Ten Essential Yoga Poses for Beginners

So you’ve gone to your first few yoga classes. Or you’re about to. Or you really, really want to. Well, we want to help. Study these ten foundation postures, which will be among the very first things you learn as a new beginner, and get a leg up (har) on this yoga thing. 1. Downward […]

Warrior III – Virabhadrasana III

Type of Pose: Standing, Balancing Benefits: Strengthens the legs and abdomen, improves balance and core strength Instructions: 1. From Warrior I, bring the hands onto your hips. 2. Bring your weight forward into your front foot as you gently kick up your back leg. 3. At the same time, bring the torso forward until it […]

How to Do Sphinx Pose

Type of Pose: Backbend Benefits: Improves spinal flexibility, activates the muscles on your back Instructions: 1. Begin by lying flat on your stomach. 2. Bring your elbows directly under your shoulders with your forearms flat on the floor, parallel to each other. 3. Press the palms of your hands and your forearms firmly into the […]

Locust Pose – Shalabasana

Type of pose: Backbend Benefits: Strengthens spine and chest. Improves spinal flexibility. Instructions: 1. Come to lie on your stomach, taking a blanket under your hips as padding. 2. Interlace your fingers behind your back. 3. Bend your arms, drawing your elbows together. 4. On an inhale, draw your torso up off the floor as […]

Half Moon Pose – Ardha Chandrasana

Type of pose: Standing, balancing Benefits: Strengthen the ankles and thighs, stretches the hamstrings, improves balance and core strength. Instructions: 1. From Trikonasana, soften the right knee and bring the left hand to your hip. 2. Bring the right hand to the floor about a foot in front of the right foot with the fingertips […]

Pigeon Pose – Prep Version

Type of pose: Hip opener, Backbend Benefits: Stretches the thighs, groins, back, and psoas. Opens the chest and shoulders. There are many ways to come into this pose. One of the best is from Downward Facing Dog. Instructions: 1. From Downward Facing Dog, bring the right leg up into a Downdog split. 2. Bend the […]

Piriformis

Definition: The piriformis is a small, bilateral muscle deep in the buttocks, under the more well-known gluteus maximus. The piriformis attaches to the front side of the sacrum at one end, then passes through the pelvis to insert into the greater trocanter, the knobby part at the top of your femur, or thigh bone. On […]

Down Dog Split

Type of Pose: Standing Benefits: Strengthens the arms, improves hip flexibility, increases body awareness Also Known As: Three-legged dog Instructions: 1. Begin in downward facing dog. 2. On an inhale, raise your right leg off the ground behind you. 3. Keep your hips level with one another as you lift the right leg. The hips […]

Downward Facing Dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana

Also known as: Downward Dog, Down Dog Type of pose: Standing, Mild Inversion, Resting Benefits: Stretches and strengthens the whole body. Can help relieve back pain. Downward facing dog is done many times during most yoga classes. It is a transitional pose, a resting pose and a great strengthener in its own right. It may […]

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