Practice Yoga

Get the most out of 
yoga nidra with this 
exclusive preparatory practice from 
Sri Dharma Mittra.

You're going to like how this feels.

Learn how to create elasticity and strength in Revolved Abdomen Pose in preparation for Parsva Bakasana.

Excuses to get out of yoga? We’ve heard 'em all. That’s what makes us love these excerpts from the new book The Yoga Man(ual) so much. Here, 10 guys share how they came around to embracing the practice—and what keeps them coming back to their mat.

Often used in meditation, pranayama, and asana, this mudra helps lift dull energy, creates a more receptive state, calms the mind, and brightens the overall mood.

This mudra connects us to our higher Self, helps lift dull energy, creates a more receptive state, calms the mind, and brightens the overall mood. It is often used in meditation, pranayama, and asana.

Garuda Mudra is named after the eagle that Vishnu—the lord of preservation—rides. It can help you cultivate the discipline you need to stick with your daily yoga practice when life gets busy.

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.

Master teacher Sianna Sherman takes us step by step through Padma Mudra.

Draw inspiration from this hand gesture representing the purity and perseverance of the lotus flower floating above the muddy waters of desire, fear, and attachment.

Representing a continuous flow of energy, use this mudra to calm and focus your mind and improve your attitude.

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

Ganesha Mudra is named after the Hindu deity who removes obstacles. Use it relieve stress and tension and lift your spirits.

Use this mudra to find the courage to keep your heart open and loving, especially during those difficult times in your life when fear, hate, or anger pull you away

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.

Give your body what it craves.

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!

Open your chest and shoulders and 
challenge your balance as you move step by step into Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II.

Open your hips and stabilize your knees to refine your Warrior I with Carrie Owerko, who leads Yoga Journal's Iyengar 101 course.

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.

Break a sweat and feel empowered—in 20 minutes or less.

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.

Use this mini sequence—from Down Dog to Half Moon Pose—as a fun moving meditation to find core and leg stability that may help you balance, even momentarily, in Handstand.

A chair practice offers the pregnant body support and helps to create the space it so desperately needs. This sequence feels so good that you will want to continue with it—even after baby.

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 three fun variations of Utthita Trikonasana (Triangle) show you how to practice and play with this pose.

Re-ignite your practice by forgoing the familiar in favor of the fresh. Here are some ideas to get you started.

This sequence will cultivate the curiosity, stamina, and strength you need to move deeper into your yoga practice and make lasting change in other areas of your life.

The following sequences draw from ancient Taoist and Tantric energy practices as well as modern science.

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.

This basic technique has the power to transform life’s challenges.

Hip openers aren’t always the answer.

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.

You probably know that your diet should change with the seasons, but according to Ayurveda, even your pranayama should be tweaked three times a year. Here's how to do it.

Annie Carpenter dove deep into the core at YJ LIVE! San Diego, offering accessible alignment cues and a creative sequence to help maximize core stability.

Yoga teacher Giselle Mari shows you how to use your chakras to resolve any negativity or emotional issues holding you back so you become a lighter, brighter version of you.

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!)

Every yogi can melt hip tension with this Monkey Pose sequence (with mods!) from the yoga teacher, body-positive advocate, and Instagram star.

The quest to press into Handstand can look like a lifelong journey for most of us, but Primal Yoga creator Liz Arch is full of game-changing tricks. Use this creative drill to refine your core strength—then practice your press.

Amy Ippoliti is masterful at breaking poses down into their individual components, making them accessible and beneficial for all levels and body types. Here, her creative and thorough new pathway to Urdhva Dhanurasana.

Vata governs the body’s changes during pregnancy, but can easily be thrown out of balance. Practice the following Vata-focused sequence to help balance and nourish your pregnant body.

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.

The six poses, adapted from the Yoga for Climbers online course developed by pro climber and yogi Heidi Wirtz and Climbing magazine, will help you stay strong and flexible so you can climb harder and stay injury free.

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.

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.

Move step by step with power and balance into Ganda Bherundasana.

Open your chest and shoulders and strengthen your arms, back, and core with these prep poses for Ganda Bherundasana.

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

Coral Brown, a licensed mental-health counselor and senior Prana Vinyasa Flow teacher, shares four great mudras for this time of year.

Not only is Liz Arch's practice powerful, she also has an incredibly kind spirit despite having been the 
victim of domestic violence. Find her story here.

Get strong and flexible so you can climb harder and stay injury-free with his sequence is adapted from the Yoga for Climbers online course

In honor of the Fall Equinox, yin yoga teacher Danielle March offers a sequence to help you gain some perspective and insight on your own summer growth.

Tyrone Beverly and Coby Kozlowski offer practices to take your yoga more than pose deep. Infuse your asana with empowering affirmations and your life off the mat with yogic principles for authentic transformation.

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

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

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.

Benjamin Sears has devised a plan for the week to help you strengthen the foundation of your home practice. Get ready to take it to the next level with twisting lunge variations, abdominal work, and hip openers.

Use this sequence by Benjamin Sears to set the tone for a strong, daily home practice. Take our daily practice challenge in honor of national yoga month, right here.

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.

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.

Colleen Saidman Yee, who leads our upcoming Yoga for Inner Peace online course, explains the importance of getting in touch with your roots as part of your personal journey toward inner peace.

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.

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.