Ashtanga Primary Series: Yoga Chikitsa Explained

What "Primary Series" means

In Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, the practice is organized into a small number of fixed sequences, and the Primary Series is the first of these. It carries the Sanskrit name Yoga Chikitsa, or "yoga therapy," reflecting the idea passed down through K. Pattabhi Jois and his teacher T. Krishnamacharya that this sequence works systematically through the body, said to align the spine and build strength and stamina before other sequences are introduced. As with much of this tradition, that therapeutic framing is a lineage teaching rather than a claim with independent clinical verification, and it is worth holding it that way: as a stated intention rather than a proven outcome. For the difference between this posture-based Ashtanga Vinyasa system and Patanjali's older eight-limb framework, see what is Ashtanga yoga and the eight limbs of yoga.

The four sections

Teachers and manuals describe the Primary Series in four broad parts, though the labels are descriptive rather than official chapter titles from any single source.

Sun salutations. The series opens with Surya Namaskara A and Surya Namaskara B, repeated several times. These establish the breathing pattern, the vinyasa count, and the drishti (gaze points) that carry through the rest of the practice. See our dedicated sun salutation guide for the pose-by-pose breakdown.

Standing poses. A sequence of standing postures follows, including Padangusthasana and Padahastasana (forward folds holding the toes and feet), the Trikonasana and Parsvakonasana pairs (triangle and side-angle poses with revolved variations), Prasarita Padottanasana (a wide-legged forward fold with four variations), Parsvottanasana, and the balancing postures Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana, Utkatasana, and Virabhadrasana I and II. This section builds heat, opens the hamstrings and hips, and trains steady standing balance.

Seated poses. This is the longest portion of the series, moving through postures such as Paschimottanasana (seated forward fold), Purvottanasana, the Janu Sirsasana variations, Marichyasana A through D, Navasana (boat pose, repeated in a set of five), and further work including Baddha Konasana, Upavistha Konasana, Supta Konasana, and the leg-behind-head postures for more established practitioners. Each seated pose is typically followed by a vinyasa, a return through a jump-back and jump-through, which is part of why full Primary Series practice takes most students 60 to 90 minutes.

Finishing poses. The series closes with inversions and calming postures: Urdhva Dhanurasana (backbends, usually three), Paschimottanasana again, Sarvangasana (shoulderstand) and its related family of poses, Sirsasana (headstand) in some lineages, and finally Yoga Mudra, Padmasana, and a seated closing sequence that ends in rest.

How many asanas, really

Students often ask how many poses the Primary Series contains, and the honest answer is that it depends on how you count. Numbers commonly cited range from around 70 to 75 postures, but this varies depending on whether variations of a pose (like the four types of Marichyasana or the four Prasarita Padottanasana variants) are counted separately, and whether repeated vinyasas are included. Manuals such as David Swenson's Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual and Gregor Maehle's Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philosophy present slightly different tallies for this reason. Rather than memorizing a single "correct" number, it is more useful to learn the sequence itself and its logic of sections.

Modifications and pace

Very few students, especially beginners, practice the full series from day one. In Mysore-style classes, a teacher introduces postures gradually, often called "half primary" until a student has the poses to a stopping point such as Navasana or the seated sequence's later postures. This gradual approach is discussed further in our Mysore-style practice guide, and options for building the sequence progressively at home are covered in Ashtanga for beginners.

Where it sits in the larger system

The Primary Series is the entry point to a family of sequences that becomes progressively more demanding: the Second Series (Nadi Shodhana) and the rarely practiced advanced series beyond it. See the second series and the advanced series for what comes after, and Tristhana: breath, bandha, and drishti for the three elements that give the sequence its internal method rather than just being a list of shapes.