APPENDIX I –
The Postures of the Bishnu Ghosh Universe
This page begins from a list of 91 Asanas given to Tony Sanchez in the 1970s at the height of his practice. It is not meant for teaching purposes. It is included here simply to demystify and provide context for the descriptions in the book. To learn these postures find an expert who still has the patience to teach and then be willing to put in the thousands of hours it takes to move toward mastery.
BREATHING
-
Pranayama Deep Breathing – 6 count deep breathing coordinated with body movement [1]
SALUTES
-
1. Birabhadrasana – Salute to the Gods and Goddess (8 count series)
- a. Forward Lunge
- b. Forward Lunge with Backward Bend
- c. Kneeling Forehead to Knee
- d. Kneeling Backward Bending
- (repeat other side)
-
2. Suryanamaskar – Salute to the Sun (8 count series)
- a. Standing Prayer
- b. Backbend
- c. Foreward bend, hands to feet
- d. Kneel, Forehead to Knee
- e. Low lunge, forehead still on knee
- f. Low lunge, look up
- g. Plank
- h. Plank pushup
- (reverse)
HALF MOON SERIES
-
3. Parsa-arda-chandransana – Lateral Half Moon (right and left side) [2]
4. Ardha-chandrasana – Half Moon Pose (Backward bending) [2]
5. Pada-hastasana – Hands and feet together, stomach to thighs) [3]
6. Trikanasana – Triangle (Thigh parallel to the floor) [10]
— Revolved Triangle
7. Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana – Standing Separate Legs Head to Knee Pose [11]
STANDING SERIES
-
8. Utkatasana – Awkward Pose (3 parts) [4]
9. Gururasana – Eagle Pose (right and left) [5]
10. Dandayamana-Janushirasana – Standing Head to Knee Pose [6]
11. Dandayamana-Dhanurasana – Standing Bow Pose [7]
12. Tuladandasana – Balancing Stick Pose [8]
13. Bibhakta-Hasta-Tuladandasana – Split Arms Balancing Pose
14. Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Paschimothanasana – Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose [9]
-
(3 variations)
(Head to floor, hands gripping heels)
(Head to floor, hands in reverse prayer)
(Head to floor, fingers interlaced, elbows locked and stretching)
— Guillotine – Shoulders between the legs, look up your ass
15. Tadasana – Tree Pose [12]
16. Padangustasana – Toe Stand [13]
-
(Variation)
(Toe Stand, leg extended)
17. Bamanasana – Short Man Pose
18. Angustasana – Finger Stand Pose
19. Kagasana – Crow Pose
-
(3 variations)
(Side crow – right and left sides)
(Side crow legs straight – right and left sides)
(Crow to handstand)
20. Bakasana – Crane Pose
-
(Variation)
(Side crane – right and left side)
LOTUS SERIES
-
— Lotus Warm-Ups (Rock the baby) (20 count of big circles repeated 3 times)
21. Pranasana – Life Pose
22. Sukhasana – Easy Pose
23. Samasana – Plain Pose
24. Siddhasana – Success in Meditation Pose
25. Bhadrasana – Gentle Pose
26. Swastikasana – Good Luck Pose
27. Ardha-Padmasana – Half-Lotus
28. Padmasana – Lotus
29. Utthita-Padmasana – Lifting Lotus (Lotus in finger stand)
30. Baddha-Padmasana – Bound Lotus
31. Tulangalasana – Lotus in L shape
32. Garghasana – Pregnancy Pose
33. Matsyasana – Fish Pose
34. Makarasana – Spider Pose
35. Parbatasana – Mountain Pose
— Lion Pose
36. Kukkutasana – Cock Pose
-
(3 variations)
(Hands between legs)
(Knees to armpits)
(Cock to lotus in handstand)
— Savasana [14]
37. Pavanamuktasana (right and left side, then both legs) [15]
COBRA SERIES
-
38. Bhujangasana – Cobra Pose [16]
39. Salavasana – Locust Pose [17]
40. Purna-Salavasana – Full Locust Pose [18]
41. Dhanurasana – Bow Pose [19]
—Savasana
FIXED-FIRM SERIES
-
42. Supta-Vajrasana – Fixed-Firm Pose [20]
43. Ardha-Kurmasana – Half Tortoise Pose [21]
44. Ustrasana – Camel Pose [22]
45. Sasangasana – Rabbit Pose [23]
— Savasana
STRETCHING SERIES
-
46. Janushirasana – Head to Knee Pose [24]
47. Paschimotthanasana – Stretching Pose [24]
48. Bibhaktapada-Pada-Paschimothanasana – Separate Leg Stretching
49. Mandukasana – Frog Pose
50. Utthita-Paschimotthanasana – Upward Stretching
-
(2 variations)
(Single legs – right and left side, opposite leg bent as with fixed firm)
(Both legs)
51. Purna-Bibhatapada-Janushirasana –FullSeparateLegStretching (Splits)
— Pigeon Pose
-
(2 variations)
(“Dead pigeon” – chest over knee, right and left side)
(“King pigeon” – Foot to back of head)
52. Dandayamana-Purna-Janushirasana – Full Standing Head to Knee
— Natarajasana – Lord of the Dance (Dancer)
— Savasana
DOUBLED-SIDED SERIES
-
53. Akarna-Dhanurasana – Archer (right and left side)
54. Chatushkonasana – Four Angle Pose (right and left side)
55. Gomukasana – Cow Face (right and left side)
56. Ardha-Matsyendrasana – Half Spinal Twisting Pose [25]
— Maysyenrasana – Full Spine Twist
— Savasana
BOW-LEG SERIES
-
57. Ekapada-Gokhilasana – Bow Leg Posture
58. Deepada-Gokhilasana – Both Legs in Bow Leg Pose
59. Gokhilasana Mayurasana – Bow Leg in Peacock Pose
60. Gokhilasana Parbatasana – Bow Leg in Mountain Pose (!!!)
— Savasana
TORTOISE SERIES
-
61. Ekapada-Shirasana – One Leg Over Head Pose (right and left side)
62. Deepada-Shirasana – Two Legs over Head Pose
63. Utthita-Kurmasana – Upward Tortoise (two variations)
64. Kurmasana – Tortoise
65. Yoga-Nidra – Yogi in Sleep Pose
66. Onkarasana – Om Pose (right and left side)
67. Sankatasana – Goodbye Pose (right and left side)
— Savasana
PLOUGH SERIES
-
Plough Warm-Up (legs over head 5 times)
68. Halasana – Plough Pose
69. Karnapitasana – Knees to Ears Pose
-
(Variation)
(Both knees on the side of one ear – right and left side)
70. Sarwangasana – Supported Shoulder Stand Pose
71. Urdha-Sarwangasana – Lotuse in Shoulder Stand
— Leaning Tower of Pisa Pose – Hand under sacrum and lower lotus forward
72. Badda-Sarwagasana – Folding Lotus in Shoulder Stand
— Sarwangasana – Free Standing Shoulder Stand Pose
— Savasana
FULL SERIES
-
73. Purna-Bhujangasana – Full Cobra
— Full Locust Pose
— Scorpion Pose -Locust (toes touch head)
74. Purna-Dhanurasana – Full Bow
75. Purna-Ustrasana – Full Camel
— Bridge
— Wheel
— One Legged Wheel
— Tiger from wheel
— Full Chakrasana (head between ankles)
— Savasana
PEACOCK SERIES
-
76. Mayurasana – Peacock
77. Baddha-Mayurasana – Lotus Peacock
78. Ekapada-Mayurasana – One Leg Peacock (right and left side)
79. Ekapada-Mayurasana – One Arm Peacock (right and left side)
— Savasana
HEADSTAND SERIES
-
80. Arhda-Shirasana – Half Headstand
81. Shirsana – Headstand
-
(Many variations)
(Headstand in splits)
(Headstand with Eagle legs)
82. Urdha-Shirsana – Upward Headstand in Lotus
83. Badda-Shirsana – Folding Headstand with Lotus
— Savasana
84. Bagghrasana – Tiger Pose
-
(Lotus in Tiger)
(One-legged lotus in tiger)
85. Bagghrasana Brischikasana – Scorpion in Tiger
86. Likarasana – ‘Lika’ Pose –Tiger, hands on elbows
— Sayanasana – Elbow Stand – Hands on face
HANDSTAND SERIES
-
87. Hastasana – Handstand
-
(Many variations)
Splits in handstand
Eagle legs in handstand
Lotus in handstand
One-legged lotus in handstand
— Scorpion in Handstand
88. Urdha-Hastasana – Lotus in handstand
89. Baddha-Hastasana – Folding Handstand to Cock Pose
90. Ekahasta-Hastasana – One-hand Handstand
91. Brikkhasana – Palm Tree Pose
ADDITIONAL MUDRAS, BANDHAS, KRIYAS, AND PRANAYAMAS
MUDRAS
-
Biparith-Karani-Mudra – Do Mudra in Inverted Position
Aswaini-Mudra – Rectum Mudra
Yoga-Mudra – Count of Six, up and down
Maha-Mudra – Great Mudra (right and left leg, count of six)
BANDHAS
-
Uddiyana-Bandha – Depression of Abdominal Wall
Nauli-Bandha – Whole abdomen Isolation
Nauli-Dakina – Right side abdominal isolation
Nauli-Bama – Left side abdominal isolation
Nauli-Sanchalan – Churning abdominal isolation: right to left, left to right
KRIYAS
-
Jala-Dhouti – Cleaning with water
Bastra-Dhouti – Cleaning with Cloth
Nasa-Dhouti – Nose Cleaning
Galo-Dhouti – Throat Cleaning
PRANAYAMA
-
Kapalbhati – Blowing Bellows, rapid exhaling [26]
Sitali-Insukha-Gomukhasana – Happy Cow Face Meditation Breathing
NOTES
-ASANSAS WTH NO NUMBER have been appended subsequently, typically taught in Bikram lineage studios as the “Advanced Series.”
-ASANAS WITH NO NUMBERS IN ITALICS are additions as currently taught by Tony Sanchez
-DESCRIPTIONS IN PARENTHETICALS are variations observed during research for this book
-ASANAS WITH A BOLDED NUMBER are found in the Bikram Beginner’s Series, with the bolded number representing their placement within that series.
-FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY examine how closely the trademarked basic series hews to Ghosh’s original longer series, but revel in how a few key changes could eliminate arm strengthening, the lotus series, and simultaneously radically democratize the yoga, making it accessible to out of shape, injured, or otherwise inflexible householders everywhere.
-PRACTICED either individually or in sequence, each posture typically held until a moment of mastery/stillness is achieved (10-20 seconds) then released