Poses by Anatomy

Check out Julie Gudmestad's author page.

Check out Julie Gudmestad's author page.

Virasana can be deceptively difficult for beginners. Learn how to modify it for your body.

Check out Julie Gudmestad's author page.

Check out Rachel Brahinsky's author page.

Not an anatomy geek? Learn why it's worth your time as a yoga teacher to study anatomy, especially the actions of flexion and extension.

Good posture is possible even without your mom nagging you. One key is stretching and strengthening the muscles around your shoulder blades.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Flexible, strong hamstrings are key to any yoga practice. But they're often stubbornly tight. These five hamstring stretches gently lengthen and strengthen them.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Find proper alignment in Pigeon Pose, then practice it often, and those stiff, tight hips will start to feel open again.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Relax yet remain alert, balancing the restorative and the active in Supta Padangusthasana.

You may know Pincha Mayurasana or Feathered Peacock Pose by one of its common aliases: Forearm or Elbow Balance.

Before you go for big backbends, master the basics.

"Even an old person can become young when [Uddiyana Bandha] is done regularly" (Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika 3.58).

Blow off some steam, wake up your face, and lighten up your practice in silly Simhasana.

Strengthen your wrists, arms, and abs, hanging in the balance of Tolasana.

There are many myths about joint cracking. Here's what you need to know.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Embrace the stability and expansion of Triangle Pose to ground your body and steady your mind.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Natasha Rizopoulos shares her tips for camel pose—to improve the pose and relieve pain in the upper back.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

Use these simple, but important, twisting techniques that help elongate the spine and have a host of physical and emotional benefits.

Your mom was right: You'll look better and feel great if you stop slouching and stand up straight. Yoga can help you do just that—in a way that honors your spine's natural curves. Here's a guide to assessing and improving your posture.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

If you want your yoga to build strong, stable, balanced legs, it's important to work the feet properly—even when you're not standing on them.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

When life has you dying to curl up into Child's Pose, try empowering Boat Pose instead to recharge your spirit.

An eye opener, Parsvottanasana can shine light on easy-to-overlook truths.

Building strength in the lower back can enhance your performance in daily activities and help you avoid sports injuries.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

If your curved back has you twisted, here are some asanas that will help realign your spine.

Open tight shoulders and an achy back in this beginner-friendly seated twist, Marichyasana III.

Check out Carol Krucoff's author page.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

By educating yourself on anatomy, you can protect your knees in yoga poses.

Check out Roger Cole's author page.

Dance with cosmic energy in this challenging yet graceful balancing pose that relies on equal parts effort and ease.

Heron Pose is an intense hamstring stretch. You may need to give Krounchasana some time.

In this challenging version of a twist, your arms wrap around your legs so your hands can clasp behind the back, almost like a lasso or a snare.

After making alignment adjustments in Warrior I, let go and feel the wholesome integration of your entire body.

Tight calves can interfere with your practice in ways you might not suspect, but frequent stretching can improve calf flexibility.

A prescription of asanas to help balance the subtle energies of the chakra system.

This forward fold restores a sense of balance by grounding the body so the mind can become tranquil.

Strengthening your side waist muscles may not eliminate your love handles, but it will unlock your pelvis and protect your lower back.

Take a leap of faith into Hanumanasana or Monkey Pose, named for a figure in Hindu mythology who did just that. And when faith doesn't get you all the way there, practice will.

Lay Virasana back and to take the stretch in the thighs and ankles up a notch.

Salabhasana or Locust Pose effectively preps beginners for deeper backbends, strengthening the back of the torso, legs, and arms.

Boost the body's energy and fight fatigue with Fish Pose, or Matsyasana in Sanskrit, while building confidence with a loving stretch in the shoulders. It is said that if you perform Matsyasana in water, you will be able to float like a fish.

Say hello to leg and ankle strength as you seek stability and extend into this balancing pose, Half Moon Pose.

If backbends are a struggle for your body, you may try these preparatory shoulder-openers.

Tim Miller gives advice for practicing with a common injury, an overstretched hamstring attachment.

Can't see the cow face? Notice that the crossed legs look like the lips. The bent-elbow arms, one up and one down, are the ears.

Upavistha Konasana is good preparation for most of the seated forward bends, twists, and the wide-leg standing poses.

A classic restorative posture, Supta Baddha Konasana or Reclining Bound Angle Pose can be modified for any level of hip and groin resistance.

Learn how yoga can help you prevent slouching—and the depression, shallow breathing, tension, and headaches that often go with it.

Understanding the mechanics of your feet in yoga and the patterns in your foot health is the first step to establishing a solid foundation in your practice.

Virasana is a balm for tired legs at the end of the day, as well as an alternative to Lotus for seated meditation.

Also called Seated Twist Pose or Ardha Matsyendrasana in Sanskrit, this pose energizes the spine and stimulate proper digestion while improving postural and body awareness.

Bharadvaja's Twist, or Bharadvajasana in Sanskrit, is a gentle and loving twist that inspires postural and body awareness.

Oh, your aching back? Or maybe you can't crack those tight hamstrings. Supta Padangusthasana I or Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose I is for you.

Practicing Anjali Mudra is an excellent way to induce a meditative state of awareness.

This version of Shoulderstand is performed with blanket support under the shoulders.

Janu Sirsasana, or Head-to-Knee Pose, is appropriate for students of any level and melds a forward bend with a spinal twist.

Need an energy boost? Urdhva Dhanurasana can help—and strengthen your arms, legs, abdomen, and spine in the process.

By providing a conscious opening in the chest and stretch in the shoulders, Cobra Pose, called Bhujangasana in Sanskrit, fights fatigue and relieves lower back pain, boosting both the energetic and the physical body.

Head-of-the-Knee Pose fosters flexibility in the hamstrings and spine while calming the nervous system.

This is no easy chair. Sit back and power up in Chair Pose.