Yoga Poses

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

Plow Pose increases circulation, suppleness, and vitality and also prepares the body for relaxation and meditation.

This simple yet demanding pose builds courage, poise, and confidence to explore more challenging arm balances.

Check out Barbara Benagh's author page.

Which poses should you practice to reverse the effects of chronic stress? Our expert Roger Cole recommends a regular restorative sequence.

These tips for balancing will make challenging poses easier when you're first learning yoga.

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.

Check out Paul Grilley's author page.

Know whether to exhale through the mouth or nose during pranayama breathing or just in natural breathing.

As many chiropractors and back specialists have discovered, yoga can help improve your posture, and even scoliosis.

Use your core to lift your belly and distribute your weight correctly in Bakasana.

Check out Robert Gray's author page.

Check out Robert Gray's author page.

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.

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.

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.

Usher in 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.

Check out YJ Staff's author page.

Check out Richard Rosen's author page.

Relieve tension in your wrists, back, and shoulders at your desk.

Check out YJ Staff's author page.

Check out Yoko Yoshikawa's author page.

Shaking muscles and too much quivering may be a sign of overworking. Learn why you should slow down and listen to your body.

Check out YJ Staff's author page.

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

Check out YJ Staff's author page.

Check out Richard Rosen's author page.

Check out Richard Rosen's author page.

Check out YJ Staff's author page.

Check out Yoko Yoshikawa's author page.

Are you a mouth breather? Poor breathing habits are easy to spot. Use these 6 tests to identify your own breathing problems.

No two styles of yoga teach the same pose the same way, and nowhere is this more evident than with Trikonasana (Triangle Pose). So who's right? We asked five instructors to show us their approach to Triangle and compared their methods.

Check out Laurel Kallenbach's author page.

Check out Denise Benitez's author page.

Check out John Schumacher's author page.

Check out John Schumacher's author page.

Check out John Schumacher's author page.

Check out Barbara Benagh's author page.

Check out Barbara Benagh's author page.

Check out John Schumacher's author page.

Check out Donna Farhi's author page.

You spend most of your life in forward bends. Give your body the backbend it craves with bridge pose.

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

A twist like beginner-friendly Bharadvajasana I can bring release no matter what your level of ability.

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

Let Warrior II teach you how to bring more wisdom, courage, and unwavering focus into every action.

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.

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.

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...