POPULAR YOGA ASANAS
Mountain / Tadasana
How to do it:
Stand with feet together. Ground down evenly through feet and lift up through the crown of your head. Lift your thighs. Lengthen up through all four sides of your waist, elongating spine. Breathe easy.
Benefits:
It may seem like you're, well, just standing there, but bear with us—this is the blueprint for all other poses. It promotes balance and directs your attention to the present moment.
Chair / Utkatasana
How to do it:
Start in mountain pose. Raise arms and reach up through fingers. Sit back and down as if sitting into a chair. Shift weight toward heels, and lengthen up through torso.
Benefits
This heating standing pose (you'll feel the burn!) strengthens your legs, upper back, and shoulders.
Downward Facing Dog / Adho Mukha Svanasana
How to do it:
From all fours, walk hands one palm's length in front of you. Tuck toes and lift hips up and back to lengthen your spine. (If you're inflexible, keep your knees bent in order to bring your weight back into the legs.) Press into your hands, firm your outer arms, and reach your upper thighs back toward the wall behind you.
Benefits
This classic pose opens your shoulders, lengthens your spine, and stretches your hamstrings. Since your head is below your heart, the mild inversion creates a calming effect.
Warrior II / Virabhadrasana II
How to do it:
Stand with feet wide, about 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart. Turn left foot in slightly, and turn right foot out 90 degrees to the side. Line up front heel with the arch of your back foot. Bend front knee to 90-degree angle, tracking the knee with the second toe to protect the knee joint. Stretch through your straight back leg and ground down into back foot. Reach arms out to shoulder height, shoulder blades down and palms wide, and gaze over the front fingers.
Benefits
A pose with "warrior" in its name may not sound very zen, but this standing pose can help calm and steady your mind. Tougher than it looks, it also strengthens your legs and ankles and increases stamina.
Triangle / Trikonasana
How to do it:
Stand with feet wide apart. Turn left toes in slightly and rotate right thigh open until right toes point directly to the side. Keeping both legs straight, ground through your feet and pull your thighs up. Spread arms wide at shoulder height, roll your front thigh open and hinge at the front hip. Lengthen your spine toward the front foot and release bottom palm to the front ankle, a yoga block (placed outside the front ankle), or the seat of a chair.
Benefits
While this pose can be challenging for inflexible people, it will help promote balance, stretch the hamstrings and inner thighs, and create a feeling of expansion in the body.
Tree / Vrksasana
How to do it:
Start in mountain pose. Bend one knee, using hand to bring foot into upper inner thigh. (If this feels difficult, bring the foot to the shin below the knee, or use the wall for balance.) Press into your standing foot, and lengthen up through the crown of your head.
Benefits
This pose helps improve concentration and your ability to balance by strengthening the arches of the feet and the outer hips.
Bridge / Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
How to do it:
Lie faceup with knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and arms at sides. Keep feet parallel and hip-width apart, heels stacked under knees. Roll upper arms open to expand chest. Ground through outer upper arms, root down into heels, and reach knees forward to lift the hips off the floor. Shimmy your shoulders under your chest and interlace your fingers. (Hold onto the sides of your yoga mat to create more space if your shoulders are tight.)
Benefits
This energizing backbend opens your chest and stretches your neck and spine. It can calm the mind, reduce anxiety, and help improve digestion.
Bound Angle / Baddha Konasana
How to do it:
Sitting on the floor, bend knees and open them wide like a book. Join the soles of your feet together while sitting upright. Place fingertips on the floor directly behind you and lengthen up through the entire spine. You can also hold onto ankles and hinge forward at hips. (Sit up on blankets if inner thighs are tight.)
Benefits
You'll give your inner thighs and groins a nice stretch, while the forward bend creates a calming, cooling effect.
Corpse / Savasana
How to do it:
Lie faceup, separating legs and letting feet splay apart. Place arms along sides, palms facing up. Close eyes and relax.
Benefits
Yep, it's as simple as it sounds. Every yoga class includes a savasana, which relaxes the whole body and gives you space to absorb the benefits of the practice. Namaste.