Yoga Aligned
Welcome to Yoga Aligned. Here, I have sought to create a reference guide for practitioners of Yoga. Although the positions are approached from the perspective of Ashtanga, my personal practice, the lessons of biomechanics, anatomy, and alignment are universal no matter what your Yoga practice may look like. If you are self-practicing, please practice and become competent with one pose and then the next, rather than trying to tackle the whole sequence at once.
Click here to see photos of all the poses with brief descriptions.
Primary Series
1. Surya Namaskara A x5
2. Surya Namaskara B x5
9. Prasarita Padottanasana A-D
10. Parsvottanasana
11. Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana
12. Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana
13. Utkatasana
14. Virabhadrasana A
15. Virabhadrasana B
16. Dandasana
18. Purvottanasana
19. Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana
20. Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana
21. Janu Sirsasana A
22. Janu Sirsasana B
23. Janu Sirsasana C
24. Marichyasana A
25. Marichyasana B
26. Marichyasana C
27. Marichyasana D
28. Navasana
29. Bhujapidasana
30. Kurmasana
31. Supta Kurmasana
32. Garbha Pindasana
33. Kukkutasana
34. Baddha Konasana
37. Supta Konasana
41. Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana
42. Setu Bandhasana
44. Tadagi Mudra
45. Sarvangasana
46. Halasana
47. Karnapidasana
48. Urdhva Padmasana
49. Pindasana
50. Matsyasana
51. Uttana Padasana
52. Sirsasana
53. Yoga Mudra
54. Padmasana
55. Utpluthih
Asana: Pose / Posture Asana literally means ‘seat.’ It is taken today to mean a Yoga pose or posture. Each asana presents its own challenges and opportunities, and yet each is simply a new form or container for the breath to fill. Competence in an Asana is not simply creating the physical appearance of the pose; it is when the breath is full and unlabored, the entire body is intelligent and participating fully in the effort, the is mind clear and focused. When we begin to work on a new, difficult asana, the breath is shallow, rapid, or held, and parts of the body are stiff, weak, painful, forgotten, injured, or immobile. The Ashtanga sequences are crafted to systematically uncover and rehabilitate these deficiencies, frequently ones that we were unaware of. Over time, with intelligent practice, each part of the body and mind becomes strong, light, and healthy. Continue reading…