Exploring the Ashtanga Rishi 'Series' / approach

'Doing a practice of 10 postures for up to 50 breaths is a method of preparing for "advanced series" after one has learned 1st and 2nd.  It can be done once or twice a week.  One does the "salutations" and then starts going thru the series, holding each posture for as long as comfortably possible.  Notice which postures could be held for 50 breaths.  The next time you practice this way, the postures which you could hold for 50 are omitted and new ones are added at the end.  One gradually works thru the series, dropping and adding asanas, still doing 10 asanas per session.  I have gone all the way thru 1st and 2nd this way several times over the years and have found it beneficial.


Then, once one has mastered all of the asanas, one can practice "the rishi series", the most advanced practice.  One does the 10 postures that one intuits will be the most beneficial and appropriate for that day, holding each posture for up to 50 comfortable breaths.'   David Williams

Thought I'd try out the 'Rishi' series / approach that I outlined in the previous post. The question of course is which postures to go with.

In Vinyasa Krama Ramaswami has Krishnamacharya recommending a long Paschimottanasana, sarvangasana and sirsasana daily, around ten minutes each minimum so that was easy. Maha mudra, (like janu sirsasana A but without the forward fold) and baddha konasana are also recommended so that's five asana already.Haven't practiced Advanced A or any of B for a good few months so that meant Primary and 2nd to choose from, besides plenty to be going on with there, fifty breaths whole different ball game. Decided to keep the vinyasas in between the postures seemed like a good way to stretch out of the long stay in the asana.

Uttanasana seemed a good place to start, on reflection I'd go for something else next time as there's already the deep forward bend with paschimottanasana, yoga nidrasana perhaps. I wanted a tapas pose, something on one leg so went for Vikshasana, baddha konasana because I love it and it seemed a good choice for a long stay, Gomokhasana as it's a nice counterpose to baddha konasana.

I wanted a twist, thought a Marchi but went for Ardha Matsyendrasana. For a backbend I was tempted by Ustrasana as I love the idea of working towards the long stay in kapo, went for salabhasana A in the end, expected it to be a lot harder than it was, that pelvic tilt works again.

Lost count of how many that was and started on Yoga mudra but my arms went to sleep after 25 breaths, came up and did some pranayama instead.

Breath rate.
vinyasa Krama breathing. I was aiming for a five second inhalation, ten second exhalation and a five second retention so a 20 second breath, a fair rate to start with.

That should have made it around 16.5 minutes for each asana, I think it was more around 10-12 minutes each, some a little quicker than others. Practice came out at two and a half hours but ten minutes of that was the Pranayama  (had to cut it short as time was moving on and had to get ready for work).

3 Sury A / 3 Sury B
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Uttanasana

Vikshasana (25 each side)

Mahamudra  / Janu sirsasana A (25 each side)

Baddha konasana

Gomukhasana

Ardha Matsyendrasana (25 each side)

Pashimottanasana

Sarvangasana

Salabhasana A

Sirsasana

Padmasana  (for regular pranayama )
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Wonderful practice actually but I was struck by how Vinyasa Krama ish it was,Vinyasa Krama = Rishi series?

Except of course, in VK there would be several variations of the posture in that fifty count.

Essentially the Rishi series/approach here seemed like a two and a half hour pranayama session.

Would I do it again? Certainly, every sunday from now changing two or three asana each time.

Ashtanga Rishi Blog post series

Ashtanga Rishi series

Exploring the ashtanga Rishi series / approach

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, first day Paschimottanasana to Janu sirsasana A

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, second day  Janu Sirsasana B to Navasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, third day Bhuja pindasana to badha konasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fourth day Upavishta konasana to Supta bandhasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, fifth day Pasasana to Kapotasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, sixth day Supta vajrasana to Ardha Matsyendrasana

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Seventh Day  Eka pada sirsasana to Tittibhasana C

Ashtanga Rishi Approach, Eighth day to seven headstands

Rishi series made from asana named after Rishi An alternative take on the Rishi series

See also Srivatsa Ramaswami's December 2012 newsletter for more on the Rishis