Learning to Count Ashtanga Led Primary

by Didi von Deck

The rhythm of breath and body in the Ashtanga practice is magic. 

Moving with the breath opens mystical pathways that cannot be seen but are there to be experienced.  That magic is available every day as we breathe into the light with the first Surya Namaskara.

Often yogis practice Ashtanga without learning the names of poses or how each transition between poses is actually counted. 

Practitioners can experience the rhythm of the Sanskrit counts and feel the sacred vibrations without conscious knowledge of what the sounds mean. 

And that is a perfect way to practice. But then there are those who want to know more. They want to know the meaning of the Sanskrit names. They want to be able to chant the Sanskrit numbers as a sacred ritual that can lead them deeper into the depths of the practice.

Learning the counts and teaching led primary is a somewhat mysterious process. The Sanskrit names of the poses are recited and each breath, every movement is counted in Sanskrit.

When some students asked me the best way to learn how to count led primary, I looked online to find a good resource. I didn’t find much.  

There is no easy path.  But for those who are interested and willing to put in a little effort, I am sharing how I learned how to chant led primary.  I think it is easiest to assimilate bit by bit, just as you learn the poses in the Mysore setting.

Some things to know–

There are common transliterations of the devanagari and they can be represented by different letters of the Latin alphabet. I am not necessarily consistent. Feel free to ask me any questions you have!!  This section could obviously be pages, so I’ll be brief.

1. Southern Indian dialect pronouces the ā sound of eight and ekam as yã.

2. V can be pronounced v or w.  I learned from one Sanskrit scholar that Sanskrit only has the v sound, but another one believes the w sound was an ancient pronounciation.  Hindi usually uses the w sound.

3. Aa (2 a’s written together) is a longer ǎ (short a like ah) sound.  A common way to represent this is a line over the vowel like ā but this sounds like aah.  When asana is added on to a word ending in a to indicate it is a pose, the two aa’s together combine to  make the aah sound.  

4. Au combines or connect the two vowels as in Aum (Om) and ashtau so that the a-u sounds somewhat like ō.  

5. S can be s, ś or ṣ.  The last two are a sh sound but ś is softer (palatal–front of mouth) and ṣ is somewhat harsher sounding (retroflexed–tongue curled back) sh sound that is transliterated sh but the Sanskrit can be represented by the letters श (ś) and ष (ṣ) or just sh.  I’ve tried to make all these written as sh.

6. C is pronounced “ch”.

7. The letter h after a consonant just means it is aspirated or you put more air behind the pronunciation.

To count led primary, you need to learn to count to at least 20 in Sanskrit.  Technically to 26, but you can get through standing knowing how to count to 17.

As you can see, the numbers 11-18 are made simply by adding dasha to the base number. 19 is one less than 20. Interestingly enough, if you look online, you will find 19 is navadasha but we say one less than 20 or ekonovimshathihi.  

Secondly, you MUST memorize the names of the poses. You should do this even if you do not want to be able to chant led primary. This is not really that hard. Most of the poses use words that are descriptions of what you are doing.  Many of the terms repeat.

For example, ardha means “half.”  Baddha means “bound.” Padma means “lotus.”  Supta means “sleeping”  or “reclining.”  Asana means “seat” or “posture.”  Parshva means “side”. Kona meand “angle.”

Lots of times Sanskrit just puts different words together into one long word (sandhi and samasa).  We often split them up to read them more easily. 

Coming back to standing is always Samasthitihi and is not technically counted as a number.

Just know that you will mess up when counting.  I’ve heard everyone (including Sharathiji and Saraswathiji) mess up here and there.  There are some anchor points that you will find in the counts that will get you back on track.  For example, Chatvori (4) position is always chaturanga in Sun A and in the first part of Sun B and the first part of the transitions. Some people even say Chatvori for chaturanga. Jumping forward in Surya Namaskara A is sapta as is jumping through to sit down for the seated poses.  This will start to make sense as you look for patterns in the counting.

As you practice and actually lead led primary, you will find you will have more and more anchor points so that you eventually will know what position each number represents in each posture.  This apparently was the test that Krishnamacharya gave to his students doing Ashtanga.

By the way, Chaturanga dandasanana is 4 limbed staff pose.  Chat 4, anga limbs, danda staff, asana pose. Ashtanga Ashtau 8, anga limbs.

Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana–urdva upward, mukha face, svana dog, asana pose

Adho Mukha Śvānāsana–adho downward, mukha face, svana dog, asana pose

We don’t actually say up or down dog while leading primary.  Just something to know for fun.

When going through led primary, there are some English words that are generally always said. For example, trini, inhale, head up and saptadasha, bend the knees, inhale arms up at the end of Surya namaskara B. The English cues for each pose below are not generally recited but I’ve put them in so that you know where you are in the vinyasa. You do always say the number and inhale or exhale. Samasthithihi stands alone and does not need exhale said with it.

STANDING

Surya Namaskara  Surya sun Namaskara bowing or welcoming

Surya Namaskara A

9 counts–jump forward to sapta (7)
Anchors:  jump back to chatvori (chaturanga), jump forward to sapta (7)

Ekam inhale - arms up
Dwe exhale - fold forward
Trini inhale head up
Chatvori exhale - jump back
Pancha inhale - up dog
Shat exhale - down dog
12345
Sapta inhale - feet forward
Ashtau exhale - fold
Nava inhale arms up
Samasthitihi

Surya Namaskara B

17 counts–jump forward to panchadasha (15)
Anchor points: The feet come forward on sapta 7 (RF) and ekadasa 11 (LF)
(7/11 is the convenience store.)

Ekam inhale - arms up
Dwe exhale - fold forward
Trini inahle head up
Chatvori exhale - jump back
Pancha inhale - up dog
Shat exhale  - down dog
Sapta inhale RF (forward)
Ashtau exhale - chaturanga
Nava inhale - up dog
Dasha exhale - down dog
Ekadasha inhale LF (forward)
Dwadasha exhale - chaturanga
Trayodasha inhale - up dog
Caturdasha exhale - down dog
12345
Panchadasha inhale - feet forward
Shodasha exhale - fold
Saptadasha bend the knees, inhale arms up
Samasthitiihi

Padangusthasana–Padangustha big toe

Only 3 counts
Anchor:  Go down on Dwe

Ekam Inhale - catch big toes, head up 
Dwe Exhale - head down
12345
Trini Inhale - head up
Exhale (not counted)

Padahastasana–Pada foot, Hasta hand

Ekam Inhale - hand under feet,  head up 
Dwe Exhale - head down
12345
Trini Inhale - head up
Samasthitihi (you just take the hands out and stand up on the exhale)

Trikonasana–Trikona tri three kona angles

5 counts 
Anchors: Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana and Parshvottanasana Ekam RF to back of mat, Dwe go down to the R, Trini come up to center, Chatvori go down to the L, Pancha come back up to the middle.  Samasthitihi.

Utthita--extended or intense stretch
Ekam Inhale - RF to back of mat, arms out
Dwe Exhale - Catch the R big toe with RH
12345
Trini-Inhale - come up to center
Chatvori Exhale - down to the L
12345
Pancha Inhale - come up to center

Pavritti–revolved 

Dwe Exhale - LH down to mat outside RF (starts with Dwe because you are already standing with RF to back of mat)
12345
Trini Inhale - come up to center
Chatvori Exhale - RH down outside LF
12345
Pancha Inhale -  come up to center
Samasthitihi

Parsvakonasana Parsva side  kona angle

Utthita

Ekam Inhale - RF to back of mat, arms out
Dwe Exhale - Bend R knee, RH outside RF
12345
Trini Inhale - come up to center
Chatvori Exhale - down to the L
12345
Pancha Inhale - come up to center

Pavritti

Dwe Exhale - L arm outside R knee
12345
Trini  Inhale - come up to center
Chatvori Exhale - R arm outside L knee
12345
Pancha Inhale -  come up to center
Samasthitihi

Prasaarita padattanasana-- prasaarita spread pada foot uttana intense stretch

A and D have 5 counts, B and C have 4 counts
Anchors–head always goes down on Trini 3

A

Ekam Inhale - RF to back of mat, hands on hips
Dwe Exhale - hands to mat
Inhale head up (not counted)
Trini Exhale head down
12345
Chatvori Inhale  head up
Exhale here
Pancha Inhale - come up, hands on hips

B

Ekam Inhale - reach arms out
Dwe Exhale - catch your hips
Inhale (not counted)
Trini Exhale head down
12345
Chatvori Inhale - come up
Exhale 

C

Ekam Inhale - reach arms out
Dwe Exhale catch your hands (interlaced behind back)
Inhale (not counted)
Trini Exhale head down
12345
Chatvori Inhale - come up
Exhale hands to hips

D

Ekam Inhale 
Dwe Exhale catch big toes
Inhale head up (not counted)
Trini Exhale head down
12345
Chatvori Inhale head up
Exhale here
Pancha Inhale - come up, hands on hips
Samasthitihi

Parsvottanasana--parsva side uttana intense stretch

Ekam Inhale - hands behind your back, turn and place RF to back of mat
Dwe Exhale - Fold forward
12345
Trini Inhale - come up to center
Chatvori Exhale - down to the L
12345
Pancha Inhale - come up to center
Samasthitihi

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana–utthita intense hasta hand padangustha big toe 

Anchors–Chatvori R leg to the side and Ekadasha L leg to the side Left side starts with Ashtau

Ekam Inhale - R leg up, catch big toe
Dwe Exhale - bow over leg
12345
Trini Inhale  head up
Catvori Exhale - leg to the side
12345
Pancha Inhale - leg to center
Shat Exhale - bow forward
Sapta Inhale head up - take back hand, hold leg out
12345
Exhale leg down (no count–though I have heard some people count this)
Ashtau  Inhale - L leg up
Nava Exhale - bow
12345
Dasha Inhale head up
Ekadasha Exhale - L leg to side
12345
Dwadasha Inhale - leg back to center
Trayodasha Exhale - bow
Chaturdasha Inhale head up - hold leg out 
12345
Samasthitihi

Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana–ardha half baddha bound padma lotus uttana intense stretch

Anchors Pancha, R leg comes down, Shat L leg comes up

Ekam Inhale - R leg up into lotus, catch R big toe with RH
Dwe Exhale - fold forward
12345
Trini Inhale - head up
Exhale here
Chatvori Inhale - stand up
Pancha Exhale - leave the leg (bring it down)
Shat Inhale -  L leg into half lotus, catch foot
Sapta Exhale -  go down
12345
Ashtau Inhale -  head up
Exhale here
Nava Inhale - come up
Samasthitihi

Utkatasana–utkata fierce or intense (chair)

Anchors- starts with sun salutation and jump forward on sapta, then ashtau lift up

Ekam Inhale - arms up
Dwe Exhale - fold forward
Trini Inhale head up
Chatvori Exhale - jump back
Pancha Inhale - up dog
Shat Exhale - down dog
Sapta Inhale - feet forward, knees bent, arms up
12345 exhale hands down
Ashtau Inhale lift up
Nava Exhale  - jump back
Dasha Inhale  - up dog
Ekadasha Exhale - down dog

Virabhadrasana–Warrior Pose vira warrior bhadra auspicious or good

Anchor- ekadasha lift up

Virabhadrasana A

Sapta Inhale - RF forward, arms up
12345 inhale switch sides
Ashtau Exhale - now turned to L
12345

Virabhadrasana B

 Nava Exhale - open the arms for Warrior II to L
12345 inhale switch sides
Dasha Exhale - Warrior II to R
12345 exhale hands down
Ekadasha Inhale - Lift up
Dwadasha Exhale - jump back
Trayodasha Inhale - up dog
Chaturdasha Exhale - down dog

Practice practice practice. It comes.