Читать книгу Ashtanga Yoga - The Intermediate Series - Gregor Maehle - Страница 17

The Intermediate Series in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga serves as an important part of the discipline that may lead to mastery of the eight limbs and, ultimately, to liberation. Let’s now look briefly at the structure of the Intermediate Series, which I cover in detail in chapter 6 and, of course, in part 3.

The Intermediate Series is constructed of the following elements:

1 An opening consisting of some twisting (Pashasana) and forward bending (Krounchasana)

2 An extensive backbending sequence consisting of eight postures (Shalabhasana, Bhekasana, Dhanurasana, Parshva Dhanurasana, Ushtrasana, Laghu Vajrasana, Kapotasana, and Supta Vajrasana)

3 A forward-curling arm balance (Bakasana) to counteract the backbends, combined with some more twisting (Bharadvajasana and Ardha Matsyendrasana)

4 A leg-behind-head sequence consisting of three postures (Ekapada Shirshasana, Dvipada Shirshasana, and Yoganidrasana)

5 A dynamic forward bend (Tittibhasana) to link the preceding and subsequent postures

6 An arm-balance section consisting of four postures (Pincha Mayurasana, Karandavasana, Mayurasana, and Nakrasana)

7 A wind-down consisting of a hip opener (Vatayanasana), another forward bend (Parighasana), a hip and shoulder opener (Gaumukhasana), another twist (Supta Urdhva Pada Vajrasana), and a sequence of headstands (Mukta Hasta Shirshasana and Baddha Hasta Shirshasana)

The three essential parts of the series are the backbends, leg-behind-head postures, and arm balances (items 2, 4, and 6 above); the other four sections function mainly to connect and prepare. The Intermediate Series strongly differs from the Primary Series, which is made up of forward-bending postures and hip rotations.