Awakening Through the Asanas
August 11, 2025
As I continue my journey and explore my own yoga practice, it allows me the opportunity to tune in, see and feel. This is what I love most about the Ashtanga Vinyasa sequence. In Ashtanga yoga, movement is medicine, and every pose has a message. The foundational standing postures of the Primary Series build the container for strength, presence, and internal growth. These shapes aren’t just physical, they are meditative, they are spiritual teachings wrapped in breath and motion.
When paired with ujjayi pranayama (victory breath) and the subtle activation of the bandhas (energy locks), each pose becomes a conversation between your body and your deeper knowing. You create heat, direct energy, and move stuck emotion as you breathe into structure. The first 7 postures are the foundations and really set the stage for this personal exploration.
Padangusthasana –Hand to Big Toe Pose
Tuning into surrender and humility. This forward fold calms the nervous system, stretches the hamstrings, and quiets the mind. By gripping the big toes and drawing inward, we learn the power of softening. With mula bandha engaged, the body feels anchored, while the breath allows the mind to drop into presence. Surrender isn’t weakness—it’s trust.
Padahastasana – Hands Under Feet Pose
Trust your foundation.This deeper fold invites release. Sliding your hands beneath your feet creates a sense of compression and stability, being held by the earth. It’s grounding and detoxifying. As you fold, the uddiyana bandha activates the belly’s core strength, gently drawing you inward. It’s a reminder to stop gripping and let life support you.
Utthita Trikonasana – Extended Triangle Pose
Expand with awareness. This posture opens the side body, lengthens the spine, and cultivates balance. It represents spaciousness with structure. Bandhas keep your energy contained while you reach. Triangle teaches: reach outward, but don’t lose your center.
Parivritta Trikonasana – Revolved Triangle Pose
Clarity through challenge. Twisting requires strength, breath, and patience. This detoxifying pose awakens digestion and challenges balance. When challenge presents, this pose reminds us to breathe through it. With ujjayi and bandhas, discomfort becomes transformation.
Utthita Parsvakonasana – Extended Side Angle Pose
Effort and grace in harmony. This dynamic asana opens the hips, stretches the waist, and strengthens the legs. It asks you to stay rooted while reaching for possibility. The breath keeps you fluid, while the bandhas keep you centered. Grace under pressure begins here. Explored further with the twist.
Prasarita Padottanasana A – Wide-Legged Forward Fold
Turn inward even in the open space. With legs wide and heart lowered, this pose offers deep spinal decompression and calming of the mind. It’s expansive yet inward. A beautiful paradox. With active mula bandha and steady breath, it reminds us that even in openness, we need inner containment.
Parsvottanasana – Pyramid Pose
Discipline and devotion. This intense hamstring stretch demands focus. With hips squared and chest lowered, it refines alignment and deepens breath awareness. It teaches the beauty of structure—how holding a shape with integrity creates freedom. When paired with bandhas, this pose becomes a prayer of precision and devotion.
The Alchemy of Breath + Bandha
These postures awaken the body, but it’s the breath and bandhas that awaken the soul. Ujjayi breath calms the mind and energizes the body. Mula bandha grounds your awareness. Uddiyana bandha lifts your energy, drawing you inward. Together, they create synchronicity—clearing stagnation and creating flow. In Practice and in Life.
Every pose in this sequence reflects a truth in your life:
Sometimes we must surrender. Sometimes we must hold. Sometimes we expand. Sometimes we release. Always, we breathe. Through these asanas, you don’t just align your body, you awaken your spirit.
