Ashtanga Vinyasa Count - suspending the count

The Count

I've bumped up against the 'count' a couple of times this week ( and this post is in no way intended as a criticism, more supplimentary). I seem to have a different view on it than many, I'm sure I just picked it up from somewhere so let me know if reading this you remember somebody, Richard Freeman perhaps saying something similar (and if you can find me quotes even better).

The count, I'm referring to is of course the vinyasa count that we find in Pattabhi Jois' book Yoga Mala but we also find it in Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda, in fact Pattabhi Jois' style of writing Yoga Mala asana descriptions seems to be based on the approach of Krishnamacharya.

The vinyasa count often seems to be presented as fixed, I used to think of it as the tyranny of the count. Not necessarily a bad thing though as there's a tendency in the beginning to faff about in our practice, the count can keep us focused.

However, something interesting happens half way through the count.....it's suspended.

You follow the vinyasa to the posture then the count is put on hold while you stay in the posture for five, perhaps, eight, perhaps ten breaths, even  fifteen or twenty-five depending on the posture, and also when you were taught the practice and who from. Back in the day there was supposedly ten breaths in the seated postures, that seems to have been dropped to eight and then five. I liked practicing with Manju, he doesn't seem to count the breaths while in the posture which allows me to take three long slow breaths where perhaps others in the room are taking five quicker ones.

So the count can be suspended.....

The count appears to be there to indicate the relationship between the movement and the stage of the breath, it can go so far as to indicate the inhalation and the exhalation, odd numbers seem to be inhalation, even numbers exhalation. In krishnamacharya that might also give a clue to the kumbhaka (breath retention), puraka kumbhaka often after inhalation when the head is up, rechaka kumbhaka often after the exhalation when the head is down.

But Krishnamacharya often talks about practicing kumbhaka's at different points of the posture's vinyasa suggesting that the count might be suspended at different places to spend more time on the breath. I've highlighted one example below, where jumping through to dandasana the count is suspended to engage in puraka kumbhaka.

"Extend the legs out forward 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. It is better to learn the abhyasa krama from a guru. In this sthiti, push the chest forward, do puraka kumbhaka and gaze steadily at the tip of the nose". yoga makaranda - Krishnamacharya

"Then, doing puraka and with only the strength of the arms, jump the legs between the hands without allowing them to touch the floor, and stretch out the legs. Then press the hands to the floor on either side of the hips, straighten the chest and waist, lower the head a little, draw the anus up tightly, lift the lower abdomen and hold firmly, and sit erect, slowly doing rechaka and puraka as much as possible; this constitutes the 7th vinyasa". Yoga Mala - Jois

Jois refers to this suspension of the count, dandasana, as the seventh vinyasa. So there's a suspension of the count at the 7th vinyasa  and also at the the 9th, the asana proper.

"Then, doing puraka slowly, then rechaka, straighten both legs, and place the head between the knees; this is the 9th vinyasa and the state of the asana. While in the state, do puraka and rechaka slowly and deeply, as much as possible". Yoga mala - Jois

Actually for me, every stage of the vinyasa is an asana, we have to make up those 84, 000 asanas somehow, Krishnamacharya even treats each stage of the surynamaskara as an individual asana, each gets a full description

Dandasana is perhaps an obvious example, but in Yoga Makaranda we find several examples of this, hunt through your Yoga Mala and see if you can find examples there too. What your looking for are places in the vinyasa count where it's suggested one takes extra breaths, look at kukkutasana perhaps, baddha konasana, anything?

This doesn't strike me as new or controversial, we all need to adjust our practice especially as we are learning new postures or working with challenging ones. What's important I think is the attitude we take, do we try and rush into the posture sacrificing our breath to keep up with the count (and the rest of the class) or do we take the time we need suspending the count to work into our postures with the integrity of each inhalation and exhalation maintained before picking the count back up on the appropriate inhalation or exhalation.

In my own practice with my old knee injury I need to take extra breaths folding my left leg in and out of lotus or baddha konasana. I take extra breaths but not quick ones while trying to rush into the posture. I tend to suspend the count but not the integrity of the breath. So I will stop the count, and take two or three extra breaths, long full deep inhalations and exhalations linking my movements as I work my leg deeper into half lotus....Once there I'll pick up the count again.

You might wish to do the same as you work your way into marichiyasana D, suspend the count and then take a couple of formalised breaths as you work yourself deeper into the bind, once there take your five breaths or even perhaps one good one if your in a led class and wanting to catch up then pick up the count along with everyone else.

Much better than trying to wrench yourself into a posture to keep up with the group.

Lets look at Paschimottanasana in the texts as many of the later asana get referred back to the vinyasa count for this one.

Pattabhi Jois in Yoga Mala

PASCHIMATTANASANA

Sharath demonstrating in the later editions of the book

There are sixteen vinyasas to this asana. The 9th is its state (see figures).
METHOD
To begin, follow the first Surya Namaskara through the 6th vinyasa. Then, doing puraka and with only the strength of the arms, jump the legs between the hands without allowing them to touch the floor, and stretch out the legs. Then press the hands to the floor on either side of the hips, straighten the chest and waist, lower the head a little, draw the anus up tightly, lift the lower abdomen and hold firmly, and sit erect, slowly doing rechaka and puraka as much as possible; this constitutes the 7th vinyasa. Next, doing rechaka, grasp and hold the upper parts of the feet; this is the 8th vinyasa (as your practice becomes firm, you should be able to lock your hands behind your feet). Then, doing puraka slowly, then rechaka, straighten both legs, and place the head between the knees;
this is the 9th vinyasa and the state of the asana. While in the state, do puraka and rechaka slowly and deeply, as much as possible. Then, slowly doing puraka, lift only the head; this is the 10th vinyasa. Next, doing rechaka and then puraka, let go of the feet, press the hands to the floor, bend the legs, and lift the entire body up off the floor merely with the strength of the arms; this is the 11th vinyasa. The remaining vinyasas are the same as those for the Surya Namaskara.

There are three types of Paschimattanasana: 1) holding the big toes and touching the nose to the knees; 2) holding on to either side of the feet and touching the nose to the knees; and 3) locking the hand and wrist beyond the feet, and touching the chin to the knee. All three types should be practiced, as each is useful.

BENEFITS
The practice of this asana helps the stomach to become slender by dissolving its fat. It also increases jathara agni [the fire of hunger], helps food to digest well, and strengthens the organs of the digestive systems ( jir-nanga kosha). In addition, it cures weakness in the hands and legs resulting from a loss of appetite and low digestive fire, as well as indolence and giddiness stemming from an aberration in the liver, and gas problems in the stomach".


....and here's Krishnamacharya from Yoga Makaranda (1934) While in Mysore and teaching the young Pattabhi Jois

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. 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 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. It is better to learn the abhyasa krama from a guru. 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. In the beginning, everybody will find it very difficult. The nerves in the back, the thighs and the backs of the knees will feel as though they are being fiercely pulled and this will be extremely painful. The pain will remain for 8 days. After this, the pulling on the nerves will release and it will be possible to do the asana without any problem. 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 o 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. You should learn the intricacies of this vinyasa only from a guru.

Benefit: This will cure all diseases related to the stomach.
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. Pregnant women should not do this asana. But this can be done up to the third month of pregnancy. For men, there are no restrictions to practising this asana. If this is practised every day without fail for 15 minutes, all the bad diseases of the stomach will be removed.