Ashtanga Primary Series Pose Catalog

The practice opens here. Sun Salutation A is a rhythmic sequence that links breath to movement across nine positions, with a five-breath hold in Downward Dog at the centre. The full Primary Series traditionally includes five rounds; Ashtanga30 uses three for a shorter daily practice. How you pace your breath in these opening rounds sets the tone for everything that follows. Keep the exhales long and let the body warm gradually rather than forcing it.

Follows Surya A, adding Utkatasana at the opening and Virabhadrasana A on each side. The sequence is longer and builds more heat. The full Primary Series traditionally includes five rounds; Ashtanga30 uses three. The Warrior steps introduce lateral work and ask the legs to work independently before the standing poses make that demand more fully. This is also where Chaturanga tends to need the most attention early in a practice.

Modification: If Chaturanga is too demanding, lower the knees to the floor before pressing up to Upward Dog.

The first of two standing forward folds that open the standing sequence. Feet hip-width, hands grasp the big toes, and the fold deepens on each exhale. The hamstrings and lower back respond slowly to early-morning practice, so there is no need to force the depth. The drishti is the tip of the nose, which anchors the mind before the more complex poses begin.

Modification: Bend the knees slightly if the hamstrings are tight. The priority is a long spine, not straight legs.

Follows directly from Padangusthasana with the hands placed under the feet, palms up. The pressure of the feet on the fingers creates a mild counter-traction that helps the spine lengthen. Hold for five breaths in the same quality of attention as the previous pose. Paired together, these two folds act as a gentle opening before the standing sequence proper.

Modification: Place just the fingertips under the feet if the full hand is uncomfortable.

The first pose of the standing sequence proper, practised on both sides. Triangle pose develops lateral stability, opens the hamstrings and side body, and trains the gaze upward to the top hand. In the Ashtanga system the hand reaches to the floor or a block beside the foot, and the chest rotates open rather than folding forward. This is a foundational pose that rewards patience.

Modification: Rest the lower hand on the shin if the floor is not accessible. Avoid collapsing the waist.

The revolved version of Triangle is one of the more demanding poses in the standing sequence, requiring simultaneous hamstring length, thoracic rotation and balance. The opposite hand comes to the floor or the shin while the top arm reaches skyward. Balance often requires a narrower stance than expected. The detoxifying quality of the twist makes it a useful complement to the lateral stretch that precedes it.

Modification: Shorten the stance and place the hand on a block outside the front foot to reduce the balance demand.

Extended Side Angle creates a long line from the back heel through the top fingertips, opening the side body and strengthening the legs. The forearm rests on the front thigh in the beginning; the full expression binds the arms beneath the front thigh. Practised on both sides, it builds the lateral strength that will carry into the deeper hip poses of the seated sequence.

Modification: Rest the forearm on the thigh rather than reaching the hand to the floor.

The revolved side angle requires the deepest twist in the standing sequence. The front knee bends to 90 degrees while the opposite elbow hooks outside the knee, working toward a full bind. Balance, hip flexibility and thoracic rotation all come into play at once. Many practitioners spend years developing the twist before attempting the bind.

Modification: Hook the elbow outside the knee without the bind, or place the back knee on the floor to reduce intensity.

The first of four wide-legged forward folds, each asking something slightly different. In A, hands are placed shoulder-width on the floor and the head comes toward or to the ground. The wide stance decompresses the spine and opens the inner legs. This version is the most accessible for beginners and often produces an immediate sense of relief.

Modification: Place hands on blocks if the floor is not reachable with a flat back.

The hands come to the hips in B, and the fold happens without any floor contact for the upper body. This version tests whether the forward fold is driven by genuine spinal length or reliance on arm support. The core engages more actively. Hold for five breaths and resist the urge to place hands down.

In C, the hands interlace behind the back and the arms lift away from the body as the torso folds. This is the most shoulder-intensive variation, opening the chest and front shoulders in the opposite direction to the forward fold. If the arms cannot straighten behind the back, a strap can bridge the gap until the shoulders open.

Modification: Use a strap between the hands if the shoulders are tight and the arms cannot straighten.

In D, the first two fingers and thumb grip the big toes, similar to Padangusthasana but in a wide-legged stance. The fold deepens as the elbows bend and open sideways. This version combines the toe grip of the earlier standing folds with the wide base, and often produces a deeper stretch than the others once the technique is familiar.

Intense Side Stretch is a single-legged forward fold with the hands in reverse prayer or holding opposite elbows behind the back. The front leg straightens as the torso folds toward it, targeting the hamstring and hip flexor on that side. The squared hips are the challenge here rather than the depth of the fold.

Modification: Hold opposite elbows behind the back instead of reverse prayer if the shoulders are tight.

A standing balance that extends one leg forward, then to the side, then bends toward the head in the full variation. Each stage is held for five breaths. The sequence asks for hamstring flexibility, hip stability and focus in equal measure. This is the pose where a wandering drishti becomes obvious, because looking away causes the standing leg to wobble almost immediately.

Modification: Hold the shin rather than the toe if the hamstring does not allow the leg to straighten.

A demanding combination of half lotus and standing forward fold. The foot of the bent leg is placed into the hip crease of the standing leg, and a bind is taken behind the back before folding forward. Both hip openness and knee health matter here. The pose takes time to approach safely and should not be forced.

Modification: Practice the standing balance without the lotus position until the hip is open enough to place the foot comfortably.

Safety note: Never force the foot into half lotus. The rotation must come from the hip, not the knee.

Chair pose appears in Surya Namaskara B and also stands alone in the standing sequence. The thighs aim toward parallel with the floor, the arms extend upward, and the spine stays long. It builds heat and lower body strength quickly. In the Sun Salutations it is held briefly; as a standalone pose it is held for five breaths.

Warrior A builds power in the legs and stability through the pelvis. The front knee bends to 90 degrees over the ankle, the back leg presses straight, and the arms reach upward. In the Ashtanga system it appears within Surya B and also as part of the standing sequence on each side. The challenge is squaring the hips toward the front while keeping the back heel grounded.

Warrior B opens the stance wider than Warrior A and extends the arms horizontally to each side. The gaze follows the front hand. Where Warrior A works on forward power, Warrior B asks for a different kind of steadiness, spreading the effort laterally through the body. Together they develop the full-body stability that the more complex poses of the seated sequence will require.

The foundation of the seated sequence. Legs extend straight, hands press into the floor beside the hips, and the spine lifts. Dandasana appears as a transitional pose between vinyasas throughout the seated sequence. It looks simple but asks for genuine engagement of the core and hip flexors to keep the spine from rounding. A moment of reset between more demanding postures.

Paschimottanasana appears again in the closing sequence as a counter-pose to Urdhva Dhanurasana. The same forward fold from the seated sequence, but now the spine and nervous system are in a very different state. This version is held longer and invites a genuine settling of the body after the intensity of the backbends. Let the breath do the work.

The counter-pose to Paschimottanasana, lifting the front body and opening the chest and hip flexors. Hands press into the floor behind the hips, and the body lifts into a reverse plank. The head may drop back in the full expression. It is a relatively accessible backbend that brings a welcome reversal of the forward-folding that dominates the seated sequence.

Modification: Bend the knees and place the feet flat on the floor for a supported version if the full expression is too intense.

A half lotus forward fold with a bind behind the back, requiring both hip openness and hamstring length simultaneously. The folded foot sits in the hip crease of the straight leg, the arm reaches behind to bind, and then the torso folds forward to grip the extended foot. Approaching this pose takes time and should not be rushed. The knee of the folded leg is the most vulnerable point.

Modification: Fold forward over the straight leg without the half lotus until the hip is ready.

Safety note: The rotation for half lotus must come from the hip. If the knee feels any strain, come out and modify.

One leg folds back into Virasana (hero pose) while the other extends straight. The torso folds forward over the extended leg. This pose introduces the asymmetry of working one hip in flexion and one in extension simultaneously, which asks for careful attention to keeping the pelvis as level as possible despite the unequal demand on each side.

Modification: Sit on a folded blanket if the bent-knee side lifts off the floor significantly.

Safety note: Avoid this pose if there is any knee pain in the bent leg.

The first of three Janu Sirsasana variations. One leg bends to 90 degrees with the foot against the inner thigh, and the torso folds over the extended leg. This is a foundational asymmetric forward fold that most practitioners can approach from the beginning. The bent knee should ideally rest on the floor without being forced there.

Modification: Place a blanket under the bent-knee thigh if it lifts significantly from the floor.

In B, the foot tucks under the sitting bones of the same side with the heel pointing upward, rotating the hip into a more challenging position. The fold over the extended leg happens from this less familiar base. This variation opens the inner groin more deeply than A and asks for more ankle flexibility from the tucked foot.

Safety note: The tucked foot position may be uncomfortable for practitioners with ankle sensitivity. Modify as needed.

The most demanding of the three variations. The foot of the bent leg rotates further so the toes point forward and the heel lifts. The hip of the bent leg opens in a direction that is genuinely unfamiliar for most Western bodies. Take time to establish the foot position carefully before folding forward. Do not force the knee toward the floor.

Safety note: This variation puts significant stress on the knee joint if the hip is not open enough. Approach slowly.

The first of four poses named for the sage Marichi. One knee bends with the foot flat on the floor, and the arm of the same side wraps around the shin as the torso folds forward over the extended leg. A straightforward forward fold with a mild shoulder wrap. It asks for hamstring length in the straight leg and a willingness to fold deeply.

Modification: Hold the extended foot with both hands instead of wrapping if the bind is not accessible.

Combines Marichyasana A with half lotus in the other leg, significantly increasing the hip demand. The lotus leg must be stable before the forward fold is attempted. This is one of the poses where taking a step back and working the components separately is often more productive than pushing for the full shape too soon.

Modification: Practice Marichyasana A until the hip is ready for the added half lotus demand.

Safety note: As with all half lotus positions, the rotation comes from the hip. Any knee discomfort signals to modify.

The first twist in the Marichyasana series. One knee bends, the opposite arm hooks outside the knee, and the torso rotates away from the bent leg toward a bind behind the back. The twist wrings out the abdominal organs and asks the spine to rotate from the base upward. The drishti turns with the twist, looking behind the shoulder.

Modification: Hook the elbow without the full bind, or place the opposite hand on the outside of the bent knee and twist from there.

Marichyasana C with the addition of half lotus in the other leg, combining a deep twist with the hip opening of lotus. This is one of the benchmark poses of the Primary Series for advanced practitioners. Both hip flexibility for the lotus and thoracic rotation for the twist must be in place for the bind to come without strain. Years of practice, not weeks.

Modification: Practice Marichyasana C until both the twist and the hip openness are established.

Safety note: Never force the lotus position. The knee follows the hip, not the other way around.

Boat pose is repeated five times with a brief lift (Lolasana) between each round. Legs extend at 45 degrees, arms reach forward parallel to the floor, and the spine lifts rather than collapses. The core must work actively; the temptation to round the lower back is where most of the challenge lives. Five rounds makes it one of the more sustained strength demands in the seated sequence.

Modification: Bend the knees and hold the backs of the thighs to reduce the load while building core strength.

The first arm balance of the Primary Series. The legs wrap around the upper arms and the body lifts off the floor. Entering requires a jump through with the legs outside the arms, and the exit often involves a transition into Bakasana (crow pose) before the vinyasa. Wrist strength and core engagement are essential. A humbling pose for many practitioners, and a rewarding one over time.

Modification: Practice the leg position on the floor first, then work toward lifting without the full jump.

Safety note: Build wrist strength before attempting this. Rest if the wrists feel strained.

Tortoise pose involves sliding the arms under the legs until the shoulders pass beneath the knees, and then folding the torso toward the floor. The legs extend over the shoulders. A deep hip opener that works the inner groin and challenges the lower back. The full expression sees the chin or forehead resting on the floor with the arms extended behind the body.

Modification: Work with the arms under the knees rather than fully extending if the hips are not yet open enough.

The reclined version of Tortoise, adding a bind of the hands behind the back and crossing the feet behind the head. This is one of the deepest hip-opening poses in the Primary Series and one that requires teacher guidance to approach safely. It often develops slowly over years of consistent practice. The transition into the full pose from Kurmasana is itself a learning process.

Modification: Remain in Kurmasana until Supta Kurmasana can be approached with teacher support.

Safety note: Do not force the feet behind the head. This pose requires patient, gradual preparation.

Womb Embryo pose threads the arms through the legs in full lotus and brings the hands to the face. The practitioner then rolls in a circle nine times before coming to Kukkutasana. It is one of the most distinctive poses of the Primary Series and also one that requires lotus to be fully stable before it can be approached. Moisture on the arms from practice helps with the threading.

Modification: Practice full lotus stability before attempting to thread the arms.

Safety note: The lotus position must be stable and comfortable. Do not thread if lotus causes any knee discomfort.

Rooster pose lifts the body off the floor with the arms threaded through the lotus legs and the hands pressing into the floor. It requires core strength, wrist stability and the ability to remain in full lotus while bearing weight. It follows directly from Garbha Pindasana in the sequence. The lift, even if brief, is the goal.

Modification: Practice the lotus position with hands threading through before attempting the lift.

Bound Angle pose brings the soles of the feet together with the heels drawn toward the pelvis. The knees release toward the floor through gravity and gentle effort. Three variations are practised: sitting upright, then folding forward with a flat back, then folding further with the chin toward the floor. This is a deep groin opener that many find both accessible and revealing of where the hips are holding tension.

Modification: Sit on a folded blanket if the lower back rounds significantly when upright.

Wide-angle seated forward fold with the legs extended wide apart. The torso folds forward between the legs, aiming the chin toward the floor in the full expression. Two variations are practised, one folding forward and one lifting the legs and balancing on the sitting bones. Both versions work the inner hamstrings and groins from a different angle than the earlier forward folds.

Modification: Hold the calves instead of the feet and fold only as far as the spine stays relatively long.

Reclining Angle pose rolls the legs overhead with the feet wide apart, toes touching the floor behind the head. The hands grip the big toes. The pose then rolls back up to a balanced seated position. The rolling motion requires core engagement and a certain willingness to trust momentum. It is a transitional pose between the wide-legged work and the reclined poses that follow.

Safety note: Keep a slight bend in the knees when rolling overhead if the hamstrings are tight.

Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe pose reclines on the back and extends one leg toward the ceiling, holding the big toe with the first two fingers and thumb. Practised in three stages: leg vertical, leg to the side, then leg drawn toward the head. It is among the most accessible poses of the sequence and offers a clear measure of hamstring development over time.

Modification: Use a strap around the foot if the toe cannot be held with the leg straight.

Both legs extend upward from a seated balance while the hands grip the big toes. The balance point is the tailbone, and the spine must lift to prevent the body from collapsing backward. The entry typically involves rolling up from a reclined position with the legs overhead. Finding the balance takes practice; maintaining it with both legs straight is the measure of progress.

Modification: Bend the knees slightly to find the balance before working toward straight legs.

A seated balance similar to Ubhaya Padangusthasana but with the torso folding toward the legs rather than staying upright. The hands hold the feet or outer edges of the feet as the torso draws forward. The challenge is simultaneously balancing, keeping the legs straight and folding. It appears near the end of the seated sequence and often marks where fatigue starts to become a factor.

Modification: Hold the ankles rather than the feet if the full forward fold compromises balance.

Bridge pose in the Ashtanga tradition involves more arch than the restorative version familiar from other styles. From a reclined position, the feet press down with the toes pointing forward and the body arches up, sometimes with the hands interlaced beneath the torso. It is a preparation for the deeper backbends of the closing sequence and a counter to the forward-folding that has dominated the seated poses.

Modification: Keep the hands beside the hips pressing into the floor if the interlaced version is too intense.

Safety note: Avoid if there is significant lower back sensitivity. Build toward this pose gradually.

Wheel pose (Full Backbend) opens the closing sequence. Hands and feet press into the floor as the body arches into a full backbend. Practised three times, each held for five breaths. It asks for shoulder flexibility, wrist strength and the willingness to open the chest fully. The three repetitions allow each round to go a little deeper as the spine warms to the shape.

Modification: Practice Bridge pose until the shoulder and wrist strength are ready for the full backbend.

Safety note: Do not compress the lower back. Press firmly through all four limbs and let the chest open upward.

A second appearance of Paschimottanasana, this time as a counter-pose to the backbend sequence. After Urdhva Dhanurasana, the spine needs to decompress and the nervous system needs to settle. Fold forward, hold the feet, and stay longer than feels necessary. This is not a pose to rush through on the way to the inversions.

Shoulderstand is the queen of the closing sequence inversions, held for a longer count than most poses. The body is supported on the shoulders and upper arms with the legs extending straight overhead. It reverses the relationship between the heart and the head, calms the nervous system and stimulates the thyroid. The chin lock (Jalandhara Bandha) is applied here, drawing the chin toward the sternum.

Modification: Use a folded blanket under the shoulders to reduce pressure on the cervical spine.

Safety note: Do not turn the head while in Shoulderstand. Set up carefully and maintain the position.

Plow pose follows Shoulderstand, lowering the legs behind the head to the floor. The hands may interlace behind the back or rest on the lower back. It deepens the shoulder and upper back stretch while maintaining the inverted position. The transition from Shoulderstand to Halasana and back is done with control, using the core rather than momentum.

Modification: Rest the feet on a chair behind you if they do not reach the floor comfortably.

Safety note: Never force the feet to the floor. The cervical spine is compressed in this position and should not be strained.

Ear Pressure pose takes the legs further overhead with the knees bending beside the ears. The arms may wrap around the back of the knees. It is a quieter pose than the preceding inversions, creating a sense of withdrawal from external sensation that fits its position near the end of the practice. The pressure on the ears naturally reduces sound and encourages an inward focus.

Safety note: As with Halasana, protect the cervical spine and do not turn the head.

Inverted Lotus combines Shoulderstand with full lotus. From Shoulderstand, the legs move into lotus position overhead while the hands support the thighs or hips. It requires both lotus stability and the shoulder strength of the inversion. The pose looks striking and is genuinely difficult to enter and exit cleanly.

Modification: Practice Shoulderstand and lotus separately before combining them.

Safety note: The lotus must be comfortable on the ground before it can be approached in inversion.

Embryo pose in Shoulderstand draws the lotus legs toward the chest, wrapping the arms around them. The body curls into a compact shape overhead. The transition from Urdhva Padmasana to Pindasana happens with control, and the challenge is maintaining balance on the shoulders as the legs fold in.

Fish pose is the counter-pose to the preceding inversions, opening the chest and throat in the opposite direction. In the Ashtanga version, the legs are in lotus and the back arches until the crown of the head rests on the floor. The arms may hold the feet or extend forward. It is a brief but important counter to the sustained forward compression of the neck in Shoulderstand.

Modification: Practice the non-lotus version (legs extended) if lotus is not accessible.

Extended Leg pose lifts the legs to 45 degrees while arching the upper back, with the crown of the head on the floor and the arms extended toward the feet. It is similar to Matsyasana but with the legs long and the arms working more actively. A brief, intense counter-pose before the final inversion of the sequence.

Headstand is the king of the inversions and often held for the longest count in the closing sequence, sometimes up to 25 breaths as the practice matures. The forearms press into the floor in a triangle shape, the crown of the head rests on the floor, and the legs extend straight overhead. Building core and shoulder strength before moving to this pose reduces the load on the neck significantly.

Modification: Practice at a wall until the balance and strength are established to hold freely.

Safety note: Never jump into headstand. Build the entry slowly, keeping the core engaged throughout. Skip if there is any neck injury.

Bound Lotus crosses the arms behind the back to bind opposite feet while seated in full lotus. The shape asks for both deep hip opening for the lotus and shoulder flexibility for the bind. It appears as a transition between Sirsasana and Yoga Mudra in the closing sequence. The bind is held briefly before moving into the forward fold of Yoga Mudra.

Modification: Sit in lotus without the bind until the shoulders allow it.

Safety note: As always with lotus, protect the knees. The rotation comes from the hips.

Yoga Seal takes the bound lotus position of Baddha Padmasana and folds the torso forward until the forehead or chin reaches the floor. It is a deeply inward pose that closes the physical sequence before Padmasana and Utpluthih. The forward fold compresses the abdominal organs gently and invites a quality of stillness after the intensity of what has come before.

Modification: Fold forward with hands on the floor beside the hips if the bind is not accessible.

Full Lotus is the meditation seat that closes the practice before the final lift. The legs cross fully with each foot resting on the opposite thigh. In the Ashtanga system it is held here as a moment of seated stillness, Nasagrai drishti, and breath awareness before Utpluthih. For many practitioners it takes years of preparation before full lotus is a genuinely comfortable seat.

Modification: Sit in half lotus or a simple cross-legged position if full lotus is not yet accessible.

Safety note: Never force the lotus position. Hip openness must precede it.

Scales pose is the final effort before Savasana. In full lotus, the hands press into the floor and the body lifts completely off the ground, held for ten to twenty-five breaths. It asks for everything the practice has built: wrist strength, core engagement, lotus stability and the mental stamina to stay through the burn. It is traditionally the last point of active effort before surrender.

Modification: Keep the feet on the floor and simply press the hands down if the full lift is not yet possible.

Corpse pose closes every practice. The body lies completely still on the back with the arms slightly away from the sides and the feet falling open. It is not optional and it is not passive. Savasana is the integration of everything that came before. Stay for at least five minutes. The practice is not complete without it.