Janu Sirsasana C: Mastering the Count

Introducing the captivating choreography of Janu Sirsasana C, seamlessly unfolding in 20 distinct movements. Each one is a testament to the harmonious mating dance of intentional inhalations and exhalations—a rhythm quintessential to the sacred pageant that is Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Now, don’t be disheartened if, like some exotic opera, it starts not at the beginning but at the seventh movement.

Here, we witness an inhale that defies gravity as you summon the boldness to jump through, gracing the earth with your right foot in place. It’s an act worthy of theatrical applause. But wait, the challenge doesn’t pause; an exhale in the eighth movement leads to a forward fold, where surrender meets strategic relaxation—the prologue to your forthcoming acts in this transcendental ballet.

As we embrace the ninth movement, inhalation becomes a tool for elevating both your gaze and your spirits. An imminent exhale heralds the tenth movement, a majestic lift that sets the stage for an eleventh movement dive into Chaturanga. The fluid transition to the twelfth movement—a commendable inhale into Upward-Facing Dog—cries out to open the chest and enamor the spine.

In a splendid thirteenth movement, we breathe out into Downward-Facing Dog, an ode to grounding those elusive heels and expanding the spine into elongation heaven. The choreography continues with the fourteenth movement, another tempestuous leap, this time alighting onto the left foot.

Amidst an exhale, the fifteenth movement melds into a forward fold, paving the way for the sixteenth movement’s lofty inhalation and vigilant gaze, only to exhale again with a mischievous flourish. The seventeenth movement sees us inhale and ascend with poise, preparing for the eighteenth—yet another determined leap into Chaturanga.

The nineteenth movement, an inhale into Upward-Facing Dog, segues into the final flourish: the twentieth exhale, guiding us back into Downward-Facing Dog to conclude this intricate opus.

To unearth more about this lyrical sequence and its revered position within Ashtanga Yoga, graze the following link: Explore Janu Sirsasana C.