Ashtanga Finishing Series

"When the breath control is correct, mind control is possible." -Śrī K.Pattabhi Jois

The first seven āsana of the Finishing Series serve to bring the whole body back into balance, returning the various systems of the physical body (circulation, thermoregulation, cardiopulmonary) to a steady state. Thus the body and mind become calm. The last two of these seven, Mathsyāsana and Uttāna Pādāsana, are counterposes to the previous five.

The inverted asana (particularly shoulderstand and headstand) are said to help retain Amrtabindu (vital life force) at the crown (Sahasrāra Chakra) to prevent its downward flow (which is said to be caused by bad living, poor eating, negative thinking, and detrimental or destructive deeds).

Utpluthih is said to strengthen pelvic and abdominal control (mula bandha and uddiyana bandha) and make the body light ("float"). It is noted that any and all of these āsana in the finishing series can be taken for much longer periods than the recommended breath counts, especially if practiced for therapeutic purposes.

Salamba Sarvangasana

FROM STANDING

1 - INHALE - Arms Overhead

2 - EXHALE - Fold Forward (Uttanasana)

3 - INHALE - Look Up

4 - EXHALE - Jump back (land low) to Chaturanga Dandasana

5 - INHALE - Upward Facing Dog; Gaze at Nose

6 - EXHALE - Downward Facing Dog

7 - INHALE - Jump through to sitting (Dandasana); Gaze at Nose

8 - INHALE - Salamba Sarvangasana (25 Breaths) - Gaze at Toes (finish on EXHALE)

[Optional vinyasa sequence to standing and back to downward facing dog]

9 - INHALE - Chakrasana (backward roll/flip) to Chaturanga Dandasana (finish on EXHALE)

10 - INHALE - Upward Facing Dog; Gaze at Nose

11 - EXHALE - Downward Facing Dog; Gaze at Nose

12 - INHALE - Jump feet forward to hands; Look Up

13 - EXHALE - Fold Forward (Uttanasana); INHALE to Samastithi

[End of Optional Vinyasa Sequence]

1 - INHALE - Arms Overhead

2 - EXHALE - Fold Forward (Uttanasana)

3 - INHALE - Look Up

4 - EXHALE - Jump back (Land Low) to Chaturanga Dandasana

5 - INHALE - Upward Facing Dog; Gaze at Nose

6 - EXHALE - Downward Facing Dog

7 - INHALE - Jump through to sitting (Dandasana); Gaze at Nose. EXHALE and lie down (Supta Tadasana)

Halasana

(8 breaths from standing)

8 - INHALE - Hālasana (25 breaths) – Nasagrai dristi (gaze at nose). [EXHALE] 

8 – INHALE -  Karnapīdāsana (10 breaths) – Nasagrai dristi (gaze at nose) Knees drop to outsides of ears, big toes touching on the floor behind head. Fingers interlaced, arms extend gently away from feet.

NOTE: If there is excess tension in the neck, shoulders or upper back and the arms cannot not fully extend to the floor, this posture can cause some compression in the cervical spine (neck). [EXHALE] 

Karna Pidasana

8 – INHALE -  Karnapīdāsana (10 breaths) – Nasagrai dristi (gaze at nose) Knees drop to outsides of ears, big toes touching on the floor behind head. Fingers interlaced, arms extend gently away from feet.

NOTE: If there is excess tension in the neck, shoulders or upper back and the arms cannot not fully extend to the floor, this posture can cause some compression in the cervical spine (neck). [EXHALE] 

Urdhva Padmasana

8 - INHALE - (transition directly from karnapidasana-halasana-salamba sarvangasana to Ūrdhva padmāsana (10 Breaths) – Upward facing gaze

Pindasana

8 - INHALE - Lower legs to chest, dropping slightly to rest on upper scapulae (shoulder blades) and wrap arms around outer thighs, squeeze gently - Pindāsana-Nasagrai dristi (gaze at nose)

[EXHALE] Soften the shoulders and hold/lift from the belly (engaging uddiyana bandha) (10 breaths)

Matsyasana

8 – INHALE Engaging uddiyana bandha, but keeping spine and hip flexors soft, unfold without resistance to Mathsyāsana, allowing the weight of the legs (folded in padmasana) to lift the chest (heart opening) and the head to gently drop back onto its crown gaze at third eye point (bhrūmadhya)

[EXHALE] Bind big toe side of feet and roll shoulders open (back) – (10 breaths)

Uttana Padasana

8 - INHALE -Unfold legs to extension (big toes touching), extend arms parallel to legs, palms touching Uttāna Pādāsana (10 breaths) [EXHALE]

9 - INHALE - Chakrāsana (backward roll/flip) to Chaturanaga Dandāsana (plank) [EXHALE]

10 - INHALE -Upward Facing Dog (Ūrdhva Mukha Svānāsana) - gaze at nose

11 - EXHALE - Downward Facing Dog (Ahdo Mukha Svānāsana) - gaze at naval

[Optional vinyasa sequence to standing and back to downward facing dog]

12 - INHALE - Jump feet forward to hands – look up

13 - EXHALE - Uttānāsana (forward fold)

[INHALE] Stand tall – Samasthitih (equal standing).

[End of Optional Vinyasa Sequence]

1 - INHALE - Arms overhead (standing)

2 - EXHALE - Fold forward (Uttānāsana)

3 - INHALE - Look up

4 - EXHALE - Jump back (land low) to Chaturanga Dandāsana

5 - INHALE - Upward Facing Dog (Ūrdhva Mukha Svānāsana) – gaze at nose

6 - EXHALE - Downward Facing Dog (Ahdo Mukha Svānāsana) - gaze at naval

Salamba Sirshasana

7 - INHALE - (from downward facing dog) Lower knees to floor

[EXHALE] Set up for headstand: Interlace fingers, ground elbows, place back of head in palms of hands

8 - INHALE -Lift up – both legs together – from belly (uddiyana bandha) into Sālamba Sīrsāsana (25 breaths) – gaze straight out. NOTE: It is important to keep the outer wrists and elbows grounded (pressing down into your mat) to alleviate pressure on the head, with the express purpose of strengthening the upper arms and middle back, and to relax the upper back and neck muscles as much as possible. These actions serve to prevent potential compression in the neck (usually due to overuse of upper back (upper trapezius) and neck muscles and too much weight on the head).

[EXHALE] Lower both legs together half way (90 degrees) – sustain for 5 breaths

[INHALE] Lift both legs back up to Sīrsāsana – hold for 5 more breaths

9 - EXHALE - Chaturanaga Dandāsana (plank)

10 - INHALE - Upward Facing Dog (Ūrdhva Mukha Svānāsana) - gaze at nose

11- EXHALE - Downward Facing Dog (Ahdo Mukha Svānāsana) - gaze at naval

[Optional vinyasa sequence to standing and back to downward facing dog]

12 - INHALE - Jump feet forward to hands – look up

13 - EXHALE -Uttānāsana (forward fold)

[INHALE] Stand tall – Samasthitih (equal standing).

[End of Optional Vinyasa Sequence]

1 - INHALE - Arms overhead (standing)

2 - EXHALE - Fold forward (Uttānāsana)

3 - INHALE - Look up

4 - EXHALE - Jump back (land low) to Chaturanga Dandāsana

5 - INHALE - Upward Facing Dog (Ūrdhva Mukha Svānāsana) – gaze at nose

6 - EXHALE - Downward Facing Dog (Ahdo Mukha Svānāsana) - gaze at naval

7 – INHALE - Jump through to Dandāsana (staff pose)

Baddha Padmasana

8 – EXHALE -Fold legs into lotus – Padmāsana (right leg first)

9 – INHALE - Baddha Padmāsana– left hand binds right big toe, then the right hand extends to bind the left big toe--(10 Breaths) – nasagrai dristi (gaze at nose)

10 – EXHALE - Look up

Yoga Mudra

8 - EXHALE - Yoga Mudra (10 breaths): Hinge forward from hips (do not bend from waist) leading from the heart chakra (sternum) and take third eye point to floor – gaze at nose (nasagrai dristi); more advanced practitioners can take chin to floor (keep shoulders rolling back softly) - gaze at third eye point (bhrūmadhya)

9 - INHALE - Sit up

[EXHALE] Place hands flat on floor behind hips (counterpose)

[Optional vinyasa sequence to standing and back to downward facing dog]

10 - INHALE - Take it up

11 - EXHALE - Jump back (land low) to Chaturanga Dandāsana

12 - INHALE - Upward Facing Dog (Ūrdhva Mukha Svānāsana) – gaze at nose

13 - EXHALE - Downward Facing Dog (Ahdo Mukha Svānāsana) - gaze at naval

14 - INHALE - Jump forward – look up

15 - EXHALE - Uttānāsana (forward fold) Samasthitih – Equal standing

[End of Optional Vinyasa Sequence]

1 - INHALE - Arms overhead (standing)

2 - EXHALE - Fold forward (Uttānāsana)

3 - INHALE - Look up

4 - EXHALE - Jump back (land low) to Chaturanga Dandāsana

5 - INHALE - Upward Facing Dog (Ūrdhva Mukha Svānāsana) – gaze at nose

6 - EXHALE - Downward Facing Dog (Ahdo Mukha Svānāsana) - gaze at naval

7 – INHALE - Jump through to Dandāsana (staff pose)

Padmasana

8 – EXHALE - Extend arms, index finger to thumb, and lower chin to throat (Jālandhara Bandha or throat seal) – Padmāsana (25 breaths) - Nasagrai dristi

[Optional vinyasa sequence to standing and back to downward facing dog]

Ūtpluthih

9 – INHALE - Place hands FLAT on floor (not on fingertips or knuckles!) just forward of hips, tip forward slightly and lift from belly (Uddiyana Bandha) to take Ūtpluthih (25 breaths) – nasagrai dristi

Savasana

Calm body, Calm mind

For more information, please check out Pattabi Jois' website and Lino Miele's book, Astanga Yoga.