Join experienced teacher Katie Courts for a talk through Primary Series Ashtanga masterclass!
The Ashtanga Primary Series — known in Sanskrit as Yoga Chikitsa — is the first of six series in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system codified by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. It is a set sequence of approximately 75 postures, always performed in the same order, connected by a breath-linked movement pattern called vinyasa.
The word “primary” does not mean easy. It means foundational. Every posture in the series prepares the body for the next. The hips open enough to sit; the hamstrings release enough to fold; the core stabilizes enough to hold. Practiced regularly, the sequence works systematically through the entire body — building strength, stamina, and familiarity with the method.
What distinguishes it from other yoga styles is the fixed nature of the sequence. You do not choose poses based on how you feel that morning. The series stays the same; what changes is your relationship to it.
About your teacher Katie Courts
What began as an interest in yoga in the late 1990s became a lasting passion when she discovered Ashtanga at her local gym in 2002. Drawn to its rhythm, discipline and depth, she found a practice that reached far beyond physical exercise—one that challenged her, sharpened her self-awareness and changed how she experienced the world. Nearly 25 years of almost daily practice have followed.
In 2006, she left her career in journalism to explore that passion more deeply, spending six months in India. She completed a 200-hour Ashtanga teacher training with Julie Martin at Brahmani Yoga, followed by an extended retreat at the Sivananda ashram in Kerala.
Back in London, she established daily Mysore classes at the first Light Centre in Belgravia, leading the programme for four years while continuing her studies with Philippa Asher, a teacher certified by Pattabhi Jois.
Her curiosity also took her beyond Ashtanga. A further 500-hour training with Jo Avison at the Art of Contemporary Yoga deepened her understanding of anatomy and yoga therapy, alongside philosophy and meditation with Alex Filmer-Lorch. She also worked with Gingi Lee for many years and completed David Swenson’s 40-hour teacher training.