Advanced Yoga Sequences

Kathryn Budig breaks down the components of this advanced arm balance then wraps it all together with how-to instructions for getting into this elusive peak pose.

In an increasingly fast-paced world that demands more of our attention and time, everyone is looking for a way to increase their energy. This Kundalini practice

Think of Kundalini Yoga as a technology you can use to activate your innate vitality and health through movement, mudra (ritual gesture), and mantra (sacred sound).

This Kundalini practice, passed down by Yogi Bhajan, the master of Kundalini Yoga, is designed to do increase your energy and metabolism.

This sequence efficiently activates the endocrine system, boosting your metabolism and creating new levels of youthfulness to balance your body and mind.

These three mudras will bring you back home to your source, connect you with your heart, and plug you back into your deeper power.

A feeling of youth, even as you age, requires a flexible spine. In order to stay agile, practice forward bends, backbends, and twists regularly.

In order to stay agile as you age, make forward bends, backbends, and twists a regular part of your practice. Start here.

This sequence emphasizes moving safely into backbends that open the heart and shoulders and challenge balance.

When it comes to injury prevention, what 
you do between poses may be as important as the poses themselves. Here’s how 
to flow safely through tricky transitions.

Tight or open, your hips need to be strong for injury-free movement. Learn how to build stability in common yoga poses.

These 3 hand mudras will help you keep yoga, learning, and inspiration at the top of your list. Try them with the following mantra: "Magic takes guts."

Kathryn Budig wants to introduce you to her new love: Karate. Here, two kicks to get you started, paired with the perfect poses for the flexibility and strength required.

NASA rocket scientist/yoga teacher Scott Lewicki balances a highly technical day job with creativity on the mat. Use this innovative practice to find new space in often forgotten muscles.

Just in time for summer, here are Two Fit Moms' top 8 yoga poses to work the core.

Using an aerial silk or hammock allows gravity to help the back leg relax and the spine to curve naturally. You’ll stop fighting gravity, and allow the support 
of the hammock to help you lengthen.

Master teacher Sianna Sherman created this short sunrise sequence integrating the physical and spiritual to take your practice to another level.

Only have 10, 20 or 30 minutes? Try this at home practice to recharge during your busy day with yoga teacher Chelsea Jackson.

Seated meditative poses support you as you drink in and recharge, and Warrior Poses, inversions, and backbends help you find strength as you pour out offerings to the world.

Find your edge and shift your weight into your hands as you move step by step into Adho Mukha Vrksasana.

Connect with the earth and then defy its gravity with this grounding and exhilarating sequence.

Prana Vinyasa founder Shiva Rea has an Earth Day eco-challenge for you: 10 body mudras and eco-actions to help you connect to the Earth.

Warm up well, then let Budig walk you through the steps to work your way into this big backbend.

Yoga teacher Leslie Howard recommends this sequence for a strong and balanced backside.

Experts agree that routine stretching can both prevent and relieve lower back symptoms. Choose from a 10, 20, or 30 minute routine to release pain.

Yoga teacher Andrea Ferretti offers 30 minutes of yoga poses to help ease tension in your back and find better posture.

Why only salute the sun? To celebrate Spring, Masumi Goldman and Laura Kasperzak put a fresh on spin on a traditional Surya Namaskar.

Why try Acro? In short: Fun. This hybrid style mixes acrobatics and healing arts like Thai massage with a practice that helps connect you with others.

Kino MacGregor says careful emphasis on technique and strategic preparation will help you find the energy to move beyond your limits one breath at a time.

Teacher Rina Jakubowicz offers a sequence of yoga poses to clear your mind and achieve a meditative state through breath.

Not all meditation has to happen 
sitting still in Lotus Pose. Focus your awareness inward, on the breath and 
the way your body moves with these sequences.

Grab a partner and celebrate American Heart Month with this chest-opening sequence from Two Fit Moms.

Here, a step-by-step guide to safely modify Head-to-Knee pose and prepare for Revolved Head-to-Knee pose.

Align and connect to your energy centers with this healing practice to get grounded and open up to possibilities.

You don’t need to be a master of advanced asana to drop into the deepest level of yourself each day. The star of this sequence is the breath.

Our favorite instructional tips from teachers this year. Take them with you next time you unroll your mat and tackle the trickiest asanas.

Let your appreciation for the people in your life lead in this heart-wide-open variation of Vasisthasana.

If you have some pillows and blankets, you have everything you need to settle into these sigh-inducing, stress-reducing postures.

You can still thrive during difficult times.

This sequence is built to open your hips enough to work toward Foot-Behind-the-Head-Pose (Eka Pada Sirsasana).

If you love Instagram darlings Laura Kasperzak and Masumi Goldman, you'll love this series and Balance practice.

Grab your mat and sense of humor for this festive flow, created by Kristin McGee exclusively for YogaJournal.com readers.

What if we say the key to making it to your mat on days when you’re dragging is beating your chest like Tarzan?

Looking to boost your confidence? Try this sequence from yoga teacher Claire Missingham to open your hips and balance your lower energy centers.

Happy equinox! Celebrate the equal split between day and night with this graceful balancing sequence.

Mandy Ingber is perhaps best known for being Jennifer Aniston's yoga teacher, but the celebrity student she actually wants to work with is ... you.

Open up to curiosity and trust by taking your practice to new heights—literally.

This playful AcroYoga sequence puts you in touch with the physical and introspective sides of acrobatic asana.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Yoga Teacher Paige Held reveals her sequence perfect for traveling yogis on the go.

A rule-follower by nature, Kathryn Budig uses her yoga practice to explore the adventurer within.

Yoga teacher to Britney Spears shares a sequence to stay calm + centered, no matter how busy life gets.

Feel grounded and relaxed with this soothing, hip-opening sequence.

Daily yoga keeps Victoria's Secret's Miranda Kerr toned and transcendent. Here, her teacher shares her 5 go-to poses.

Tomorrow we celebrate the longest night of 2013, a time to put forth your best intentions for the coming year.

Through Wari Om's radiant photos, practice along with this sequence ending in Natarajasana (Lord of the Dance Pose).

Move toward advanced backbends while keeping your shoulders safe and supported.

Find inner poise in Anantasana, a pose dedicated to the deity said to preserve and sustain the universe.

By targeting your tight spots, you can go deep and discover your best backbend ever.

Learn how you can melt away anxiety's grip on your body and mind with a tension-taming practice.

This dynamic sequence builds strength and calm from the inside out.

It takes softening and setting boundaries for your heart to truly open.

Build up to Kapotasana by creating a flow of circular energy in your spine.

Once you find your center, you can move in new directions.

Practice these prep poses diligently and you'll begin to feel the exhilarating sensation of this backbend taking flight.

Learn how to make this challenging pose a vehicle for peace and freedom rather than frustration and injury.

Arm strength isn't everything. The secret to mastering Peacock Pose lies deep in your belly center.

The smartest way to pain-free backbends? Just use props. Here's a sequence to help you bend over backward with ease.

Natarajasana offers as much as it demands, including the chance to become lord of your own inner cosmic dance.

In the deep forward bend Yoganidrasana, your limbs wrap around your torso and hug in, bringing on an inner stillness.

It's a twist! It's a standing pose! It's an arm balance! The super-pose Visvamitrasana is all of those things and more.

Need a new challenge on the mat? An arm balance practice is a great place to start.

This yoga for balance solo sequence by Cyndi Lee is appropriate for yogis of all levels who want to practice steadiness on the mat.