Cow Pose (batilasana) is an easy and gentle way to warm up the spine and release tight back muscles to prepare for asana practice in general and for backbends in particular.
Cat Post (marjayasana) is a gentle way to warm up the spine and activate the inner core in sync with the breath.
Lotus seat (padmasana) with hands in a mudra help with grounding before asana or meditation practice and mudras help to focus on particular aspects of the self.
Prayer Squat / Garland Pose (malasana) stengthens and stretches our ankles and groins as well as lower back. Keep your heels on the floor. If your heels don’t reach the floor, roll up a blanket and support your heels.
Half Lord of Fish Pose (ardha matsyendrasana) energizes the spine and stimulates the digestive fire.
Cow Face Pose (gomukhasana) with hands in prayer as a modification for tight shoulders
Cow Face Pose (gomukhasana) with hands in prayer behind the back as a beautiful heart-opening variation
Cow Face Pose (gomukhasana) calming seated pose, lenghtens tight hamstrings and hips, shoulder-opener
Lotus Seat (padmasana) combined with a twist and bind – grip of the big toes
Lizard Pose (utthan pristhasana) This pose counteracts the effects of our modern day lifestyle with too many hours spent sitting. It stretches the groin and inner hamstrings while preparing the body for deeper hip openers. It is beneficial to aid with indigestion, constipation and sciatica but should be practiced with caution if any knee injuries are given.
One-Legged King Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) is the king of hip openers – supine threat the needle and half pigeon are poses that prepare for this pose.
Tortoise Pose (kurmasana) is a deep inversion aiming at drawing all senses inwards
Standing Poses, Standing Balances
Goddess Squat (Utkata Konasana), also known as the Fiery Angle Pose, is performed to build inner heat and to harness physical, emotional, and energetic challenges. This pose supports you when you have difficulties speaking your inner truth. This pose stretches the inner thigh, groin and hip areas. It tones and strengthens the core muscles, strengthens the quadriceps and inner thigh muscles, restores the shoulders, arms and upper back, heats the body and increases circulation. For pregnant women: Goddess pose prepares the body for childbirth by creating more room in the pelvis. Practice with caution if you had any hip injuries.
Wide-legged forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana) tones the inner side of the legs and abs, calms the mind, relieves mild backaches. Be cautious with this pose when experiencing intense backaches. Stretches the backside of the legs and the spine.
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II) is a great pose to build stamina. It strengthens and stretches the legs and ankles, opens chest, lungs, and shoulders, and is therapeutic for carpal tunnel syndrome, flat feet, osteoporosis, sciatica, and lower back pain. Practice with caution when you have high blood pressure, diarrhea, and any neck problems.
Peaceful Warrior (shanti virabhadrasana) improves back flexibility and back pain, strengthens your legs, feet and abdominal muscles, opens the hips and stretches the arms. It lengthens and stretches the torso and spine. Keep your inner core engaged while practicing this pose to support the weight of your torso. Keep your feet firmly grounded to support a stable stance. Breathe evenly in and out.
Devoted Warrior is a variation of Warrior II. It emphasizes ahimsa (non-violence) where the warrior while standing his ground and expressing calmness and stamina is still committed to peaceful and non-harming actions.
Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana) stretches the thighs, groin, and opens the chest. Practice with caution if you have any issues with your heart. Keep your spine long rather than curled to protect your lower back, prevent sciatica, and pressure to your lumbar discs.
Tree Pose (Vrksasana) is an all levels standing balance. It tones thighs, calves, ankles, and spine, stretches the groins and inner thighs, improves sense of balance, relieves sciatica, and reduces flat feet. Practice with caution when are experiencing headache, insomnia, low blood pressure, vertigo, and high blood pressure (don’t raise your arms over head).
Eagle Pose (Garudasana) builds strength, flexibility, stamina and focus. It strengthens and stretches the ankles and calves, stretches the thighs, hips, shoulders, and upper back, and improves sense of balance. Numerous lymph knots are stimulated during this pose, making it perfect to assist with detox. It pretty much like giving yourself a lymph drainage. Students with knee injuries should avoid this pose.
Standing Head-To-Knee Pose (Dandayamana Janushirasana) is a great pose to build focus, balance, stamina, and flexibility. You can do both: stand your ground and humbly bow down. Besides the obvious benefits such as stretching the spine, shoulders, hamstrings, and groins, it also has a calming effect on the brain and helps relieve mild depression. It stimulates the liver and kidneys, improves digestion, helps relieve the symptoms of menopause, relieves anxiety, fatigue, headache, and menstrual discomfort. It is considered therapeutic for high blood pressure, insomnia, and sinusitis. Practice with caution when you have asthma, diarrhea, or knee injury.
Extended Hand-To-Big-Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangustasana) is an advanced standing balancing pose. It strengthens the legs and ankles, stretches the backs of the legs, and improves sense of balance. Always warm-up well before practicing this pose. Actively press your extended leg (big toe) into the hand to support balance during this pose. Practice with caution and maybe wall support when experiencing ankle or low back injuries. Use yoga strap around extended leg to modify until flexibility improves. Practice as Reclined Extended Hand-To-Big-Toe as a modified, beginner-friendly version.
Inversions
Wide-legged forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana) tones the inner side of the legs and abs, calms the mind, relieves mild backaches. Be cautious with this pose when experiencing intense backaches. Stretches the backside of the legs and the spine.
Standing Forward Fold (uttanasana) is a deep stretch inversion. It is practiced to calm the brain and relieve stress and mild depression. It stimulates the liver and kidneys, stretches the hamstrings, calves, and hips, strengthens the thighs and knees, and improves digestion. Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause, reduces fatigue and anxiety, relieves insomnia, and is therapeutic for asthma, and high blood pressure. Don’t practice this pose while menstruating, having headaches or migraines, and intense lower back pain.
Head-To-Knee Forward Bend (Janu Sirsasana) is a great pose that can be practiced by all levels of students. Besides the obvious benefits such as stretching the spine, shoulders, hamstrings, and groins, it also has a calming effect on the brain and helps relieve mild depression. It stimulates the liver and kidneys, improves digestion, helps relieve the symptoms of menopause, relieves anxiety, fatigue, headache, and menstrual discomfort. It is considered therapeutic for high blood pressure, insomnia, and sinusitis. Practice with caution when you have asthma, diarrhea, or knee injury. Don’t flex the injured knee completely and support it on a folded blanket.
Shoulder Stand (sarvangasana) stimulated the endocrine system and balanced the nervous system. In hatha and some other yoga systems, head stand (sirsasana) is called the king, and shoulder stand (sarvangasana) is called the queen. Just as a country cannot thrive without a strong and effective king (or head of state), a person cannot thrive without a strong and healthy brain. As for sarvangasana, regular practice of it is thought to create harmony in the nervous and endocrine systems, just as a mother creates harmony in the home and the queen creates harmony in her country. While shoulder stand (sarvangasana) can be practiced by itself, head stand (sirsasana) should always be practiced together with sarvangasana.
Plow Pose (Halasana) is another pose that teaches us to mind our own business and not be so distracted by the noises around us in the world. It calms the brain, stimulates the abdominal organs and the thyroid gland, stretches the shoulders and spine, helps relieve the symptoms of menopause, reduces stress and fatigue. Do not practice this pose with acute lower back or neck injuries, diarrhea, during menstruation, nor if you have asthma and high blood pressure.
Plow Pose (Halasana) is another pose that teaches us to mind our own business and not be so distracted by the noises around us in the world. It calms the brain, stimulates the abdominal organs and the thyroid gland, stretches the shoulders and spine, helps relieve the symptoms of menopause, reduces stress and fatigue. Do not practice this pose with acute lower back or neck injuries, diarrhea, during menstruation, nor if you have asthma and high blood pressure. This variation of halasana teaches us to listen within.
Tortoise Pose (kurmasana) is a deep inversion aiming at drawing all senses inwards
Head Stand (sirsasana) increases blood flow to the brain, improving memory and alertness but also a state of equanimity and balance. In hatha and some other yoga systems, sirsasana is called the king, and sarvangasana (shoulder stand) is called the queen. Just as a country cannot thrive without a strong and effective king (or head of state), a person cannot thrive without a strong and healthy brain. As for sarvangasana, regular practice of it is thought to create harmony in the nervous and endocrine systems, just as a mother creates harmony in the home and the queen creates harmony in her country. While shoulder stand (sarvangasana) can be practiced by itself, head stand (sirsasana) should always be practiced together with sarvangasana.
Head Stand (sirsasana) increases blood flow to the brain, improving memory and alertness but also a state of equanimity and balance. In hatha and some other yoga systems, sirsasana is called the king, and sarvangasana (shoulder stand) is called the queen. Just as a country cannot thrive without a strong and effective king (or head of state), a person cannot thrive without a strong and healthy brain. As for sarvangasana, regular practice of it is thought to create harmony in the nervous and endocrine systems, just as a mother creates harmony in the home and the queen creates harmony in her country. While shoulder stand (sarvangasana) can be practiced by itself, head stand (sirsasana) should always be practiced together with sarvangasana. Here is a variation of sirsasana with eagle legs
Head Stand (sirsasana) increases blood flow to the brain, improving memory and alertness but also a state of equanimity and balance. In hatha and some other yoga systems, sirsasana is called the king, and sarvangasana (shoulder stand) is called the queen. Just as a country cannot thrive without a strong and effective king (or head of state), a person cannot thrive without a strong and healthy brain. As for sarvangasana, regular practice of it is thought to create harmony in the nervous and endocrine systems, just as a mother creates harmony in the home and the queen creates harmony in her country. While shoulder stand (sarvangasana) can be practiced by itself, head stand (sirsasana) should always be practiced together with sarvangasana. Here is a variation of the sirsasana with legs in lotus.
Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana) energizes you and strengthens your arms, legs, abdomen, and spine. To prepare for this pose practice back bends such as bow and sphinx pose, shoulder openers such as extended puppy pose, low lunge and camel pose to lengthen your quads and psoas.
Heart Openers
Cow Face Pose (gomukhasana) with hands in prayer behind the back as a beautiful heart-opening variation
Peaceful Warrior (shanti virabhadrasana) improves back flexibility and back pain, strengthens your legs, feet and abdominal muscles, opens the hips and stretches the arms. It lengthens and stretches the torso and spine. Keep your inner core engaged while practicing this pose to support the weight of your torso. Keep your feet firmly grounded to support a stable stance. Breathe evenly in and out.
Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana) stretches the thighs, groin, and opens the chest. Practice with caution if you have any issues with your heart. Keep your spine long rather than curled to protect your lower back, prevent sciatica, and pressure to your lumbar discs.
Camel Pose (ustrasana) is a beautiful heart opener. It stretches the entire front of the body, the ankles, thighs and groins, Abdomen and chest, and throat. It lengthens the hip flexors (psoas), strengthens the back muscles and thus improves posture. It stimulated the inner organs. It helps relieve mild backaches, menstrual cramps, and fatigue. Don’t practice if you experience insomnia, migraine, high or low blood pressure, or serious low back or neck injury.
Wild Thing (Camatkarasana) opens up chest, lung, and shoulder areas. Opens the front of the legs and hip flexors Builds strength in shoulders and upper back. It relieves fatigue and mild depression. Practice with caution when you have a rotator cuff injury or carpal tunnel syndrome. One poetic translation of Camatkarasana means “the ecstatic unfolding of the enraptured heart.”
Bow Pose (dhanurasana) stretches the entire front of the body, ankles, thighs and groins, abdomen and chest, and throat, and deep hip flexors (psoas). Simultaneously it strengthens the back muscles, improves posture, stimulates the organs of the abdomen and neck, relieves constipation, fatigue, anxiety, and menstrual cramps. Practice with caution when experiencing high or low blood pressure, migraine, insomnia, and serious lower-back or neck injury.
Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana) energizes you and strengthens your arms, legs, abdomen, and spine. To prepare for this pose practice back bends such as bow and sphinx pose, shoulder openers such as extended puppy pose, low lunge and camel pose to lengthen your quads and psoas.
Twists and Binds
Lotus Seat (padmasana) combined with a twist and bind – grip of the big toes
Half Lord of Fish Pose (ardha matsyendrasana) energizes the spine and stimulates the digestive fire.
Variations of Side Plank (vasisthasana), here with a bind in half lotus, are great to strengthen the inner core, shoulders, and sense of balance. Here is a variation with legs in half-lotus and the arm going behind the back to bind with the big toe.
High lunge is another pose that is part of the Sun Salutation (surya namaskar) and foundation to many other poses building leg strength and a sense of grounding. Here practiced with a bind underneath the front leg which requires to open the shoulders and chest to maintain stability and flow of breath.
Arm Balances
Four-Limbed Staff Pose (chaturanga dandasana) can be practice in a flow sequence or can be hold longer hovering over the mat. Make sure not to dip the upper body lower than the rest of the body while lowering down to avoid shoulder cuff injury. Keep your elbows really close to your body and engage your back muscles.
Crow Pose (bakasana) one of my favorite hand balances – opens the door to a whole chapter of arm balance variations. It strengthens the abs and arms, and builds an ease of focus.
Lotus Seat (padmasana) lifted and balanced on two hands – learn how to carry your own weight.
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya I (Eka Pada Koundinyasana I) requires a twist from the abdominal center, arm balance, and leg awareness. My kids always say that I look like a break dancer in this pose which makes me laugh.
Head Stand (sirsasana) increases blood flow to the brain, improving memory and alertness but also a state of equanimity and balance. In hatha and some other yoga systems, sirsasana is called the king, and sarvangasana (shoulder stand) is called the queen. Just as a country cannot thrive without a strong and effective king (or head of state), a person cannot thrive without a strong and healthy brain. As for sarvangasana, regular practice of it is thought to create harmony in the nervous and endocrine systems, just as a mother creates harmony in the home and the queen creates harmony in her country. While shoulder stand (sarvangasana) can be practiced by itself, head stand (sirsasana) should always be practiced together with sarvangasana.
Core Strength
Variations of Side Plank (vasisthasana) are great to strengthen the inner core, shoulders, and sense of balance. Place your weight supporting arm directly under your shoulder, setting it up like a pillar. Whenever practicing variations of side-plank be mindful about your balance to protect your shoulder, and continue to breathe evenly. If any expression of this pose ever gets to strong for you that you have to hold your breath, back up a little bit, reconnect to your breath and then continue to practice from there.
Variations of Side Plank (vasisthasana), here with an extended leg, are great to strengthen the inner core, shoulders, and sense of balance. Here is a variation of plank combined with hand-to-big-toe pose.
Variations of Side Plank (vasisthasana), here with a bind in half lotus, are great to strengthen the inner core, shoulders, and sense of balance. Here is a variation with legs in half-lotus and the arm going behind the back to bind with the big toe.
Boat Pose (paripurna navasana) stengthen the inner core and the hip flexor and is also known as a hip balancing pose. Keep your spine long, avoid slouching. Maintain even diaphragm breathing while holding this pose.
Four-Limbed Staff Pose (chaturanga dandasana) is a pose of Sun Salutation (surya namaskar) and great to build core, arm and shoulder strength as a foundation for various other yoga poses.
Four-Limbed Staff Pose (chaturanga dandasana) can be practice in a flow sequence or can be hold longer hovering over the mat. Make sure not to dip the upper body lower than the rest of the body while lowering down to avoid shoulder cuff injury. Keep your elbows really close to your body and engage your back muscles.
