What is the primary series?

"Ashtanga yoga is for all. Everyone can benefit from this practice." ~Sri K Pattabhi Jois

Ashtanga. The primary series. What's there to love?

The primary series of ashtanga yoga is known as "yoga chikitsa" or yoga therapy (this should be the first clue as to why I love it). The first of six progressively challenging series, it is set sequence of postures and vinyasas designed to "unlock" the body part by part, like a combination lock with the purpose of internal cleansing and healing. Starting from basic sequences that focus on major muscle groups (such as forward bends and side stretches), the primary series progresses toward more and more refined postures, requiring attention to smaller groups of muscles and more specific movements(including spinal twists and inversions). Ashtangis fly and float from posture to posture, carried by the breath and fully focused on the present moment. The internal heat created from the continuous flow from one posture to the next, as well as the twists and inversions, acts as a personalized detoxifying agent, aiding in eliminating impurities and inconsistencies from the body. Translated-you'll sweat and wring out whatever bad stuff might be in you.

Asana practice has often been explained to newcomers as "moving meditation," but it takes more than a class or two to gain an inkling as to where the meditation part comes into play. The beauty of the primary series, though, is in its accessibility to all practitioners. Even those new to the universe of yoga can benefit from the practice, as it was designed to be a naturally flowing progression from start to finish. For beginners, their first exposure to the primary series may simply be through the sun salutations and a few standing postures. And yes, it may take a class or three before they're flowing, being carried by their breath. But, due to the very nature of the primary series, the fact that there is a pre-determined sequence, it won't be too long before newcomers are fully experiencing the breath, bandhas and dristi through those first introductory asanas, allowing them a glimpse of what is meant by "moving meditation."

I know of people who get bored with the primary series. They say it's too predictable and they want a class where they don't know what's coming next--the element of surprise and mystery, perhaps? I understand this perspective, because I've been in similar places myself. I've attended classes where all I could think was, "could we please just do something different?" Or, I've wanted to slow down and experience each posture more deeply, but by the time I could engage my bandhas, we were moving through the next vinyasa. It's taken time-some of it more challenging that others. But, I'm happy that, through it all, I've stuck with the primary series and I've been witness as it's taken me to a place where I am able to experience each posture differently, more deeply each time we meet. It is the very fact that I don't have to think about what's next that allows me to be fully present and focus on the experience of each moment.

So, to those yogis who are out there, seeking mystery and adventure both on and off the mat, I would invite you to return to the primary series. Dare yourselves to dive further into the practice and revisit the tried and true sequence. Rather than just jumping about from posture to posture, the primary series offers a beautiful opportunity to take your yoga practice deeper and to a different level each time you step onto your mat.

Finding Ahimsa On and Off the Mat

“To practice ahimsa, first of all we have to practice it within ourselves... If we want to head north, we can use the North Star as our guide. Our effort is only to proceed in that direction” ~Thich Nhat Hanh, The Path of Harmlessness

At times, through the course of your yoga practice, have you ever been so into the flow of your practice, so on your yoga “high” that you’ve pushed yourself too hard, too fast? You’re breathing, you’re moving, you’re “vinyasa-ing” and suddenly you can fold deeper and twist further than you ever have before. Everything is going beautifully. Then, without quite knowing when, or how it happened, you find yourself with pain, soreness or even an injury—from your yoga practice! Few non-yogis would think to associate yoga with serious injury, but for those it’s happened to, it can be all too frustrating. However, an injury offers a chance to return to the place of compassion and patience encouraged by ahimsa.

In the classical sense, ahimsa means non-injury, non-violence, or harmlessness. When we hear the word ahimsa, we most often think of non-violence toward our fellow human beings: no violence, no killing, no war. Of course, it is vitally important to avoid non-violence toward others in order to promote peace and understanding in our society; but in order to truly embody this ideal, shouldn’t we also apply this first of Patanjali’s yamas to ourselves? In terms of our daily lives and activities, including yoga, this means we must know, understand, and respect our Selves and our bodies. So often in yoga, we think we should push past our limits because that’s the only way to “progress” in a posture. Or, we see the person next to us can hook their ankle behind their head, and we feel that "surely I can do that, too." Unfortunately, it is this inner, almost subconscious, competition within our minds that goes against the principle of ahimsa.

When we have a deeper understanding of these things closest to us, we can know and sense our own strengths and boundaries. From here, we can work with our limitations, taking our practice to the edge without falling off it and into injury, and employing this same principle to our other activities and relationships.