Poses for Your Belly

This pose provides a gentle massage to the spine and belly organs.

Bitilasana is an easy, gentle way to warm up the spine before a more vigorous practice.

Fire up your abs for this difficult asymmetrical arm balance, Eight-Angle Pose.

The key to Parsva Bakasana is twisting enough to place the outer edge of one upper arm far around the outside of the opposite thigh.

Bound Angle Pose, or Baddha Konasana, opens the deepest part of the hip muscles.

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, a well-known backbend, will challenge you to lift and open your chest.

Plow Pose (Halasana) reduces backache and can help you get to sleep.

Padmasana creates an essential foundation for meditation practice, while stretching the front of the thighs and ankles.

A compact arm balance, Crow Pose and Crane Pose tone the abs and the arms, strengthen in the core, and focus the mind.

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana is a deep hip opener and forward bend that you should approach consciously to reap its many benefits.

Named for a legendary warrior, Virabhadrasana 2 strengthens your quads, shoulders, and core—not to mention your stamina and inner resolve.

Sometimes called the Sage's Pose, Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi III (Marichyasana III) is a wise addition to any practice.

There's a general consensus among modern yogis that Viparita Karani or Legs Up the Wall Pose may have the power to cure whatever ails you.

Parsvottanasana encourages balance, body awareness, and inspires confidence.

Yes, it is possible to get rid of that (super) annoying bloating.

Standing on your head in Salamba Sirsasana strengthens the whole body and calms the brain.

A powerful arm and wrist strengthener, Side Plank takes its two-armed sibling to the next level, as an arm balance.

Chaturanga Dandasana is not merely a push-up. This pivotal yoga pose is instrumental—so it's important to practice it properly.

Extended Triangle Pose is a quintessential standing pose that stretches and strengthens the whole body.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana can be whatever you need—energizing, rejuvenating, or luxuriously restorative.

Utkatasana powerfully strengthens the muscles of the arms and legs, but it also stimulates the diaphragm and heart.

Find length in your side body, from your heel to your fingertips with Extended Side Angle Pose.

Bump up your energy (and confidence!) by bending back into Camel Pose. Ustrasana counteracts slouching and relieves lower back pain with a generous, heart-opening stretch.

Virabhadrasana 1 is a foundational yoga pose that balances flexibility and strength in true warrior fashion.

Purvottanasana counteracts the effects of Chaturanga by stretching the pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, and anterior deltoids.

Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose, or Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, offers a deep, vivid stretch to the side body paired with loving and heart-opening movement.

As a counterpose to Utthita Trikonasana and preparation for seated forward bends and twists, this pose is key to a skilled practice.

The foundation of all standing poses, Mountain Pose makes a great a starting position, resting pose, or tool to improve posture.

Bend back into the shape of a bow to feel energetically locked, loaded, and ready to take aim.

This revolved variation of Utthita Parsvakonasana requires a lot of flexibility to twist so deeply and ground the back heel.

Want to fly? Fire up your core. Firefly pose is an arm balance pose that requires more core strength than arm strength.

Folding into Marichyasana I or Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi I calms your mind, extends your spine, and gives your internal organs a healthy squeeze.

Nurture your love-hate relationship with Plank Pose. A beginner's best friend, it's the perfect precursor to more challenging arm balances.

Feeling a little... blocked up? These yoga poses gently massage your digestive tract, so you can bid farewell to constipation.

Soothe stress while optimizing digestive health with these 10 poses

Happiness is a mind-body endeavor. It only takes two minutes to deploy this self-massage to stimulate our belly brain, the enteric nervous system, which regulates mood and immunity.

This arm balance relies more on precise positioning than on strength, making it more accessible for students beginning an arm balancing practice.

According to Hindu lore, the Peacock symbolizes immortality, love, and patience. Peacock Pose, called Mayurasana in Sanskrit, works to lovingly strengthen the core while stretching the palm side of the wrists.

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.

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

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

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

Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya II tones the belly and spine, strengthens the arms and wrists, and gives your self-confidence a big boost.

Can you practice Wheel with straight arms and Headstand without strain? Then, you're ready.

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.

Eka Pada Koundinyasana I or Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya I has a lot going on—the twist, the legs going their separate ways, oh, and the arm balance. Master it.

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

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.

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

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

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.