Poses by Benefit

Deep, seated twists have the power to transform your spine. Learn how to twist right into Ardha Matsyendrasana.

If you think there's no way to get your mind off of discomfort in your body, try this practice to shift how you experience it.

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

Work your way up to Downward-Facing Dog with these prep poses—then master the full expression of the pose.

Confronting a stressful situation is hard, but if you go with the flow when dealing with stress, it may become easier.

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

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.

"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.

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

Check out Judith Hanson Lasater's author page.

Frazzled nerves? The restorative version of Child's Pose (Salamba Balanasana) can help you bring things down a notch.

Rinse your internal organs and restore energy with a cleansing reclining twist.

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.

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.

Every day is different. Tune in before your practice to decide if you need more yang or more yin to balance your energy.

Is it safe to go upside down when you're having your period?

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

Your antidote to stress: At least 10 minutes to breathe and surrender in restorative Viparita Karani.

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

Check out Carol Krucoff's author page.

Baxter Bell gives advice on how one can use yoga for weight loss.

Yoga teacher Jaki Nett investigates restorative yoga for fertility. Learn which poses have the best possible benefits to aid fertility and conception.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Check out Sarah Powers's author page.

Sarah Powers advises yogis with sciatica which poses to avoid and which to favor.

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

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

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.

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.

In 1990 River Huston was a kick-ass fitness trainer in New York City. Her workouts were about pain, tight buns, and thousands of stomach crunches. Pushing herself beyond physical limits was her modus operandi.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

If your headaches happen often, body awareness can help predict the onset of a headache. Try practicing yoga for headaches to ease the pain.

Mary Pullig Schatz talks about yoga for sciatica and different ways you can ease the source of pain.

Learn how to do Downward-Facing Dog Pose properly for the ultimate full-body stretch.

Not just for beginners, Extended Triangle Pose can unlock tension in your legs, hips, and spine.

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

Mastering the actions of Urdhva Hastasana can help you move into more advanced poses.

Reclining Big Toe Pose provides a safe stretch for tight hamstrings —and opens the door to a host of other asanas.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Yoga is being used help children who have apraxia, a condition that affects their speech and fine motor skills. Patients don't just do asanas, they also make sounds in coordination with their breathing. Yoga has also been used to help...

The Papworth method, developed 40 years ago, has recently been proven to relieve asthma symptoms, depression and anxiety according to an article published in the journal Thorax. The technique includes a sequence of breathing and relaxation exercises developed in the...

This fall, a team of British academics, yoga teachers and practitioners will join forces to find out if a 12-week course of Iyengar Yoga can be used to treat lower back pain. More than 260 people between the ages of...

A juvenile court is Colorado is sentencing juvenile drug offenders to mandatory weekly yoga classes. Mary Jo Berenato, juvenile magistrate for the 8th Judicial District, believes over time these troubled teens will turn to yoga instead of drugs when faced...