Yoga for Beginners

Ali Maffucci, founder of Inspiralized, is taking us along on her journey as a beginning yoga student. Check back here monthly for updates and follow along with the hashtag #yjtrueconfessions.

Master teacher Sianna Sherman takes us step by step through Abhaya Hrdaya (Fearless Heart) Mudra.

Making space for your belly in yoga is a way to both welcome your whole body to your practice and make it more comfortable. Bring these tips from Curvy Yoga founder Anna Guest-Jelley with you for support in any yoga class.

Try these four poses to lengthen and stretch your side when the urge hits you.

Yoga for Bad People founders Heather Lilleston and Katelin Sisson travel like it’s their job (because it is). Here, they offer YJ readers their favorite poses to balance out the body after getting off a plane.

The most common beginner form of Tibetan Yoga is Lu Jong, or “body training.” Experience it's natural connection the elements in these sequences.

Connect to and honor the five elements found in ancient Mayan practices with these movements passed down to Miguel Angel Vergara Calleros and Kat Tudor.

This sequence blends asana with a HIIT tempo, which can help you build strength and burn calories while also inspiring you to feel empowered—all in 15 to 20 minutes.

When done properly, twists have the potential to help your low back feel great. Here are three poses to help you relieve low back pain.

When our digestion is clear and healthy, it is reflected in our complexion and our radiance. The following set of exercises is amazing for the tummy. It balances the intestinal flora and aids digestion.

Yoga poses are often taught on an assumed thin, fit, able, and fairly flexible body. Discover how Curvy Yoga challenges what you thought you knew about the practice.

Your yoga mat is the perfect place to explore and reconcile the core dilemma your Enneagram number has revealed. Start here.

These creative styles will not only activate new muscle groups but also give you a new perspective on the practice. Find out which hybrid is right for you.

The long dark days of winter can lend themselves to physical stagnation, fatigue, and hibernation. In this yin yoga sequence, we honor the pause.

These poses help to awaken the psoas, activating different parts of the muscle so that it’s ultimately easier for the brain to fire it up.

Do you practice yoga regularly but still feel “stuck” in certain spots? Senior Yoga Medicine teacher Allison Candelaria created this muscle-and fascia-freeing flow to tune up the lateral sides of your body.

If a sequence makes our end-of-the-year top 10 list, it's one worth saving. Tuck these 10 practices away somewhere you'll be able to find them on days you're in need of a tried-and-true flow.

This sequence is designed to help you ease tension by putting your spine through its full range of motion.

In this excerpt from her new book, Every Body Yoga, Jessamyn Stanley inspires first-time yogis by getting real about what will get them on the mat. (Even yogis with a long-term relationship with yoga need to read this!)

Practicing this twisting sequence is beneficial for anyone who sits for a good portion of the day, suffers from chronic back pain, or loves activities like running, cycling, and hiking.

Align your yoga practice with the elemental energies of nature to balance your primary dosha for overall health, wellbeing, and natural beauty.

Boost energy flow in the body with this dynamic practice, representing the air element to counterbalance Kapha’s earthy and watery nature.

Move built-up fire energy from the belly through the rest of the body to balance the Pitta dosha and combat its tendencies for competition and overheating.

Balancing the air and ether of your Vata dosha with the opposing energy of the earth element can help ease the anxiety, nervousness, fatigue, and digestive issues Vatas are prone to.

Whatever the root cause of your slumping, your yoga practice can help alleviate any resulting pain or dips in mood by bringing more balance to the muscles in your chest, upper back, and neck.

Stretch the upper back, spine, and shoulders; opens the chest; help release chronic tension in the shoulders and neck in Extended Puppy Pose.

Modify Uttana Shishosana if needed to find safe alignment in your body.

Infuse each asana with an empowering affirmation to fully embody the qualities of each pose both physically and mentally. Practiced daily, this sequence may repattern your mind, body, and spirit.

We challenged writer Ryan Peacock to crack his girlfriend’s resistance to yoga. Can he sweet-talk her into taking six classes in a week—and actually liking them?

Los Angeles-based yoga teacher Clio Manuelian offers an inversions-focused plan to prepare the body and mind to open to the insight of meditation.

In honor of National Yoga Month, Two Fit Moms is offering you this eight-pose flow that will help you reap the cardiovascular benefits of yoga.

This five-day practice will help you discover and embrace the power of sitting every day.

Practice moving your attention into your chest and heart space, where you receive and give love.

Putting a twist on your go-to poses can breathe new life into your practice. Try this sequence, packed with nontraditional variations on classic asanas.

To work on activating the muscles of the hips to find more balance, try this sequence.

Make home practice a habit by committing to your mat for the next 30 days with fresh sequences and daily practice plans for each week of the month from esteemed teachers and YJ contributors.

Check out Colleen Saidman Yee's author page.

You'll feel calmer and more relaxed in minutes.

Enjoy robust breathing, a free mind, and a bird’s-eye view with a light heart.

This 
sequence will free up space for energy to flow, helping 
your organs function optimally for greater 
mental clarity and endurance.

Feel 
the relationship between your core and steadiness in preparation for meditation.

As yoga grows, so do the misconceptions about it. Here, Stephanie Snyder sets the record straight on 8 myths getting between you and your yoga bliss.

Colleen Saidman Yee, who leads Yoga Journal's upcoming Yoga for Inner Peace online course, discusses the importance of letting yourself feel sad, and demonstrates a sequence to release grief and other festering emotions.

Do you hear friends saying they're not fit enough for yoga? Here's how to convince them yoga is more than physical exercise.

From opening the body to stabilizing a pose, there are many ways the wall can assist you in your yoga practice. Discover 8 ways to modify, deepen, and explore poses with the one prop everyone has at home.

Colleen Saidman Yee, who teaches Yoga Journal's upcoming Yoga for Inner Peace online course, demonstrates a rocking sequence for fighting fear and promoting positive thinking.

The mudras and the Reiki hand positions can be used in tandem with the Yees’ asana sequence or separately to help you find calm.

This combination of restorative yoga, meditation, essential oils, and Reiki—
from dream team Colleen Saidman Yee and Rodney Yee—will help 
ease anxiety and insomnia to deliver your best night’s zzz’s.

This strong-core sequence will move you in every direction to work your middle from each possible angle, building strength and ease of movement, naturally.

In Yoga Journal's upcoming online course, Yoga for Inner Peace, Colleen Saidman Yee offers yogic practices to transform your body, mind, and heart, and support YOU in your personal journey toward inner peace.

Finding inspiration on the mat when practicing alone can be difficult. The following sequence will help you work with both abhyasa and vairagya.

Open your chest and find proper alignment after a tough standup paddleboard workout. This beginner SUP yoga sequence will get you started.

Do you practice yoga regularly but somehow still feel “stuck” in certain spots?  Senior Yoga Medicine teacher Allison Candelaria created this muscle- and fascia-freeing flow to tune up the whole front line of your body.

Want to avoid asana burnout? Amy Ippoliti says the trick is all in optimizing functionality by engaging the deep stabilizers while finding ways to give the major movement muscles a break.

Warm up for Eagle Pose with these three prep poses that will open your shoulders and hips.

This flow helps foster both self-love and compassion for others.

Not only do props help you find more space, freedom and stability in your poses, they’re also great teaching tools with endless uses if you get creative. Dedicate some time to playing with props.

We look at three of the riskiest poses commonly practiced in yoga and how to modify them for your and your students’ safety.

This soothing and contemplative Yin Yoga practice invites us to balance the outward focus of summer's fiery energy with an inward glance during the solstice.

Listen to your body to find your natural limits and healthy boundaries—along with core power, strength, and inner peace.

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.

Do you practice yoga regularly but somehow still feel “stuck” in certain spots? Senior Yoga Medicine teacher Allison Candelaria created this fascia-freeing flow to find more mobility in the backside of your body.

Army veteran, motivational speaker, yoga teacher, and double-amputee Dan Nevins shares his go-to, must-practice poses for staying grounded, focused, and connected to his body.

Helgrid Randolph, a Denver-based Ayurvedic practitioner and yoga teacher, offers advice on proper twisting protocol.

This precise explanation of how to engage the root lock will help you find full expression of this pose and improve your understanding of the bandhas.

Just as nature enters a cycle of renewal, growth and expansion in spring—so does the energy within us. Embrace the opportunity to shed old unwanted layers and make a conscious choice to begin again.

Unleash your creative potential with this hip-opening sequence that will ignite your second chakra.

It takes creativity and fearlessness to adventure into our heart’s deepest desires, and this Kundalini Yoga practice can help you find both.

Don't let Plank Pose be your worst nightmare. Here's how to build a Plank safely. Add it to your vinyasa flow or practice it on the side, for total body strength.

Open the shoulders and chest in Matsyasana in preparation for Camatkarasana.

Celebrity yoga teacher Mandy Ingber says healing grief starts by recognizing where you’re holding stress and emotions and breathing into that space to release the tension. Reset with her 20-minute sequence.

Kathryn Budig offers YJ readers a sample of her signature Artemis-inspired yoga sequence. Grab your imaginary bow and take aim at your deepest intentions.

Discover how a single sequence, when practiced consistently, can provide grounding, openness, and a greater sense of stability in all aspects of your life with this routine from Sonima.

Next time you find yourself bogged down with emails and to-dos, take 10 minutes to disconnect from the computer screen and practice this short yoga sequence.

Master Baptiste Yoga teacher Leah Cullis, who leads YJ's online course Pillars of Power Yoga, demonstrates 10 poses that will help you love and accept your body.

Master teacher, Yoga Shanti co-owner, and YJ LIVE! presenter Rodney Yee shares his list of must-practice yoga poses, why they’re so important, and how best to sequence them in your practice.

Master Baptiste Yoga teacher Leah Cullis, who leads YJ's online course Pillars of Power Yoga, demonstrates 6 common pose mistakes and how to tidy them up for spring.

Yoga Medicine founder Tiffany Cruikshank offers four tricks for fine-tuning your body’s digestive process with yoga.

After a long day at school, there's always more to do. Before hitting the homework, take a yoga break to reset mind and body for better focus.

When we’re happy, we can thrive in our work. This desk-side practice will make your whole body happier in just a few minutes.