11 Yoga Poses to Build Full-Body Strength
No kettlebells required.
It’s hard to say what is a beginner, intermediate, or an advanced yoga sequence because every body is different. Someone with tight hamstrings might find a pose with a deep stretch difficult, while that same person can nail every Arm Balance they encounter. So how did we break down our yoga sequences by level? We categorized each yoga sequence in a way that we feel a beginner or advanced yogi can quickly find something that works for them. But please browse each section and use your intuition or consult a doctor before trying anything you feel is not safe for your body.
These vital muscles help stabilize your entire body.
No kettlebells required.
Are you ready for a restful night?
Loosen up before your practice.
Your lower back will thank you.
Can’t concentrate? Give your mind and body a break with these beginner-friendly poses.
Take a few minutes for yourself today.
Not sure how to sequence on your own? Here’s everything you need to know.
Sometimes less is more.
Say hello to more creativity, confidence, and calm.
Slow down and soothe discomfort.
Even 5 minutes of decompressing can make sleep less elusive.
When fatigue and frustration settle in, perhaps it's time to pause and come back to yourself.
When Sun Salutations feel good, they feel very, very good. But even subtle misalignments can make the sequence feel impossibly challenging. Here's what you need to know.
Plus nerve flossing stretches to try at home.
Constantly helping others can be energizing and exhausting all at once. This calming practice reminds you how to help yourself.
Know you're not going to have time for a full class? Sneak this strengthening sequence into your morning instead.
Practicing yoga for just a few minutes in the morning can offer exponential payoff—and not just in terms of productivity.
Sometimes you need to challenge your body in order to quiet your mind.
Gearing up for warmer weather and an active season? Add these invigorating poses to your practice.
Building strength isn't as hard as you think. It just takes practice—and these beginner-friendly poses and instructions for how to take them further.
You don't need to tell us that waking up can be hard. But these simple stretches can help.
Loosen up those tight hips—and let go of whatever you’re holding onto—with this short sequence.
Get some calm in before the day even starts.
No props, no problem! All you need for this calming Yin Yoga sequence is yourself and a desire to come to your practice.
Channel more confidence, creativity, and joy in your life with a basic understanding of your body's energy centers.
A practice to empower your day.
Make Sun Salutations more accessible by using a chair as a prop.
Improve your golf swing with these targeted poses for core strength and upper-back mobility.
These poses will help you prep for your next Zoom dance party (who doesn't need a good energetic release right now?)
Radical self-compassion is essential for the health and wellness of all human beings. Yoga provides a powerful way to practice it with our own bodies before practicing it with others. This flow is ideal for quickly honoring your body with both gentle movement and rest.
Even if you have chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, or autoimmune diseases like Lyme or rheumatoid arthritis and have to spend part (or most) of the day in bed, you can still reap the benefits of Sun Salutations.
Home is a feeling, not a place. Whether you are traveling or recently relocated, this sequence will help you find home within yourself.
Try this simple sequence the next time noises—external or in your head—feel overwhelming. Duck into a private space, put your phone on airplane mode, and practice moving with your breath.
Powerful alternates that move your hips in all directions.
Also known as: how to perform at your best.
I always felt that yoga offered more than a great stretch or workout. It gave me a way to connect with others and myself at the same time. You can find a bit of that feeling in this sequence.
Find your inner fire on the mat.
Use this sequence to find refuge from the clutches of chronic illness.
The founder of the American Viniyoga Institute shares insight on Viniyoga practices and a sequence for helping to manage addictive behavior.
Schuyler Grant, co-creator of Wanderlust and founder of Kula Yoga Project, shares her sequencing strategies for inversions.
Get deeper into your poses and stretches with a best friend or yoga partner.
There’s a good chance you’re not working your back side as often as you should be.
A practice to help you feel your best.
We know that life can be overwhelming and stressful sometimes. Here, 30 different sequences that will help during those hectic times (and this week).
Want to to learn how to really embody your breath in order to take bigger, deeper breaths and rest more fully as a result? Read on.
Transform your quarter-life crisis into a calling.
Plus, five smart ways to stabilize your muscles so you stay safe.
True intimacy is connecting with your most authentic self.
You are enough. Recognize your worth and own who you are with this sequence.
It’s not always the right time to “open your heart.”
Plus, 8 poses that helped these trauma survivors heal.
You can’t bypass rage and skip ahead to forgiveness. Anger is a necessary and appropriate response to situations in which we’ve been physically or emotionally harmed, manipulated, or deceived. Here, domestic violence survivor and yoga teacher Liz Arch shares a sequence for releasing anger by truly feeling it first.
Working with the side body can be a powerful way to foster trust that anything is possible. Here’s a practice for the next time you’re craving limitless potential.
Want to challenge your stability and coordination? Grab a yoga bolster and try these four surprising moves.
Yoga can help teenagers be more at peace with their bodies and hear the messages of their own heart more clearly.
There’s no need to wait until you arrive at your destination.
Move beyond body positivity and focus on finding your true self. This sequence, designed as a vehicle to help you turn your gaze inward and identify the instrument of authenticity inside you, will leave a lasting impression.
It’s all too easy to put ourselves down. Here’s how to use your practice to stop, once and for all.
Even after a disagreement has ended, the effects can linger. Here’s how to foster communication and love after a fight.
Falling out of Tree Pose? Learn how to build a solid foundation from the ground up with these yoga sequences that target the leg muscles.
Learn how to go with your gut.
Remember what the season is really about?
Before you know it, Chaturanga will be a breeze.
Keep your abs and stomach strong and fit with these yoga poses to fire up the core and strengthen the rest of the body.
Looking to release tension or tightness in the neck and shoulders? These 10 sequences will help support your yoga practice with poses to release pain and strengthen the upper body.
Here’s how one yoga teacher’s relationship with her mother has evolved thanks to their shared yoga practice. Plus, a customizable sequence to inspire you to practice with your mom, too.
Whether you’re looking to find more compassion in your life or simply want to counteract the effects of sitting at your computer all day, this supportive and strengthening yoga sequence will awaken your heart, body, and mind.
This Pride month sequence cultivates self-compassion and self-acceptance. Not only will it help you heal, it will inspire you to help others in their journey toward self-love.
Seems like there's no better time than International Day of Yoga to remember our interconnectedness with all human beings—and do something to help promote the well-being of everyone. Here, master teacher Amy Ippoliti shows us how.
You don’t need a juice cleanse or cabbage diet to detoxify this summer. This sequence will improve your digestion, boost your strength and flexibility, and leave you feeling great.
Spring is a time of regeneration, growth, and expansion. However, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), spring can also be a time when feelings of irritability, frustration, or anger sink in. This free-flow sequence can help.
This empowering sequence from #YJInfluencer Denelle Numis will help you overcome fear and take on your next big challenge.
If you practice Kundalini Yoga, you know you have 10 bodies, not one. Here's the lowdown on all 10 bodies, plus a sequence to awaken them.
When overcome by feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy in response to hard-to-swallow current events, yoga teacher (and mom) Nancie Carollo turns to the potent practice of surrender.
This strong, balanced sequence is designed to ground you even as life's craziness swirls around you.
When it’s simply not enough to dedicate a yoga practice or #prayfor____, this sequence is designed to ground and focus you, open your heart, and prime your body to be of functional service to those in need. From there, yogis, ask yourself how you can take your practice off the mat.
Infuse your yoga practice with energy, stability, and balance by combining asana with high-intensity interval training.
Need a boost? Expect this sequence from Valerie Sagun (aka Big Gal Yoga) to open your heart, silence negative thoughts, ease stress—and show you everything there is to love about your body.