Yoga for Beginners

Discover the meaning behind all the birds in yoga—and how to incorporate it into your practice.

Find proper alignment in Pigeon Pose, then practice it often, and those stiff, tight hips will start to feel open again.

There are quite a few animal yoga poses. Have you ever wondered how they got their names?

Check out Desirée Rumbaugh's author page.

Check out Desirée Rumbaugh's author page.

Relax yet remain alert, balancing the restorative and the active in Supta Padangusthasana.

Backbends can bring up resistance and fear. But facing it with regular, safe practice, they begin to feel fab.

Before you go for big backbends, master the basics.

Baron Baptiste details the components of a basic power yoga sequence.

Check out Baron Baptiste's author page.

Tony Sanchez offers advice for approaching headstand cautiously to avoid injury.

Tony Sanchez gives advice on how to assess your own readiness for more advanced yoga poses in your practice.

Embrace the stability and expansion of Triangle Pose to ground your body and steady your mind.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

What do I wear for a yoga class? It's a common concern for beginner yogis to wonder what to wear so they're comfortable.

If you can't afford to take a class, what is the best path to take in beginning a practice at home?

Want to start an inversion practice? Here's what you need to know about the when and why.

How to alleviate pain in Savasana if long days at your desk and computer cause you to tighten up.

How often you should be doing yoga as a beginner? Learn how a consistent practice at home can help you make progress.

Natasha Rizopoulos shares her tips for camel pose—to improve the pose and relieve pain in the upper back.

Check out Natasha Rizopoulos's author page.

Natasha Rizopoulos explains where and how you can start with pranayama, yoga breathing.

Find poses that help with insomnia to get a restful night's sleep.

Check out Leslie Peters's author page.

Frazzled nerves? Let’s bring things down a notch.

A pose to restore your energy.

Your mom was right: You'll look better and feel great if you stop slouching and stand up straight. Yoga can help you do just that—in a way that honors your spine's natural curves. Here's a guide to assessing and improving your posture.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Check out Jaki Nett's author page.

Check out Sarah Powers's author page.

Check out Tias Little's author page.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, gives advice on asanas for people suffering from emphysema.

Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, offers advice for students who feel uncomfortable with partner poses.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Try this series for a practice that promises to increase flexibility.

Think like a kid and take a seat. Find out how Sukhasana, aka the Pose of Happiness, encourages a natural sense of ease. Just try it.

Learn how to warm up for and modify pigeon pose to ease knee pain.

Richard Rosen explains the meaning of bridges in yoga philosophy, shedding new light on Bridge Pose.

Great for beginners, Bridge Pose preps you for bigger backbends and brings you into the present moment.

One-legged poses give us a chance to find our center of gravity and dance around its edges. Here's how to still the wobbling and create a sense of fluid stability.

Every day is different. Tune in before your practice to decide if you need more yang or more yin to balance your energy.

Check out Baxter Bell's author page.

Mary Dunn offers advice for identifying plateaus in your practice and working with them.

Check out John Schumacher's author page.

Check out John Schumacher's author page.

Check out Mary Dunn's author page.

Check out Jaki Nett's author page.

Check out Jaki Nett's author page.

When life has you dying to curl up into Child's Pose, try empowering Boat Pose instead to recharge your spirit.

Check out Tim Miller's author page.

A Beginner's Guide to Yoga's Key Inversions: Learn how to face your fear of going upside down and why it's so worth doing.

Richard Rosen ponders what draws us to the yoga mat and keeps us coming back.

An eye opener, Parsvottanasana can shine light on easy-to-overlook truths.

Your antidote to stress: At least 10 minutes to breathe and surrender in restorative Viparita Karani.

Open tight shoulders and an achy back in this beginner-friendly seated twist, Marichyasana III.

Check out Baxter Bell's author page.

Learn to make mindful decisions about how and when to use yoga props and when to do without.

Get tips for how to approach and begin practicing more advanced yoga poses.

Learning how to relax takes time. Fortunately, you can practice on your mat and use these tips anytime.

Use this guide to the basic principles of yoga sequencing to learn how to plan your home practice with intelligence and skill.

Check out Baxter Bell's author page.

Check out Baxter Bell's author page.

Check out Baxter Bell's author page.

Check out Baxter Bell's author page.

Check out YJ Editors's author page.

Baxter Bell gives advice on how one can use yoga for weight loss.

Yoga teacher Jaki Nett investigates restorative yoga for fertility. Learn which poses have the best possible benefits to aid fertility and conception.

Check out Baxter Bell's author page.

Check out Cyndi Lee's author page.

Check out Jaki Nett's author page.

Check out Jaki Nett's author page.

Check out Jaki Nett's author page.

Check out Jaki Nett's author page.

Check out Jaki Nett's author page.

Check out Jaki Nett's author page.

That most familiar of asana sequences, Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) is as rich in symbolic and mythic overtones as it is in physical benefits.

Meditation and mindfulness don't have to only happen sitting down. Learn how to incorporate your mindfulness in motion and your entire practice.