Poses by Level
Yoga meets you where you are. Here, find the perfect yoga poses for your level to progress wisely in your practice, learning essential actions and building strength over time.
Beginner Yoga Poses
Intermediate Yoga Poses
Advanced Yoga Poses
Latest in Poses by Level
Yes, You Can Still Practice Yoga With Lower Back Pain. Here’s How
Because you shouldn't have to suffer through class.
Forearm Plank | Dolphin Plank Pose
A modification of Plank Pose, Forearm Plank strengthens and tones the core, thighs, and arms.
Cat Pose
This pose provides a gentle massage to the spine and belly organs.
Cow Pose
Bitilasana is an easy, gentle way to warm up the spine before a more vigorous practice.
Side Crow Pose | Side Crane 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.
Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend
Open wide into Prasarita Padottanasana to increase flexibility by leaps and bounds.
These 4 Restorative Yoga Poses Will Completely Reset Your Mood
When you need to approach any situation—or, let's be honest, life—from a calmer place, this quiet practice is your solution.
Upward-Facing Dog Pose
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana, a well-known backbend, will challenge you to lift and open your chest.
Plow Pose
Plow Pose (Halasana) reduces backache and can help you get to sleep.
Crow Pose | Crane Pose
A compact arm balance, Crow Pose and Crane Pose tone the abs and the arms, strengthen in the core, and focus the mind.
Warrior 2 Pose
Named for a legendary warrior, Virabhadrasana 2 strengthens your quads, shoulders, and core—not to mention your stamina and inner resolve.
Staff Pose
It might look straightforward, but there's more to Dandasana than meets the eye.
Seated Forward Bend
Fold into Paschimottanasana to help your distracted mind—and your hamstrings—unwind.
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi III
Sometimes called the Sage's Pose, Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi III (Marichyasana III) is a wise addition to any practice.
Legs Up the Wall Pose
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.
Pyramid Pose | Intense Side Stretch Pose
Parsvottanasana encourages balance, body awareness, and inspires confidence.
This Yin Yoga Practice Encourages You to Create Space—In Your Body and Mind
Sometimes you need to clear out what you no longer need to let in everything that you want.
8 Common Yoga Poses That Are Easier to Teach (and Learn) at the Wall
The prop you never even knew you needed can transform how you (and your students) find alignment.
Warrior 3 Pose
A standing posture centered around balance, Virabhadrasana III will strengthen your legs, ankles, and core.
Supported Headstand
Standing on your head in Salamba Sirsasana strengthens the whole body and calms the brain.
Easy Pose
Don't let the name fool you. If you're used to sitting in chairs, Easy Pose (or Sukhasana) can be quite challenging.
Bridge Pose
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana can be whatever you need—energizing, rejuvenating, or luxuriously restorative.
Chair Pose
Utkatasana powerfully strengthens the muscles of the arms and legs, but it also stimulates the diaphragm and heart.
Standing Forward Bend
Uttanasana will wake up your hamstrings and soothe your mind.
Extended Side Angle Pose
Find length in your side body, from your heel to your fingertips with Extended Side Angle Pose.
Warrior 1 Pose
Virabhadrasana 1 is a foundational yoga pose that balances flexibility and strength in true warrior fashion.
The 8 Best Yoga Poses for Beginners
Want to get into yoga, but don’t know where to start? These foundational poses will set the stage for your evolving practice.
Child’s Pose
Take a break. Balasana is a restful pose that can be sequenced between more challenging asanas.
Why Is Child’s Pose So Insanely Calming?
We've seen an explosion of memes about Child's Pose over the last year and a half. Coincidence? We think not.
Corpse Pose
Savasana is a pose of total relaxation—making it one of the most challenging.
Mountain Pose
The foundation of all standing poses, Mountain Pose makes a great a starting position, resting pose, or tool to improve posture.
Plank Pose
Nurture your love-hate relationship with Plank Pose. A beginner's best friend, it's the perfect precursor to more challenging arm balances.
Challenge Pose of the Month: Utthita Parsvakonasana
Each month, YJ editors and contributors share the pose that they've been working on.
Rest Your Way to Self-Love
Try this variation of Savasana to give your mind, body, and spirit a break from everyday stress and a view into contentment.
Master Warrior 1 Pose (Plus Four Adaptions)
Warrior Pose I Virabhadra = a hero or warrior from the Mahabharata asana = pose
Have a Wrist Injury? These Pose Swaps Will Help You Maintain Your Yoga Practice
Try these alternatives to get all the same benefits without bearing weight on your hands and wrists.
7 Yoga Poses That Are Harder Than They Look
After years of practice, does Triangle still stress you out? Or, can you hold Handstand but wobble in Warrior I? Here, 7 top teachers share the relatively easy poses that they’re still trying to master—plus tips to make them a little less frustrating.
Yoga for Beginners: 10 Easy Poses That Help at Any Age
These poses and practices offer huge benefits for your body and mind—no matter your age or stage.
A Safe, Core-Supported Backbending Sequence
Move into backbends more safely, knowing you can consciously engage the muscles needed to protect the lumbar spine.
4 Poses to Prevent + Heal Shoulder Injuries
Practice these four poses to heal an injury or strengthen your shoulders to prevent one.
A Hero (Pose) for Every Home Practice
The intensity of Virasana can feel as daunting as the hero’s journey in your favorite adventure story. Choose the variation on the pose, ranging from gentle to fiery, to fit the narrative of your personal story on the mat today.
A Home Practice for Happy, Open Hips
Maintaining flexibility and stability in the hip joints is crucial for lower-back health and cultivating overall freedom and ease in our bodies.
3 Prep Poses for Side Crane Pose
Warm up your legs and spine in these prep poses from Tias Little for Parsva Bakasana.
Jason Crandell’s Top 10 Poses to Practice Daily
Jason Crandell struggles to make time for his home practice just like the rest of us. Here, the poses he deems essential to feel balanced when he’s looking for shortcuts.
4 Ways to Satisfy Your Urge to Side Bend
Try these four poses to lengthen and stretch your side when the urge hits you.
Iyengar 101: King Pigeon Pose 3 Ways
King Pigeon Pose is about balancing stability and fluidity, in both your body and mind. Grab a strap, folding chair, and blanket and let’s get started!
The Best Yoga Pose For Your Enneagram Number
Your yoga mat is the perfect place to explore and reconcile the core dilemma your Enneagram number has revealed. Start here.
As Seen on Instagram: 10 of 2016’s Most Extreme Yoga Poses
If you're on Instagram, you've probably seen some of the innovative takes on traditional asana. These 10 creative practitioners tested their limits this year turning asana into an art form.
Build Core Strength for Challenge Poses with Bakasana Toe Taps
If you’ve mastered Bakasana and are ready to take your arm balance practice to the next level, try incorporating these Bakasana toe-taps into your routine.
3 Unconventional Ways to Warm Up For Garudasana (Eagle Pose)
Warm up for Eagle Pose with these three prep poses that will open your shoulders and hips.
Prevent Yoga Injuries: 3 Risky Poses You Can Make Safer
We look at three of the riskiest poses commonly practiced in yoga and how to modify them for your and your students’ safety.
Live Purposefully: Intention-Setting Sequences for Morning + Night
These two sequences are designed to empower you to set an intention for your day, and then to let go at the end so you can relax deeply before bedtime.
5 Yoga Poses We Have to Admit Are Pretty Crazy
Let’s face it, a lot of what we do with our bodies on the mat looks a bit ridiculous. It’s healthy to take a step back from time to time, lighten the mood, and note the absurdity of it all.
Love Trikonasana? Learn How to Avoid This Common Knee Injury
Alignment is essential for the health of the knees. Unfortunately, practicing Triangle Pose too often without its counterpose can create an imbalance in the joint. Lean how to stay safe.
Yoga for Lower Back Pain: Skillfully Deepen Seated Forward Bends
Strengthen your lower back, free yourself from back pain in seated poses, and skillfully deepen your forward bends.
Wild Thing
One poetic translation of Camatkarasana means "the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart."
Side-Reclining Leg Lift (Anantasana)
This side-reclining pose stretches the backs of the legs, the sides of the torso, and tones the belly.
Standing Split
When you practice Standing Splits focus on the stretch in your quad and hamstring, not how high you can lift your leg.
Shoulder-Pressing Pose
This arm balance relies more on precise positioning than on strength, making it more accessible for students beginning an arm balancing practice.
Happy Baby Pose
This pose gently brings a greater awareness to the hip joints.
Peacock Pose
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
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.
One-Legged King Pigeon Pose II
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.
High Lunge, Crescent Variation
This variation of High Lunge, sometimes called Crescent Pose, is a great preparation for the full version of Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I Pose).
Standing Half Forward Bend
Find length in front body before forward folding in Ardha Uttanasana.
High Lunge
Counteract the effects of Modern-Day Sitting Syndrome by lengthening your hip flexors in High Lunge.
Conqueror Breath
Ujjayi is the beginner-friendly springboard for all other formal pranayama.
Fire Log Pose
The Fire Log Pose stretches the outer hips intensely, particularly the piriformis, which is often the main culprit of sciatic pain.
Extended Puppy Pose
A cross between Child's Pose and Downward-Facing Dog, Extended Puppy Pose lengthens the spine and calms the mind.
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya II
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.
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya I
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.
Garland or Squat Pose
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.
Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose
In Extended Hand-to-big-toe Pose, maintaining solid grounding through the standing foot helps keep you steady.
Upward Facing Two-Foot Staff Pose
Can you practice Wheel with straight arms and Headstand without strain? Then, you're ready.
King Pigeon Pose
Kapotasana invigorates your body and gives your spirits a lift. This extremely deep backbend is appropriate for advanced practitioners only.
Sphinx Pose
Sphinx Pose is the infant of backbends. It can be practiced with either an active or passive approach.
Big Toe Pose
This pose gently lengthens and strengthens even stubbornly tight hamstrings.
Feathered Peacock Pose | Forearm Balance
You may know Pincha Mayurasana or Feathered Peacock Pose by one of its common aliases: Forearm or Elbow Balance.
Lion Pose
Blow off some steam, wake up your face, and lighten up your practice in silly Simhasana.
Heron Pose
Heron Pose is an intense hamstring stretch. You may need to give Krounchasana some time.