Poses by Benefit

Liberate your upper body for better backbending by focusing on your latissimus dorsi muscles.

Put your feet through basic training for a strong, light, and lifted Warrior 1.

Stick with challenging poses to build your muscles and your confidence.

One poetic translation of Camatkarasana means "the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart."

When you feel depleted, practice this meditation to replenish and conserve your energy.

You don't have to work for happiness. It's already here to be experienced in every moment.

Try this pranayama technique, sometimes called Bee Breath, to soothe anxiety.

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

Align body, mind, and spirit with nature by practicing this seasonal sequence.

Frustrating as it can be, Parsvottanasana is key for increasing hamstring and shoulder flexibility. Learn how to work it.

A yoga teacher struggling with infertility gets a glimpse of the miracle that is life.

Get advice on insomnia, dizziness during pranayama, and spine cracking during twists.

Natural remedies can help with managing your PMS symptoms. By making sure you are eating healthy and getting enough sleep, you won't have to reach for the pill bottle to relieve your symptoms.

Learn how to work stiff hips from every angle in Pigeon Pose.

Make your own eye pillows for traveling and relaxing in Savasana.

Calming techniques taught in fertility yoga classes support women on the path to pregnancy.

When it comes to back pain, this gentle approach is best.

This side-reclining pose stretches the backs of the legs, the sides of the torso, and tones the belly.

When you practice Standing Splits focus on the stretch in your quad and hamstring, not how high you can lift your leg.

This pose gently brings a greater awareness to the hip joints.

Nancy Portuga Jamello teaches yoga to teenage students at the California School for the Blind in Fremont. Many of the students slouch because the constant fear of running into objects and losing their balance can produce an over-arching spine. Yoga...

Low Lunge, or Anjaneyasana in Sanskrit, stretches the thighs and groins and opens the chest. It provides recovery post-workout, and boosts energy while consciously working to improve posture.

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II allows you to stretch the entire front body and deep into the hip flexors to strengthen your back and improve posture.

Prasarita Padottanasana is not only the perfect prep for standing poses but for your cool-down, too.

This variation of High Lunge, sometimes called Crescent Pose, is a great preparation for the full version of Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose).

Help your third-trimester students use yoga to ease physical discomfort and prepare for labor.

Help your students get the most out of their practice during these middle months.

While neck rolls and stretches can be great for calming stressed students, they're not safe for everyone. Here, discover the two things you should be wary about, and how to teach yoga exercises for the neck safely to your students.

If you teach yoga regularly, you will have a pregnant student in your class at some point. Learn what to do to encourage a healthy first trimester.

Richard Rosen tells the story of Virabhadra and how you can use Warrior II to improve balance and build strength.

Find length in front body before forward folding in Ardha Uttanasana.

Urdhva Hastasana translates to "Raised Hands Pose," but it is also sometimes called Talasana, the Palm Tree Pose.

Counteract the effects of Modern-Day Sitting Syndrome by lengthening your hip flexors in High Lunge.

Rid yourself of insomnia with this calming pose sequence.

Kick your insomnia for good by creating a simple and restful nighttime routine.

Shiva Rea offers tips from yoga and Ayurveda for calming nervous energy and anxiety.

Battling depression can feel like a fight for your life. Yoga can help you stop struggling.

We've heard of yoga for your back, yoga for menopause, yoga for any number of ailments, but a yoga facelift? "Face yoga" expert Marie Nadeau and author of The Yoga Facelift (Conari Press, 2007) says the concept is the same...

Bow Pose works against hunched shoulders by opening them from the front and strengthening them from the back.

Senior Teacher Natasha Rizopoulos tells you why you should abandon this line of thinking and start practicing now.

Heal your carpal tunnel syndrome for good with this innovative yogic approach.

The next time you find your nerves frazzled, take a break for this quick rejuvenation flow sequence from Larry Payne.

Scoliosis can cause back pain and many other health problems, including shallow breathing, sciatica, headaches, and even insomnia. Yoga not only brings relief but can also help you accept and embrace the body you're in.

Learn the effects that long term stress has on the body.

Try this yogic sleep technique to fully relax and find a meditative state of consciousness.

Timothy McCall, MD, takes a look at the validity of scientific proof behind yoga's various benefits.

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Using your yogic awareness during bodywork can lead to a more profound experience.

Check out Catherine Guthrie's author page.

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Therapists are catching on to what yogis have always known: Yoga for anxiety is one of the best ways to ease your mind. Melanie Haiken talks about how yoga has helped her overcome anxiety.

Check out Amy Weintraub's author page.

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Headaches? Try these 13 poses to relieve tension.

Check out Angela Pirisi's author page.

So many poses, so little time: It's easy to get overwhelmed just trying to figure out which asanas might calm you down.

Get the sleep of your dreams with these simple feng shui tips for your bedroom.

Check out Eva Herriott's author page.

A regular yoga practice increases mindfulness, which has proven an effective tool for weight loss.

In unexpected ways, yoga can help you lose weight. Our expert tells you how.

We've got the perfect PMS palliative—yoga paired with Ayurvedic treatments. Try it this cycle to relieve those nagging monthly symptoms.

Relieve stress with these three tenants of yoga practice.

Learn to relax and overcome neck tension with this specialized sequence.

Twisting Poses will help restore your spine's natural range of motion, cleanse your organs, and stimulate circulation.

Twists can be heaven for a bad back—if you don't push too hard. Learn how to do these 9 stretches for the spine to ease pain in your back.

Sometimes considered a preparation for pranayama, other times a formal practice in itself.

The Fire Log Pose stretches the outer hips intensely, particularly the piriformis, which is often the main culprit of sciatic pain.

A cross between Child's Pose and Downward-Facing Dog, Extended Puppy Pose lengthens the spine and calms the mind.

An excellent facilitator of good pelvic floor health, Garland Pose, called Malasana in Sanskrit, stretches the ankles, groins, and back while stimulating proper digestion. No worries if your heels don't reach the floor—simply rest them on a folded blanket.

In Extended Hand-to-big-toe Pose, maintaining solid grounding through the standing foot helps keep you steady.

Kapotasana invigorates your body and gives your spirits a lift. This extremely deep backbend is appropriate for advanced practitioners only.

This pose gently lengthens and strengthens even stubbornly tight hamstrings.

Sphinx Pose is the infant of backbends. It can be practiced with either an active or passive approach.

Ease up into Half Frog Pose, called Ardha Bhekasana in Sanskrit. This pose strengthens the back while gently opening up the shoulders, chest, and thighs—a loving treat for the entire body.

Dolphin Pose strengthens the core, arms, and legs, while also nicely opening the shoulders.

Check out Timothy McCall MD's author page.