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1. TADAGI MUDRA
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Pond
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None
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Destroys old age and
death
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“Draw the belly backwards so as to make it
look like a pond” (Gheranda).
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Ball
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From supine, roll into “ball”
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Stone
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In Kandukasana, roll side to side
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-MARJARI UTTANA
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Extended Cat
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Supine, clasp hands behind neck, elbows
pressed by drawn up inner knees
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2. VAJRA
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Diamond
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None
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Bestows powers
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Sit on your heels with the tops of the feet
on the floor.
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1. Lean back, press the hands to the floor
slightly behind the feet, lift the chest
2. Sit with the toes turned under
3. In either (1) or (2), lift the buttocks off
the heels
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3. SIMHA* ▼●
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Lion
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Similar
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Destroys disease,
facilitates the three
major bandhas
(mula, uddiyana,
kantha)
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In the Iyengar version, the knees are close
together. Another version has the knees
spread very wide.
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4. MANDUKA
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Frog
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Like
wide-knee
virasana
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Toes together, heels apart, sit on the
inner feet. Spread your knees at least as
wide as, or wider than, the hips.
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5. UTTANA MANDUKA
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Extended Frog
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“Hold the head by the elbows, and stand
up like a frog” (Gheranda). Sit in
Mandukasana, raise the arms, bend the
elbows, hands press scapulas. In one
version the hands are placed on the same-
side shoulder blades; in another the
forearms are crossed and the hands placed
on the opposite shoulder blades.
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Cross the forearms above the head, hold
the elbows
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6. BHADRA* ▼●
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Auspicious,
Happy
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Baddha
konasana
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Destroys disease,
gets rid of fatigue
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Lean forward and lay the torso between
the inner thighs.
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7. SVASTIKA*
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Fortunate,
Prosperous
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None
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Usually a simple cross-shin posture.
Gheranda says to sit “straight,” and keep
both hands “under the thighs.” In this
sequence perform it as a “loose” cross-leg
stretch. Place the left heel to the outside
the right hip, and cross the right leg on
top, with the right ankle to the OUTSIDE of
the left knee (so the right sole is
perpendicular to the floor). If you want
more stretch slide the left shin forward to
bring both shins parallel. Then reverse.
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Lean forward and lay the torso on the
inner thighs.
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8. GOMUKHA*
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Cow Face
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Similar
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Gheranda doesn’t
describe the
customary arm
position.
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Like Gomukha, sit on heels
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9. PADMA* ▼●
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Lotus
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Same
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Destroys disease,
awakens Kundalini
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Experienced beginners perform Half Lotus
(ardha padmasana)
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Bound Lotus
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Same
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Union
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None
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Lay the backs of open hands on the floor.
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10. KUKKUTA*
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Cock
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Same
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Beginners can substitute either lolasana or
tolasana.
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11. VIRA*
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Hero
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Similar to the
leg position
for bharad-
vajasana II.
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TRANSITION (dedicated to the Yoga Sutra)
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DANDA
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Staff
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Same
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Source: Vyasa,
commentary on YS
(2.46), 5-6th
century CE.
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12. UGRA
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Stern
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Upavishtha
konasana
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Stimulates prana,
destroys dullness
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Source: SS; pose adapted, ugrasana is
probably just another name for
paschimottanasana.
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13. MAHA MUDRA* ▲ ●
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Great Seal
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Cures all disease,
destroys death,
confers siddhis
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14.
PASHCHIMOTTANA*
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Intense-Stretch-
of-the-West
(i.e. the back of
the body)
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Same
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Directs breath
through sushumna,
increases appetite,
reduces obesity,
cures diseases
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Variation:
-SHAYITA
PASHCHIMOT-
TANA
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Reclining
Intense-Stretch-
of-the-West
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Urdhva
Mukha
Pashchimottta
nasana II
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Preliminary:
-HRI JANU
SAMYOGA
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Sitting, cradle foreleg in arms
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15. DHANU (1)
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Bow
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Same, but
called akarna
dhanurasana
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Source: HRA.
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“The big toes are held with the hands and
are pulled upto the ears (alternately).
Thus one assumes the shape of a
stretched bow.”
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16. MATSYENDRA* ▲
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Lord of Fish
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17. BHUJAN GA
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Serpent, usually
called Cobra
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Same
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Increases body
heat, destroys
disease, awakens
Kundalini
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18. SHALABHA
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Locust,
Grasshopper
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Similar leg
position only
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Place your hands below your chest,
“touching the ground with the palms.”
Raise your legs “one cubit [18-21 inches?]
high” (Gheranda).
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Put the fists under the lower abdomen,
just inside the hip points, and lift the legs.
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19. MAKARA
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Sea Monster,
Dolphin
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Same
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Increases body heat
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20. DHANU* (2)
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Bow
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Same
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21. USHTRASANA
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Camel
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Similar to
dhanurasana
(2)
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From dhanurasana (2), cross the ankles and
hold each with opposite hand, lift the
head and upper torso, thighs stay on floor.
Draw in the belly and the mouth
(Gheranda).
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22. MARKATA
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Monkey
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Like
uttanasana
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Source: HRA
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Variations:
-KULALA
CHAKRA
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Potter’s Wheel
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Stretch out, rotate hands
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Pestle
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Standing, repeatedly raise arms
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Stand on balls of feet, stretch arms up
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Child Hug
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Standing, hug one knee to chest
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Pigeon
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Standing, bring hands down backward to
knees
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Preliminary to 23 and 24 (Source: HRA):
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PADAPIDA
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Foot Press
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Stand on one leg, bend other knee, raise
heel to buttock, hold ankle with both
hands.
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23. UTKATA
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Superior,
Hazardous
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Squat on the balls of the feet, buttocks
supported on the raised heels. Stretch
your arms straight forward, parallel to the
floor, raise them perpendicular to the
floor, or touch the palms in anjali mudra.
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FOUR VARIATIONS (Source: HRA: a, b, d):
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Divine, Celestial
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Extend one leg forward, sit on single heel.
Reverse
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Shaking
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From Saura, reach out for extended foot.
Reverse.
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Pure
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Squat on one raised heel, place free foot
on bent knee
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Big Toe
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Touch the knees to the ground.
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24. VRIKSHA
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Tree
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Same
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25. VIPARITA KARANI
MUDRA
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(1)
Inverse-Action
Seal
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Shirshasana
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Destroys decay and
death; the adept
“does not perish,”
even at the
dissolution of the
universe
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“Place the head on the ground, with
hands spread, raise the legs up, and thus
remain steady” (Gheranda). There are two
interpretations of these instructions, one
comparing the pose to shirshasana, the
other to sarvangasana. So perform VKM (1)
as Headstand, VKM (2) below as
Shoulderstand.
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26. MAYURA*
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Peacock
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Same
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Removes
abdominal
disorders, digests
bad food, destroys
poisons, all
diseases
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27. VAJROLI MUDRA
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Diamond in the
Womb
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Like
paripurna
navasana
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Awakens Shakti,
extends life, gives
perfection and
emancipation;
retention of seed is
obtained
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“Place the two palms on the ground, raise
the legs in the air upward, the head not
touching the earth” (Gheranda). There are
different instructions for this mudra. In
this sequence perform it like Full Boat,
except with the palms pressed to the floor
slightly behind the hips.
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28. VIPARITA KARANI
MUDRA (2)
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Sarvangasana
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29. VICHITRA KARANI
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Wonderful (or
Brilliant,
Charming,
Amusing) Action
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Same, but
called
halasana
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Source: HRA
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30. MATSYA
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Fish
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Same
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Destroys disease
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The photo in Light on Yoga shows the legs
in Lotus. In this sequence, perform the
posture with the legs in a simple cross. Be
sure to cross the legs both ways, and
spend an equal length of time in each
cross.
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31. SIDDHA* ▲
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Accomplished,
Perfect
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Same
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Opens door to
salvation, purifies
nadis
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32. SHAVA*
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Corpse
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Same
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Destroys fatigue,
calms mind
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