Yoga for Beginners

Prep your body to work in your garden and celebrate your connection to the earth by taking your practice outside.

Start your day with reverence.

There are benefits to being upside down.

Yogis do it better—yet again. Trade your slouch for a squat to strengthen your ankles and abs and extend your spine.

You’re not alone if slowing down leads to stressing out. Here’s what you need to know.

This post-flight practice helps you get grounded to enjoy your destination.

Put your feet through basic training for a strong, light, and lifted Warrior 1.

Take a spin in Bharadvaja's Twist to massage your abdominal organs and stretch your spine, shoulders, and hips.

To enjoy all the benefits a forward bend has to offer, find just the right amount of rounding in your back.

Move with music. Energize your practice by setting it to a happy beat.

Once you find balance in Half Moon Pose, radiate and extend in all directions to strengthen your legs, hips, and core.

The best preparation for a big backbend is a baby one. Locust Pose works the actions and strength needed for bigger bends.

Learning the fundamentals of this key yoga pose sets a strong foundation for the rest of your practice.

Stand strong and avoid injury by learning how to prevent hyperextension of this vulnerable joint.

Prepare for inversions by strengthening your arms and core in Dolphin Pose.

Who couldn't use a simple breathing technique that works in seconds?

One of yoga's most versatile backbends, Bridge Pose can fire you up or cool you down depending on what you need.

There are many ways to cultivate quiet strength in Virabhadrasana I. Here, teachers of five yoga styles reveal the nuances of Warrior Pose I.

Align body, mind, and spirit with nature by practicing this seasonal sequence.

Frustrating as it can be, Parsvottanasana is key for increasing hamstring and shoulder flexibility. Learn how to work it.

For a sense of ease that can permeate your whole life, try practicing mindfulness meditation techniques on the mat.

Use your breath to open your chest and backbend mindfully into Upward-Facing Dog Pose.

In our speed-driven world, yoga is often fast-paced. Yin Yoga offers an opportunity to slow down and come back into balance.

Forget destination and let Upavistha Konasana take you on an inner journey. Here are your directions, enjoy the ride.

Trouble focusing? There's an asana for that. Parivrtta Trikonasana demands full mental focus for physical stability.

Get advice on insomnia, dizziness during pranayama, and spine cracking during twists.

…and get the maximum benefit from this hip opener.

Learn how to keep Trikonasana from being a pain in the neck.

Having trouble with those sun salutations? Learn how to do a perfect sun salutation in 10 easy steps and modify them to suit your mood and energy level.

The perfect microcosm of yoga, Downward-Facing Dog Pose can change your entire practice—maybe even life.

Learn how mastering the subtle actions of the rotator cuff in a Down Dog each day can keep painful injuries at bay.

Learn the fundamentals of how to safely come into Marichyasana III.

Beginners ask. Expert Frank Jude Boccio answers.

A true Yoga OG, Gomukhasana is one of the original poses detailed yoga's seminal text. Learn it to increase flexibility.

"Four-Limbed Staff Pose" says it all. This pose becomes much easier when the rest of your body pitches in. Learn how to get the most out of this challenging pose.

Prasarita Padottanasana is not only the perfect prep for standing poses but for your cool-down, too.

Richard Rosen tells the story of Virabhadra and how you can use Warrior II to improve balance and build strength.

Ever notice how your baby gravitates towards certain people? Turns out, they can be excellent judges of character.

Forget crunche, have you met Urdhva Prasarita Padasana? It's a key yoga ab toner and back strengthener.

Shiva Rea offers tips from yoga and Ayurveda for calming nervous energy and anxiety.

Shiva Rea answers how yoga can ease back problems.

Guys have the world to gain by practicing yoga. So what's holding them back? Explore why men should be getting on their mats as often as women.

Athletes, beginners, all of us can benefit from spending some time in Chair Pose. One of the best ways to strengthen your legs, it works like a gym squat minus the wear and tear.

Tracey Rich explains how to best use your evening yoga practice to slow down, focus inward, and transition from day to night.

Most yoga poses fall into the harder-than-it-looks category. Lolasana? Well, give it a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.

You don't have to be Pythagoras to enjoy a great Triangle—and get the health benefits of this valuable standing pose.

Bow Pose works against hunched shoulders by opening them from the front and strengthening them from the back.

If yoga is such a gentle practice, why are so many people getting hurt? Learn how to honor yourself and your limitations to prevent yoga injuries.

Use these breathing techniques to induce relaxation during your restorative yoga and meditation practice.

Timothy McCall, MD, takes a look at the validity of scientific proof behind yoga's various benefits.

Personalize your home practice with these key points in mind to get the most out of it.

Stop siding with your front and back body and show your neglected side body some well-deserved love with Gate Pose.

The history behind the hand position.

Using yoga props can help you find balance and alignment. We break down basic poses to reeducate and still the mind by awakening the body's intelligence.

Begin experimenting with how to integrate Mula Bandha into your asana practice.

Enhance your yoga practice and go deeper in your meditation with this vipassana meditation tutorial.

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

Breathing specialist and yoga therapist Leslie Kaminoff offers advice for asthmatic kids.

Is Gomukhasana nearly impossible for you? These tips can help you come closer to clasping your hands.

To find your balance in Tree Pose, plant deep roots to get grounded.

The use of props in Iyengar Yoga has been one of the fruits of Mr. Iyengar's innovative genius—and also the object of jokes.

Open your chest and stretch your entire front body in Camel Pose to improve posture and lift your mood.

Shouldn't we exhale when we rise up into backbends? Why do instructors teach us to inhale to come into these poses?

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

Check out Max Strom's author page.

During practice, I feel great, but later I often feel critical, impatient, and even angry. Any suggestions?

Dharma Mittra answers: Without a mirror, how can I tell if I'm doing a pose correctly?

Dharma Mittra answers: What are the eight limbs of yoga and why do we need to know about them?

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

Learn how to transition from Urdhva Mukha Svanasana to Adho Mukha Svanasana.

Natasha Rizopoulos gives tips for successful doing Virabhadrasana I, Warrior I Pose.

Use a morning yoga routine to feel awake and energized.

Standard breathing is through the nose during yoga practice. Why?

"I prefer doing yoga early in the morning. Should I eat first, or not?"

Salamba Sarvangasana's alignment is delicate, complex—and upside down. Practicing it is an exercise in maintaining your attention.

Scott Blossom offers advice from ayurveda to help you get to sleep.

Can I combine yoga with a resistance training routine without overtaxing my muscles' ability to recover?

"I practice yoga regularly at home. I sprained my knee in an accident recently, and I'd like to know how to rehabilitate it."

Gurmukh offers advice for this common post-baby problem.

Gurmukh offers advice on using how women can use kegels.