequisite—it’s the foundation that supports all other Ashtanga practice. Six important qualities prepare the body and mind for advanced work:
The combination of breath and movement detoxifies the body. Internal heat purifies muscles and organs. Structural imbalances get corrected as posture improves. Strength and flexibility develop over time. Mental focus sharpens through repetitive, meditative practice. Overall well-being improves by addressing physical and mental aspects. Proper breathing techniques build up for all advanced practice.
Pattabhi Jois said, “Physical strength, mental strength, and the strength of the sense organs—all these are very important. Without them, one cannot attain spiritual strength…body and mind are inseparably linked, one to the other”. His words remind us that āsana practice prepares us for yoga’s higher limbs by strengthening, realigning, repairing, and rejuvenating body and mind.
The Primary Series becomes our daily tonic. It maintains a balanced system and gradually unlocks our capacity for deeper yoga practice. Dedicated work with these foundational postures creates the right conditions for yoga’s meditative state to emerge naturally.
Prepare Your Body and Mind for Practice
The right preparation sets up a solid foundation for the ashtanga primary series. This powerful sequence needs both physical readiness and mental focus – it’s not your typical workout routine. My experience shows that good preparation makes a huge difference on the mat. Let me share how you can set yourself up for success with this life-changing practice.
Best time of day to practice
Yogic scripture tells us that sunrise is the perfect time for ashtanga yoga. The natural energy rises at this time. Starting with morning practice makes the most sense.
Your mind stays clear of daily worries when you practice early. The physical demands of ashtanga primary series work better on an empty stomach, which helps you move easily through twists and forward bends. A morning routine also helps you stick to your practice over time.
All the same, evening practice has its own benefits. Some people just can’t get going in the morning or have schedule conflicts. Evening sessions let you tap into the quieter, more meditative side of ashtanga vinyasa yoga. They’re great for releasing the day’s tension and improving sleep – just finish at least 2-3 hours before bed.
Whatever time you pick, staying regular matters more than the exact hour. As your practice grows, you’ll want to set up a schedule that fits your life.
Mental readiness and expectations
Above all, bring patience and kindness to your ashtanga primary series practice. Even skilled practitioners know this sequence is tough. Setting real expectations helps you avoid frustration and keep growing.
Yes, it is normal for beginners to feel overwhelmed at first. Note that everyone doing advanced poses today started as a beginner. The beauty of ashtanga shows in how it builds step by step – each person works at their own level with their own limits.
Think of practice as a trip rather than a destination. The primary series becomes powerful when you treat it like moving meditation. Put your attention on breath first, not perfect poses. Yoga goes beyond physical poses – it builds deeper body awareness.
The daily repetition of the same sequence helps you memorize the poses. This lets you focus more on breath and internal feelings. Regular practice becomes a great way to get mental training and self-knowledge.
Simple physical conditioning tips
Your body needs thoughtful preparation for the ashtanga primary series. We focused mainly on listening to our bodies – this simple rule prevents injury and helps long-term progress. Here are key conditioning approaches:
- Start gradually: Keep practice sessions to 45-60 minutes instead of the full 90 minutes. Beginners should focus on sun salutations before adding standing poses.
- Use props when needed: Blocks, straps, and blankets are there to help you. They’re not crutches but tools that build good alignment and make poses accessible.
- Focus on alignment: Watch how you position your body in each pose. Good alignment keeps you safe and maximizes the healing benefits of the ashtanga primary series.
- Develop consistent breath awareness: Ujjayi breathing sits at the heart of this practice. When poses get hard, come back to your breath instead of pushing too far.
- Build supportive lifestyle habits: The practice works best with good hydration, nutrition, and rest. Many people naturally start making healthier choices as they practice more.
Regular practice beats intensity for beginners. Five minutes six days a week creates better progress than random long sessions. Your body needs time to learn new movements, especially in a system that works deeply to purify the body.
A mindful approach to body and mind preparation lays the groundwork for experiencing this ancient practice sequence’s deep benefits.
Learn the Breathing Technique (Ujjayi Breath)
The breath is the life-blood of the ashtanga primary series. It connects movement with mindfulness in this revolutionary practice. Regular breathing differs from the ujjayi technique, which creates a foundation that powers your entire trip through the poses. Let’s head over to become skilled at this breathing method that will lift your practice from simple physical exercise to authentic yoga.
How to do Ujjayi breathing
Ujjayi (pronounced ooh-JAH-yee) means “victorious breath” in Sanskrit. Many practitioners call it “ocean breath” because of its distinctive sound. Here’s how to develop this technique:
- Begin in a comfortable seated position with your spine tall and shoulders relaxed
- Breathe normally through your nose, observing your natural breath pattern
- Create a slight constriction at the back of your throat—imagine fogging a window with your breath
- Inhale slowly through your nose while maintaining this throat constriction
- Exhale through your nose with the same controlled constriction
- Listen for the subtle oceanic sound created by air passing through the narrowed throat
Your breath should feel smooth and controlled. It creates an audible but gentle sound—like distant ocean waves. A complete ujjayi breath follows a three-part pattern: it first fills the stomach, then expands the ribcage, and finally lifts the upper chest.
New practitioners find it helpful to practice ujjayi breathing in a static pose first. They can then add it to sun salutations before using it throughout the full ashtanga primary series.
Why breath control matters in Ashtanga
Breath control forms the foundations of the ashtanga yoga system. Proper ujjayi breathing gets more heat and thus encourages more flexibility—this heat purifies muscles and organs while making the body more pliable. Your breath becomes an internal furnace that melts away physical and mental rigidity.
The synchronization of breath with movement creates powerful effects:
- Sets a steady rhythm that prevents rushing through postures
- Improves focus by providing a tangible anchor for your attention
- Builds lung capacity and respiratory function over time
- Calms your nervous system and reduces stress
- Helps you achieve deeper poses through proper oxygen delivery
- Creates a moving meditation state as you link breath with each transition
This breathing technique energizes and calms you at the same time. The ujjayi breath connects everything in the ashtanga primary series. It turns physical postures into a detailed mind-body practice.
Common beginner mistakes with breath
You should watch for these common pitfalls when adding ujjayi breathing to your ashtanga primary series:
The biggest problem is forgetting to breathe—especially during challenging poses when you focus only on physical alignment. Each movement must connect with either an inhalation or exhalation. There should never be breath holding or gasping.
There’s another reason people struggle: breathing too forcefully. The ujjayi breath should stay relaxed and gentle, not strained or aggressive. Though audible, it shouldn’t sound like forceful snoring. Think of air slowly trickling through, like partially pinching a drinking straw.
Beginners often find breath-movement coordination challenging. Each position in the ashtanga primary series pairs with either an inhale or exhale. Until this pattern becomes natural, focus on maintaining smooth, even breathing while moving. You can refine the specific breath-pose connections later.
Shallow breathing limits the practice’s benefits. Complete ujjayi breaths use the entire respiratory system instead of just the upper chest. This needs core muscle (bandhas) engagement to support deep, full breathing.
If you struggle, practice ujjayi in a simple seated position until the technique feels natural. Note that breathing mastery comes with time—it develops through consistent practice rather than forced effort.
Start with Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskara A & B)
Sun Salutations are the foundations of the ashtanga primary series. They create a rhythmic connection between breath and movement that defines this powerful practice. These flowing sequences build strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance to prepare you for the entire practice. The traditional approach includes five repetitions of Surya Namaskara A followed by five repetitions of Surya Namaskara B before the standing poses.
Take your time with these sequences. Your breath might feel short at first – that’s natural. Regular practice will help you find a steady breath and make the movements more enjoyable.
How to perform Surya Namaskara A
Surya Namaskara A uses nine vinyasas (breath-synchronized movements) to warm up your body. Here’s your step-by-step guide:
- Samasthiti (Mountain Pose): Stand at your mat’s top with feet together. Keep your weight even, thighs active, and shoulders relaxed.
- Urdhva Hastasana: Inhale – Lift your arms overhead, join palms, and gaze at your thumbs.
- Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend): Exhale – Fold forward from your hips, hands toward floor. Let your neck relax.
- Ardha Uttanasana (Halfway Lift): Inhale – Lift your chest, extend your spine, and look forward.
- Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff): Exhale – Step or jump back, bend elbows close to sides, lower to plank.
- Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog): Inhale – Roll over toes, lift chest, draw shoulders back.
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog): Exhale – Press hips back and up through hands and feet. Stay for five breaths.
- Ardha Uttanasana: Inhale – Jump or step feet between hands and lift chest.
- Uttanasana: Exhale – Fold forward.
- Urdhva Hastasana: Inhale – Rise up, arms overhead.
- Samasthiti: Exhale – Return to standing.
Of course, new practitioners can take extra breaths in challenging poses like plank or upward dog. You can drop to your knees if needed – your main goal is to build strength over time.
How to perform Surya Namaskara B
Surya Namaskara B adds Utkatasana (Chair Pose) and Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I) to the A sequence. This creates a more intense practice that generates more heat and strength. The sequence flows through 19 positions:
- Samasthiti: Start at your mat’s top.
- Utkatasana (Chair Pose): Inhale – Bend knees, sit back, raise arms with palms together.
- Uttanasana: Exhale – Fold from hips.
- Ardha Uttanasana: Inhale – Lift chest, extend spine.
- Chaturanga Dandasana: Exhale – Step or jump back, lower with bent elbows.
- Urdhva Mukha Svanasana: Inhale – Roll over toes, lift chest.
- Adho Mukha Svanasana: Exhale – Press hips back and up.
- Virabhadrasana I (Right side): Inhale – Right foot forward between hands, left heel down 45 degrees, rise with arms overhead.
- Chaturanga Dandasana: Exhale – Hands down, step back, lower.
- Urdhva Mukha Svanasana: Inhale – Roll over toes, lift chest.
- Adho Mukha Svanasana: Exhale – Press hips back and up.
- Virabhadrasana I (Left side): Inhale – Left foot forward, pivot right heel, rise up.
- Chaturanga Dandasana: Exhale – Hands down, step back, lower.
- Urdhva Mukha Svanasana: Inhale – Roll over toes, lift chest.
- Adho Mukha Svanasana: Exhale – Press hips back and up. Stay for five breaths.
- Ardha Uttanasana: Inhale – Jump or step forward, lift chest.
- Uttanasana: Exhale – Fold forward.
- Utkatasana: Inhale – Bend knees, raise arms.
- Samasthiti: Exhale – Return to standing.
These sequences serve many purposes in your ashtanga practice. They unite breath with movement, create internal heat to purify, and prepare your body for deeper postures. The practice develops a meditative quality that flows through your entire session.
A quick practice of sun salutations offers most important benefits, making them perfect to build consistency in your ashtanga primary series experience.
Master the Standing Poses
The standing poses in the ashtanga primary series build on the energizing Sun Salutations. These poses are the foundations of the practice that build strength, improve balance, and create structural integrity throughout your body. They bridge the gap between the warming sequence and the more intensive seated postures. Beginners might find them challenging, but becoming skilled at these foundational asanas creates stability that supports your entire yoga experience.
Key standing asanas for beginners
Students should hold standing poses for five breaths unless specified otherwise. The standing sequence has several key postures that beginners need to focus on:
Padangusthasana (Big Toe Pose) and Padahastasana (Hands to Feet Pose) create a strong foundation by stretching the hamstrings and lengthening the spine. These forward folds teach you proper hip-hinging while keeping your back long.
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose) opens your torso’s sides and strengthens your legs. Newcomers who can’t reach the floor can place their hand on their shin or use a yoga block beneath their lower hand.
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose) strengthens your legs, knees, and ankles while opening your body’s sides. Beginners can rest their forearm on their thigh instead of bringing their hand to the floor.
Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Forward Fold) comes in four variations (A, B, C, and D). Each variation works differently to open your inner legs and hamstrings. You can rest your head on a yoga block or stack of books if the floor seems too far.
Parshvottanasana (Intense Side Stretch) shows you how to fold forward over one leg and lengthen your spine. Blocks beneath your hands help if you can’t reach the floor.
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose) is a crucial balancing sequence that develops physical and mental strength. You’ll need to hold balance while extending one leg in multiple directions for 5 breaths in each variation.
Virabhadrasana (Warrior Poses) strengthens your legs and builds stamina while opening your hips and chest. These powerful poses help you develop the endurance needed for the full primary series.
Tips for balance and alignment
Balance starts in your mind. A calm focus works better than tension or frustration when approaching standing poses. Every wobble or fall teaches you something valuable about your center of gravity and alignment.
Good alignment starts from the ground up. A firm connection through your feet creates stability throughout your body in every standing pose. Your toes should spread wide and weight should distribute evenly across your standing foot during single-leg balances.
These tips will help you stay stable in standing poses:
- Choose a non-moving point for your gaze (drishti) to steady your balance
- Draw your navel toward your spine to engage your core muscles
- Keep your ujjayi breath steady and never hold it
- Build up to five full breaths per pose by starting with shorter holds
Proper joint stacking is essential for alignment in standing poses. Your shoulders should stack directly over your hips in poses like Triangle or Extended Side Angle. Your knees need to align with your ankles to protect your joints.
Props are great tools for beginners, not crutches. Blocks help maintain proper alignment while your body develops flexibility and strength. Many students naturally move away from props as their practice grows.
Standing poses teach you to create space in your body. Pull the skin away from tight areas, especially your lower back, hips, shoulders, and neck. This subtle action prevents compression and lets energy flow freely.
Note that the standing sequence in ashtanga primary series builds progressively—each pose prepares you for the next. Trust that regular practice will transform your body and mind as you honor your current abilities.
Progress to Seated and Forward Bending Poses
The ashtanga primary series moves into seated and forward bending postures after you become skilled at the standing sequence. These poses form the core of this practice. They create deep internal changes that target digestion, hip mobility, and hamstring flexibility while helping you enter a more meditative state.
How to approach seated postures
Dandasana (Staff Pose) marks the beginning of the seated portion. This pose helps you set up proper seated alignment with an upright spine. The sequence then flows through various forward bends and hip openers.
A few tips for seated postures:
- Sit on a folded blanket to raise your hips, which makes maintaining a neutral spine easier
- Create a strong foundation by pressing your sitting bones down as you lift through your spine
- Hinge from your hips instead of rounding your back
- Keep your ujjayi breathing steady, especially as sensations become stronger
- The forward bends in primary series do more than stretch hamstrings—they create changes around your abdomen that affect your digestive and respiratory systems
The core seated poses include Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend), Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose), and Marichyasana (poses dedicated to sage Marichi). These poses work together to increase flexibility, boost digestion, and promote self-reflection.
Modifications for tight hips or hamstrings
Tight hamstrings and hips often challenge beginners. Here’s how to work with them:
Your lower back tends to round in forward bends if you have tight hamstrings. Bend your knees slightly while folding forward to maintain better spinal alignment while stretching the hamstrings.
Regular practice yields better results than occasional intense stretching for tight hips. You’ll see more progress practicing six days a week than from sporadic intense sessions.
Tips for seated forward bends:
- A strap around your feet helps if you can’t reach them
- Press your legs down as you lengthen your spine
- Move the bent leg’s foot away from your groin in Janu Sirsasana to make it more available
- Extend your torso forward before folding down in Paschimottanasana
Tight areas usually signal weakness. Your mobility improves better by strengthening hip muscles along with stretching. Navasana (Boat Pose) strengthens your hip flexors while preparing you for deeper forward bends.
Most Westerners need to lengthen their hamstrings before feeling stretches in the hip joints due to prolonged sitting. The primary series aims to create balanced tension throughout the pelvis rather than just forward bending. Taking time with these foundation poses brings lasting benefits.
Understand the Finishing Sequence
The finishing sequence brings your ashtanga primary series to a peaceful end and maximizes its healing benefits. This part slows your pace down naturally, unlike the energetic earlier sections. It helps you integrate and restore your energy.
Purpose of the finishing poses
Your ashtanga practice gains several vital benefits from the finishing sequence. It unites the physical, mental, and energetic benefits you’ve built up during the more active parts of your practice. These cooling postures create a smooth shift from activity to recovery, unlike the dynamic poses before them.
The sequence stays similar across all ashtanga series—whether you practice primary, intermediate, or advanced sequences. This familiar pattern helps you feel at ease as you grow in your practice.
Key benefits of the finishing sequence include:
- Your nervous system calms down after the stimulating earlier poses
- Blood flow improves through inversions like Shoulder Stand and Headstand
- Your body detoxifies and your mind becomes clearer
- Energy balances out after the earlier dynamic postures
- You counter the intense work from seated postures
How to cool down and restore energy
Take time with the finishing sequence after your seated postures. Don’t rush through it. A proper cool-down locks in your practice benefits, just like a good warm-up prepares your body.
The sequence has inversions like Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand), followed by Matsyasana (Fish Pose) and Sirsasana (Headstand). You’ll also do calming forward bends and supine poses. These inversions boost blood flow and bring fresh oxygen to your brain while clearing toxins from your body.
Cool breath techniques like Sitali or Sitkari help regulate your temperature. Roll your tongue into a tube and breathe through it for Sitali breath. For Sitkari, breathe through slightly parted teeth.
Savasana (Corpse Pose) ends the sequence. This complete relaxation lets you absorb your practice fully. Traditional wisdom suggests a 10-minute rest for every hour of practice. This helps you soak up the atmospheric prana and recharge your system.
Build a Consistent Practice Routine
Regular rhythm and routine are the life-blood of success with the ashtanga primary series. Learning the poses is just the start – your development depends on creating green practices that affect you by a lot. Here’s how to build these essential foundations.
How often to practice as a beginner
The best progress in ashtanga primary series comes from practicing three to six times weekly. Traditional practitioners stick to a six-day schedule with one rest day. New students should begin with three to four sessions per week. This schedule helps build strength, flexibility, and endurance faster while deepening your sequence understanding.
Your session length matters just as much as frequency. New practitioners should start with 45-60 minute sessions. They can work their way up to the full 90-minute practice. Quality beats quantity – a focused 30-minute session is better than rushing the entire sequence.
Your body knows best. Take rest when needed to avoid burnout or injuries. A steady practice with fewer weekly sessions brings more benefits than random intensive workouts.
Tracking your progress over time
Keep a practice journal about your daily experiences, tough postures, and improvements in strength, flexibility, and balance. Look beyond physical changes to notice growth in breath control, mental clarity, and overall wellbeing.
Small, realistic goals help create measurable milestones – like mastering specific poses or improving your breathwork. Note that progress isn’t always visible. Better breath quality, mental steadiness, and resilience are just as important.
Plateaus are natural parts of the experience. Your body needs time to adjust after periods of rapid growth before expanding further. These plateaus give you time to focus on subtle practice aspects instead of chasing new poses.
When to move to the next level
Most practitioners complete the primary series in 2-3 years of steady practice, sometimes faster. The primary series should become part of your lifestyle before moving to intermediate series.
Guidelines suggest at least two years of daily practice. You’re ready when you can practice the entire primary series without breaks while keeping steady breath. A qualified teacher’s guidance is a great way to get help deciding when you’re prepared to advance.
Conclusion
Becoming skilled at the ashtanga primary series just needs commitment, patience, and steady effort. I’ve seen this powerful sequence reshape students’ bodies, minds, and spirits through my years of teaching and practice.
The elements we explored – from proper preparation and breathing to standing poses and seated sequences – build on each other to create a complete system of personal growth. Students often spend years working with these foundation postures and find deeper meaning with each practice.
Your progress unfolds on its own when you approach this practice with consistency and devotion. The key is to build strong fundamentals through regular practice instead of rushing to advanced poses. Your body opens up gradually, your breath deepens, and your mind becomes more stable.
The ashtanga experience might feel daunting at first, but dedicated practice brings benefits way beyond the reach of your yoga mat. The ancient system works its magic when you trust the process and stick to your practice schedule.
