I've been looking closely at Krishnamacharya's descriptions of 'jumping' in his 1934 text Yoga Makaranda. This of course was written while Krishnamacharya was teaching the young Pattabhi Jois in Mysore.
First up is a description of jumping the legs apart into the likes of Parsvottanasama, Prasarita padottanasana etc.
Notice Krishnamacharya's use of kumbhaka ( holding the breath in or out) in the jumps and lifts (utpluthi)
3 Prasarita Padottanasana
![]()
Stand in tadasana krama.
Jump the legs apart, placing the feet 3 mozhams apart on the ground.
While jumping, either puraka kumbhaka or recaka kumbhaka can be done.
There should be no noise while jumping and pressing the feet onto the floor.
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
* INDIAN UNITS OF MEASUREMENT & ITS RELATION TO THE PRESENT METRIC UNITS
The art of konark sury mandir
One of the earliest surviving literature which talks about units of measurement is Chanakya’s Arthasastra. He mentions the various units of space and time in his book.
1 Angula = 16.764 mm
4 Angula = 1 Dhanurgraha
8 Angula = 1 Dhanurmushti
12 Angula = 1 Vitasti
96 Angula = 1 Dhanus (1 Dhanu = 6 feet)
108 Angula = 1 Garhaptya Dhanus ( grihapati – carpenters..suggesting this unit was used by Carpenters at that time)
1 Yojana = 8000 Garhapatya Dhanus = 8000* 108*16.764 mm = 14.484 km = 9 miles exactly
1 Mile = 1000 Dhanus = 1000 * 96 * 16.764 = 1.609 km
Interestingly, the word, “mile” comes from a Latin word , “milli” meaning a thousand.
First up is a description of jumping the legs apart into the likes of Parsvottanasama, Prasarita padottanasana etc.
These days of course we seem to be too suave, too sophisticated perhaps for 'jumping' our legs apart.
But Pattabhi Jois was, I hear, a jumper, Manju still is, Iyengar certainly is, Ramaswami also.
And so, it appears was Krishnamacharya.
puraka = inhalation
Rechaka = exhalation.
*See end of post for measurement conversion
These descriptions are all from yoga makaranda, I've taken liberties with the layout and the italics are either notes or bringing in an earlier description of some vinyasas.
Stand in tadasana krama.
Jump the legs apart, placing the feet 3 mozhams apart on the ground.
(Mozham: If I remember right it is equal to two jaans. A direct definition is the length of the forearm starting with the tip of the middle finger. Strung flowers are measured in mozhams (even today. The word has an English equivalent - cubit.)
Practise jumping and placing the feet at the correct distance all in one jump. While jumping, either puraka kumbhaka or recaka kumbhaka can be done.
There should be no noise while jumping and pressing the feet onto the floor.
Now raise the arms and slowly exhale through the nose.
While doing recaka, bend forward and lower the upper part of the body (above the hips) down towards the ground.
Take the hands between the legs and moving them back step-by-step, place the palms on the ground.
Lower the head down between the hands.
At this time, the legs should not be even slightly bent.
After remaining in this position for some time, raise the head, draw in clean air through the nose and
slowly raise the body.
After standing up, jump back to tadasana.
*
5 Caturanga Dandasana there are 4 vinyasas
Vinyasas 1, 2, and 3 are as for uttanasana.
(1st Vinyasa - raise the arms above the head while inhaling.
2nd Vinyasa - While exhaling the breath out slowly, bend the upper part of the
body (that is, the part above the hip) little by little and place the palms down by the legs.
The knees must not be even slightly bent.
3rd vinyasa - Raise the head upwards and fix the gaze on the tip of the nose.
While doing this, draw in clean air through the nostril, hold the breath firmly and maintain this position).
Press both palms down firmly while doing the 4th vinyasa from the 3rd vinyasa of uttanasana.
Do only recaka and firmly hold the breath out without doing puraka.
Keeping the weight balanced equally on both legs, jump backwards (keeping both legs parallel to each other) and holding the body straight like a rod, lie down facing downwards.
At this time, only the palms and toes touch the ground. No other parts of the body touch the ground.
That is, there must be 4 angulas of space between the body and the ground.
In this position, if you keep a stick or rod on top of the body, the rod must touch the body completely.
We need to keep our body this straight. But make sure to check gaps formed by the muscles and mounds of flesh to determine if all the adjustments are correct.
Remain in this sthiti for at least ten minutes and then return to samasthiti.
*
8 Pascimattanasana or Pascimottanasana
This asana has many kramas. Of these the first form has 16 vinyasas. Just doing the asana sthiti by sitting in the same spot without doing these vinyasas will not yield the complete benefits mentioned in the yoga sastras. This rule applies to all asanas.
The first three vinyasas are exactly as for uttanasana.
(ie. stand erect. 1st Vinyasa raise the arms above the head while inhaling
2nd Vinyasa exhaling the breath out slowly, bend the upper part of the body (that is, the part above the hip) little by little and place the palms down by the legs. The knees must not be even slightly bent.
3rd Vinyasa Raise the head upwards and fix the gaze on the tip of the nose).
The 4th vinyasa is caturanga dandasana,
The 5th vinyasa is urdhvamukhasvanasana,
The 6th vinyasa is adhomukhasvanasana.
Practise these following the earlier instructions.
In the 6th vinyasa, doing puraka kumbhaka, jump and arrive at the 7th vinyasa.
That is, from adhomukhasvanasana sthiti, jump forward and move both legs between the arms without allowing the legs to touch the floor.
Extend the legs out forward (cross leg jump through?) and sit down.
Practise sitting like this with the rear part of the body either between the two hands or 4 angulas in front of the hands.
In this sthiti, push the chest forward, do puraka kumbhaka and gaze steadily at the tip of the nose.
After this extend both arms out towards the feet (the legs are already extended in front).
Clasp the big toes of the feet tightly with the first three fingers (thumb, index, middle) of the hands such that the left hand holds the left big toe and the right hand holds the right big toe.
Do not raise the knees even slightly.
Then, pull in the stomach while doing recaka, lower the head and press the face down onto the knee.
The knees should not rise from the ground in this sthiti either.
This is the 9th vinyasa. This is called pascimottanasana.
This pascimottanasana has many forms.
After first practising this asana with the face pressed onto the knee, practise it with the chin placed on the knee and then eventually with it placed 3 angulas below the knee on the calf.
In the 10th vinyasa raise the head.
In the 11th vinyasa, keeping the hands firmly pressed on the ground, raise the entire body off the ground and balance it in the air without touching the ground.
The 11th vinyasa is called uthpluthi.
The 12th vinyasa is caturanga dandasana.
The 13th is urdhvamukhasvanasana.
The 14th is adhomukhasvanasana.
The 15th is the first vinyasa of uttanasana.
The 16th vinyasa is the 2nd vinyasa of uttanasana.
Afterwards, return to samasthiti. .
This asana can be done on the floor or on a mat according to the capabilities of one’s body.
Learn some of the other forms of pascimottanasana krama by studying the pictures carefully.
*
On a side note, Ramaswami, who studied with Krishnamacharya for 33 years, refers to the his presentation of asana, as taught to him by Krishnamacharya, as Vinyasa Krama. I just noticed that under the description in Yoga Makaranda (1934) for 9. Ardhabaddhapadmapascimottanasana, Krisnamacharya writes...
"This has 22 vinyasas.The 8th and 15th vinyasas are the asana sthiti.
Up to the 7th vinyasa, practise according to the pascimottanasana vinyasa krama...."
*
The art of konark sury mandir
One of the earliest surviving literature which talks about units of measurement is Chanakya’s Arthasastra. He mentions the various units of space and time in his book.
1 Angula = 16.764 mm
4 Angula = 1 Dhanurgraha
8 Angula = 1 Dhanurmushti
12 Angula = 1 Vitasti
96 Angula = 1 Dhanus (1 Dhanu = 6 feet)
108 Angula = 1 Garhaptya Dhanus ( grihapati – carpenters..suggesting this unit was used by Carpenters at that time)
1 Yojana = 8000 Garhapatya Dhanus = 8000* 108*16.764 mm = 14.484 km = 9 miles exactly
1 Mile = 1000 Dhanus = 1000 * 96 * 16.764 = 1.609 km
Interestingly, the word, “mile” comes from a Latin word , “milli” meaning a thousand.