Yoga Poses
The heart of any yoga practice is the routine of yoga poses which is called asanas. Hence, each yoga poses has specific physical and mental benefits. Specifically, there are yoga poses for various levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced.
Common Yoga Poses for Beginners
Downward Facing Dog or Down Dog
Benefits: Stretches and strengthens the whole body. Also can help in relieving back pains.
How to do it: Try to bend your knees, looming onto the balls of your feet, taking the belly to rest on the thighs and the sit bones up high. After that, sink your heels, straightening the legs keeping the high upward rotation of the sit bones. Also try bending the arms to some extent out to the side, drawing the chest towards the thighs. Then straighten the arms.
Extended Side Angle Pose
Benefits: Strengthens and stretches the groins, legs, and hamstrings. Opens the chest and shoulders.
How to do it: From downward facing dog, bring the right foot forward next to the right hand. Drop the left heel down to the floor. Then, bend the right knee so the calf and thigh are at a right angle with the thigh parallel to the floor. Bring the right hand inside or outside the right foot and the left arm up toward the ceiling, opening the chest and heaping the left shoulder on top of the right. If the right hand does not comfortably reach the floor, take a block under the hand so that you can still open the chest.
Raised Hands Pose
Benefits: Improves posture, opens shoulders, strengthens thighs
How to do it: Bring your arms out to the side and up. Press the palms together, keep the arms straight and take the gaze up towards your thumbs. Slide the shoulder blades down the back. Then, maintain your alignment.
Standing Forward Bend
Benefits: Stretches and lengthens the hamstrings.
How to do it: Swan dive the arms out to the side while folding forward. Make sure the fold comes from the hips, intensifying the hip creases, and not from the back. Bring the fingertips in line with the toes and press the palms flat. Engage the quadriceps muscles of the thighs. The more you use your quads the more the hamstrings, which are the muscles on the back of the thighs, will open up. Bring your weight a little bit forward into the balls of your feet so that your hips stay over the ankles. Let your head hang.
Head to Knee Pose
Benefits: Stretches the hamstrings.
How to do it: Bend your knee and bring the sole of the left foot to your inner right thigh. Then, square your torso over the extended right leg and begin to forward bend over that leg. Keep the right foot bended and keep pressing the back of the right thigh down towards the floor. In order not to collapse the back, keep the heart center lifted as long as possible as you come forward. When you reach your limit, bring the heart and head down towards the extended leg. On each inhale, extend the spine long and on each exhale, deepen the forward bend. You may hold onto the extended leg or place the hands on the floor wherever they reach.
Common Yoga Poses for Intermediates
Eagle Pose
Benefits: Strengthens legs, stretches the shoulders, improves balance.
How to do it: Put your weight onto the right leg. Then, bring the left leg up and cross the left thigh over the right. Hook the left foot around the right calf. Bring the arms out in front. Cross the right arm over the left and bring the palms to touch. Lift the elbows while keeping the shoulders sliding down the back. Hold 5-10 breaths. And finally repeat on the other side.
Knee to Ankle Pose
Benefits: Opens the hips
How to do it: First, bend the knees. Then, bring the right shin parallel to the front of the mat. Stack the left ankle directly on top of the right knee, bringing the left shin parallel to the right. Flex both feet. And repeat on the other side.
Side Plank Pose
Benefits: Strengthens the arms and spine. Preparation for more challenging arm balances.
How to do it: Shift your weight onto your right arm as you roll onto the outside of your right foot. Keeping the both feet flexed, heap the left foot on top of the right with the legs very straight. Bring the left arm up to the ceiling and the stare to the left fingertips. After several breaths, roll back the center and do the other side, resting in Downward Facing Dog between the two sides if you like.
Headstand Pose
Benefits: Calms the mind. Strengthens the legs, arms, and spine. Also improves balance.
How to do it: Come to your hands and knees with the wrists beneath the shoulders and the knees beneath the hips. Bring your elbows to the floor forearm’s distance apart. Interlock your fingers, putting the outermost pinky underneath. Place the crown of your head on the floor cupped by your interlaced fingers. Bring the hips up as if coming into Downward Facing Dog. Walk the feet in towards your head until your hips are over your shoulders. Kick up one leg and then the other.
Common Yoga Poses for Advanced
Resolved Half Moon Pose
Benefits: Strengthen the ankles and thighs, cleanses the organs, and improves balance
How to it: Soften the right knee and bring the right hand to your hip. Place the left hand flat on the floor about a foot in front of the right foot. Begin to straighten the right leg while simultaneously kicking up the left leg parallel to the floor. Twist the torso towards the right, bringing the right arm up toward the ceiling and the stare up to the right fingertips. Hence, keep both hips squared towards the floor.
Firefly Pose
Benefits: Strengthens the wrists, forearms and abdomen. Stretches the hamstrings.
How to do it: Come into a wide legged standing straddle. Bend your knees and bring your palms flat on the floor just under your feet. Bend the elbows back. Then begin to shift your weight back to rest on your upper arms and bring the feet up off the floor. Straighten the legs. Finally, begin to straighten the arms.
Forearm Stand
Benefits: Strengthens the arms, shoulders, abdominals, and back. It also improves balance.
How to do it: Come to the wall. And bring the forearms and palms flat against the floor. Bend the elbows bringing the upper arms perpendicular to the forearms. Come up into Downward Facing Dog with the legs. Then, walk the feet in towards the hands as much as possible. Bend one knee and begin to kick up with the opposite leg. Remember that the head stays up off the floor. The stare should be down at the floor.
Scorpion Pose
Benefits: Strengthens the abdominals, shoulders, and back.
How to do it: Bend the knees and lift your head and bring your feet close to your head as you come into a deep backbend. Then, knees will separate but always keep the toes together.