Essentials

The full primary series (Yoga Chikitsa or “Yoga Therapy”) of the Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga practice as taught by the late paramguru Sri K. Patthabi Jois comprises about 46 to 48 postures (asana) depending on how you count it.

But as Pattabhi Jois’ grandson, the current paramguru of the practice, Sharath Jois, points out in his recent book, Ageless: A Yogi’s Secrets to a Long and Healthy Life, “Ten asanas are all you need.”  These are the two Sun Salutations, Utthita Trikonasana A and B, Pachimattanasana, Purvattanasana, Baddha Konasana, Upavistha Konasana, Supta Padangusthasana, Uttitha Hasta Padangusthasana, Utkatasana, Virabhadrasana 1 and 2, Urdhva Dhanurasana, and Padmasana.  (That’s 11 actually).

Consider those Sharath’s essentials.  Do them every day and you’ll increase your chances of a long and healthy life.

I have my own set of essentials, which comprises the Sun Salutations, the first four standing poses; the Virabhadrasana sequence to bring me to the mat, the first four sitting poses, Navasana, Supta Padangusthasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana, Shirshana, and Padmasana.  On mornings I’m not quite up to the full Primary (often a Friday after Thursday night out on two wheels), I do those essentials and generally feel almost human afterwards.  One seems to derive most of the benefit of a full practice in about half the time.

Sometimes bicycling the night before is like that, too.  As long as you tick off all the required boxes—a meandering route, a parking garage with a view, some provisioning, a somewhat stupid path over or alongside some water, and, eventually, a cheery blaze on a spot of land that the ancient First Nations People in area probably hung out at as well—then you’ve essentially done it all, even if that means you’re home before midnight on a late winter evening that might be the last dry one we see for a while.

Those Point83 essentials may not really contribute to a long and healthy life; they do, though, foster what I call really living!