Yoga poses (also called asanas) are at the heart of the physical practice of yoga. Although there are many different types of yoga, the same group of poses ties almost all of them together. However, the yoga pose canon is always expanding. There are only a handful of poses that come from the earliest surviving yoga sources, and they are largely seated poses for meditation. In fact, the word asana means seat.
Learn beginners' yoga poses with these step-by-step, in-depth instructions. Start with an understanding of proper alignment to reduce your risk of injury and build a safe foundation for more advanced asanas to come.
Standing poses, which strengthen the legs and core, are some of the first foundation poses you will learn, including yoga's most well-known pose, downward facing dog. Other basic standing poses include mountain pose, warrior poses, extended side angle, triangle, and half moon pose, which are all included in this eight classic standing poses flow sequence.
Seated poses are focused on deep stretching and often include forward bends. The first seated poses you will learn include staff pose, cobbler's pose, and easy pose, which is simply a comfortable cross-legged position. For more, check out at our library of 20 seated poses.
Twists are a wonderful way to cultivate spinal mobility, which helps keep back pain at bay. Twists can be done in the standing, sitting, or supine positions. The Sanskrit word parivrtta, which means revolved, in the name of a pose clues you in that it's going to be a twist. Seated spinal twist is a popular option, as are revolved triangle and revolved side angle.