Postures and benefits

 

Adho mukha svanasana (downward facing dog)

Lengthens spine.  Lengthens hamstrings.  Stretches calves.  Strengthens legs & arms.  Relaxes heart.  Warms up shoulders.  Prepares for inversion.  Relieves fatigue, headache, back pain, & insomnia, improves digestion, and energizes entire body.

 

Agnistambhasana (double pigeon)

It’s very deep hip opener.  Stimulates abdominal organs.  Calms mind.  Relieves anxiety, tension, and stress.

 

Ardha baddha Padma pascimottanasana (half bound lotus posterior stretch)

Stretches hamstrings and back.  Quiets mind.  Massages abdominal organs.  Opens hips.

 

Ardha matsyendrasana (half lord of fish)

Stimulates liver and kidneys.  Stretches shoulders, hips, and neck.  Energizes spine.  Relieves mild backache, hip pain, menstrual discomfort, fatigue, and sciatica.  Therapeutic for asthma and infertility.

 

Ardha navasana (half boat)

Strengthens back.  Upper abdominal toning.  Reduces backaches by strengthening spinal muscles.  Builds core strength for inversions.

 

Ardha chandrasana 1(half-moon 1)

Creates space inside ribs, spine, arms and shoulders.  Opens lateral body.  Stimulates kidneys, spleen, and liver.

 

 

Ardha chandrasana 2(half-moon 2)

Strengthens abdomen, ankles, thighs, buttocks, and spine.  Stretches groins, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, chest, and spine.  Releases tension in SI joint.  Improves coordination and sense of balance.  Helps relieve stress, improves digestion.  Builds confidence, sense of expansion, and freedom.

 

Baddha konasana (bound angle)

Stimulates abdominal organs, ovaries, prostate gland, bladder, and kidneys.  Stimulate heart and improves general circulation.  Stretches inner thighs, groin, and knees.  Helps relieve mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue.  Soothes menstrual discomfort, and sciatica.  Helps relieve symptoms of menopause.  Therapeutic for flat feet, high BP, infertility, and asthma.  Improves digestion.

 

Bakasana (Crow)

Strengthens wrists and abdominal muscles.  Helps to develop a sense of balance.  Creates a round spine helping to relieve low back.  Builds courage, confidence, and focus.

 

Balasana (child)

Quietens mind, and draws one’s focus inward.  Arms to one side is more calming to neck and shoulders.  Stretching hands forward lengthens spine and prepares for down dog.

 

Bharadvajasana (Sage Bhardvaja’s pose)

Stimulates liver and kidneys.  Stretches shoulders, hips, and spine.  Relieves mild low back pain, neck pain, and sciatica.  Aids in stress relief.  Improves digestion.  Therapeutic for carpal tunnel syndrome.  Great for women in second trimester of pregnancy, strengthens low back.

 

 

 

Bhekasana (frog)

Stretches ankles, thighs, groins, abdomen, chest psoas hip flexors, and throat.  Strengthens back muscles.  Improves posture.  Stimulates abdominal organs.  Therapeutic for flat feet.

 

 

Bhujangasana (cobra)

Tones muscles of back spine.  Opens chest and abdomen.  Improves posture.  Prepares for deeper back bends.

 

Bhujapidasana (shoulder squeeze)

Strengthens wrists and abdominal muscles.  Develops balance.  Creates a rounding in spine that allows low back to release.  Builds confidence and courage.

 

Marjaryasana/ Bitilasana (Cat/ Cow)

Stretches back torso and neck.  Provides a gentle massage to spine and belly organs.

 

Chaturanga dandasana (four limbed staff)

Strengthens shoulders and wrists.  Warms up shoulders.  Strengthens inner core muscles.

 

(Crescent lunge/ high lunge)

Stretches groins.  Strengthens legs and arms.

 

Dandasana (staff)

Stretches spine and shoulders.  Opens chest.  Improves posture.

 

 

 

 

Dhanurasana (bow)

The contact of belly and pelvis to earth makes this backbend invigorating (energizing) and grounding.  Supports elimination (rejection).

 

Koundinyasana (Sage Koundinya’s pose)

Helps build strength in arms and wrists.  Tones belly and spine.  Builds confidence and focus.

 

Eka pada rajakapotasana (one leg king pigeon)

Deep hip opener.  Stretches buttock muscles.  Stretches psoas of back leg.  Allows students the space to find their edge.  Teaches students to use their breath to find ease and surrender in this strong hip opening pose.

 

Garudasana (eagle)

Brings flexibility to ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders.  Rinses out the joints by squeezing both sides of body into one another.  Release upper back.  Helps to develop a sense of balance and strong concentration.  Relieves leg cramps.

 

Gomukhasana (cow’s face)

Opens chest, shoulders, hips, and outer leg line.  Good for knees.  Releases neck.

 

Halasana (plough)

Relaxing and cooling restorative posture.  Stimulates abdominal organs and the thyroid gland (aids in balancing metabolism).  Stretches shoulder and spine.

 

 

 

 

Hanumanasana (full split)

Stretches thighs, hamstrings, and groin.  Stimulates liver and kidneys.  Teaches students to use their breath to find surrender in this deep stretch.

 

Hasta padangusthasana (hand to big toe)

Strengthens legs.  Stretches hamstrings.  Improves balance.

 

Janu sirsasana (head to knee)

Calms brain, relieves mild depression.  Stimulates liver and kidneys.  Improves digestion.  Helps relieve symptoms of menopause.  Helps relieve insomnia by resetting sleep-awake cycle.  Stretches hamstrings and low back.  Lowers BP.  Relieves headache, anxiety, fatigue, and menstrual discomfort.

 

Jathara parivartanasana (revolved abdomen)

Massages abdominal organs.  Variation with bent knees helps give relief for back pain.  Aids in relieving strain in low back and hips.

 

Kurmasana (tortoise)

Helps stretch back and legs.  Improves functioning of digestive and respiratory systems.  Stimulates abdominal organs.  Helps to spread out shoulders and hips.  Aids in relaxation of neck, head, and shoulders.  Releases lumbar and sacrum areas.

 

Malasana (garland)

Stretches back, ankles, and groin.  Massages abdominal organs.

 

Maricysana (Marici = ray of light/ sun)

Calms brain.  Stretches shoulder, hamstrings, and spine.  Stimulates liver and kidneys.  Improves digestion.

 

Natrajasana (dancer)

Lengthens quadriceps.  Stretches shoulders, chest, groin, and abdomen.  Opens heart.  Strengthens legs and ankles.  Improves balance.

 

Navasana (boat)

Strengthens back.  Tones lower abdominal muscles.  Helps reduce low back aches by strengthening spinal muscles.  Builds core strength for inversions.  Helps reduce gas and bloating (swelling).

 

Padahastasana (foot to hand) & Padangusthasana (big toe)

Lengthens hamstrings and spine.  Prepares body for deeper inversions, and pascimottanasana.  Tones internal abdominal muscles.  Calms mind and helps reduce stress.  Stimulates liver and kidneys.  Stretches hamstrings and calves.  Strengthens thighs.  Improves digestion.  Helps relieve symptoms of menopause.  Helps relieve headache and insomnia.  Helps relieve carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.

 

Padamasana (lotus)

Calms mind.  Good for pranayama and meditation.  Compacted shape of legs provide great stability for spine to lengthen, keeping mind attentive.  Stimulates pelvis, spine, abdomen, and bladder.  Eases menstrual discomfort and sciatica.  Consistent practice of pose until late into pregnancy is said to help childbirth.

 

Parivrtta ardh chandrasana 2 (revolved half-moon 2)

Strengthens standing leg.  Spine rotation.  Balancing on one leg.

 

Parivrtta janu sirsasana (revolved head to knee)

Stimulates liver and kidneys.  Improves digestion. Stretches hamstrings, sine, and shoulders.

 

Parivrtta parsvakonasana (revolved side angle)

Messages abdominal organs.  Relieves lower back pain.  Increases stamina.  Helps aid in digestion and elimination.  Strengthens and stretches legs, ankles, and knees.  Improves balance.

 

Parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle)

Strengthens and stretches legs.  Stretches hips and spine.  Opens chest to improve breathing.  Relieves mild back pain.  Stimulates abdominal organs.  Improves sense of balance.

 

Parivrtta utkatasana (revolved chair/ revolved fierce)

Strengthens legs, knees, ankles, and spine.  Creates heat and brings a sense of power and strength.  Teaches how to lift and expand upper body while descending hips.  Stretches shoulders and chest.  Stimulates abdominal organs, diaphragm, and heart.  Massages abdominal organs improving digestion.  Releases paraspinal muscles along spine to help relieve low back pain.  Reduces flat feet.

 

Parsvakonasana (side angle)

Strengthens and stretches legs, knees, and ankles.  Stretches groins, spine, waist, chest, lungs, and shoulders.  Stimulates abdominal organs.  Aids in elimination. Increases insomnia.

 

Parsvottanasana (pyramid)

Calms mind.  Stretches spine, shoulders, and wrists.  Stretches hamstrings and hips.  Strengthens abdominal organs.  Improves posture and balance.  Improves digestion.

 

 

 

Pasasana (noose)

Stretches and strengthens ankles.  Stretches spine, groin, and thighs.  Opens chest and shoulders.  Stimulates abdominal organs.  Improves digestion.  Improves posture.

 

Pascimottanasana (western intense stretch or seated forward fold)

Calms brain, relieves mild stress and depression.  Stretches shoulders, spine, and hamstrings.  Stimulates liver, kidneys, ovaries, and uterus.  Improves digestion.  Helps relieve symptoms of menopause and menstrual discomfort.  Soothes headaches, anxiety, and reduces fatigue.

 

Pinca mayurasana (forearm stand)

Rejuvenates entire body.  Releases shoulder girdles (waist belt).  Strengthens upper body.  Handstand prep.  Warms spine and shoulders for deep backbends.  Warms spine for twists.

 

Plank pose (uttihita chaturanga dandasana)

Strengthens arms, wrists, and spine.  Tones abdomen.  Tones internal abdominal organs.

 

Prasarita padottanasana (wide leg intense stretch)

Strengthens and stretches inner and outer thighs.  Stretches spine and ankles.  Tones abdominal organs.  Calms mind.  Rests heart.  Relieves mild backache. Prepares body for deeper inversion.

 

Purvottanasana (eastern intense stretch or front extension)

Strengthens arms, wrists, and legs.  Stretches shoulders, chest, and front of ankles.  Counter pose to chaturanga dandasana, and forward bends because it opens shoulders and chest.

 

Salamba sarvangasana (shoulderstand)

Calms mind. Reverses blood and energy flow.  Helps to regulate digestion.  Opens chest.  Stretches cervical spine.  Supports immune system.  Lowers blood pressure.  Stimulates thyroid and parathyroid.

 

Savasana (Corpse)

 

The Corpse yoga pose is one of the most important postures. It is meant to rejuvenate your mind and body after practice while also allowing you to shift your attention to your inner-self. The benefits: lowering your blood pressure, calming you and giving your body the opportunity to absorb all of the benefits you worked out for.

 

Setu baddha, Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge)

The Bridge yoga pose is a great front hip joints opener while also it strengthens your spine, opens chest, and improves your spinal flexibility in addition to stimulating your thyroid. This pose brings many benefits to your body, such as relief from stress, anxiety, insomnia and it helps you with your depression.

 

 

Shalabhasana (locust)

Strengthens back and spine muscles.  Relieves sacrum pain.  Aids in elimination and digestion.  Prepares for deeper back bends.  Strengthens and helps heal hamstring injuries.

 

Sirsasana (headstand)

Clams body, and increases awareness and clarity.  Stimulates pineal glands.  Strengthens arms, legs, spine, and lungs.  Tones abdominal organs.  Aids in digestion.  Aligns chakras.  Help to heat body.

 

Standing splits (eka pada anjanyasana/ urdhva prasarita eka padasana)

Calms mind.  Stimulates liver and kidneys. Stretches hamstrings, calves, and thighs.  Strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles.

 

Sukhasana (easy)

Calms mind.  Good for pranayama and meditation.  Strengthens back.  Stretches hips.

 

Supta padangusthasana (reclining big toe)

Stretches hips, thighs, hamstrings, groins, and calves.  Strengthens knees.  Stimulates prostate gland.  Improves digestion.  Relieves backache, sciatica, and menstrual discomfort.  Therapeutic for high BP, flat feet, and infertility.

 

Surya namaskara (sun salutation)

Allows for connection of movements with breath.  Creates inner focus.  Creates awareness of inner-sun.  Internally heats body.  Standing poses in sun salutation are grounding, thus build awareness.  Forward bend and halfway lift elongates spine, stretch hamstrings, and cleanse digestive system.  Plank and four-limb staff poses engage arm muscles, shoulders, chest, and abdomen.  Upward facing dog stretches upper body, opens chest, and frees breathing.  Downward facing dog works muscles in entire body and calms nervous system.

 

Tadasana (mountain)

Helps balancing, grounding, make self-aware and aligned. Strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles.  Improves posture.  Relieves sciatica.  Reduces flat feet.

 

 

Tittibhasana (firefly)

Stretches inner groins and back torso.  Strengthens arms and wrists.  Tones belly.  Improves sense of balance.

 

Tolasana (scale)

Strengthens abdominal muscles.  Strengthens arms.

 

Trianga mukha ekapada pascimottanasana (three limb facing one leg posterior stretch)

Stretches hamstrings of lengthened leg.  Rinses out lymph nodes under bent knee; rinses out old energy, and flushes in fresh energy and blood.  Stretches entire back of body.  Allow for a very deep bend over lengthened leg, which makes pose very restorative.  Rinses out abdominal organs.

 

Trikonasana (triangle)

Stretches and strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles.  Stretches hips, groins, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, chest, and spine.  Stimulates abdominal organs.  Helps relieve stress.  Improves digestion.  Helps relieve symptoms of menopause.  Relieves backache, especially through second trimester of pregnancy.  Therapeutic for anxiety, flat feet, infertility, neck pain, osteoporosis, and sciatica.

 

Upavista konasana (upward wide angle forward fold)

Opens hips.  Stretches inner thighs and hamstrings.  Lengthens spine.  Strengthens core.

 

 

Urdhva dhanurasana (upward bow or wheel)

Big heart opener.  Opens entire front side of body, and contracts backside of body.  Cultivates courage and vulnerability.  Uplifting and exhilarating.  Opens chest, lungs, and shoulders.  Strengthens legs and nervous system for pranayama.  Stretches belly.  Tones spine.  Eases depression.

 

Urdhva prasarita padasana (leg lift)

Tones abdominals.  Strengthens lumber section of back.  Tones quadriceps and iliopsoas.

 

Urdhva hastasana (upward hand)

Teaches how to straighten arms.  Teaches how lifted arms work as opposing force against grounding of legs to create balance.  Opens rib cage.  Palms facing each other teaches external rotation of arm bones.  Warms shoulders for deeper stretches.  Invigorating and opening.

 

Urdhva mukha svanasana (upward facing dog)

Tones and rejuvenates muscles of spine.  Opens chest.  Increases blood circulation in pelvis.  Strengthens arms and legs.

 

Ustrasana (camel)

Stretches front of body.  Opens heart center.  Strengthens spine.  Tones kidneys.

 

Utkatasana (fierce/ chair)

Strengthens legs, knees, ankles, and spine.  Creates heat and brings a sense of power and strength.  Teaches how to lift and expand upper body while descending hips.  Stretches shoulders and chest.  Stimulates abdominal organs, diaphragm, and heart.  Reduces flat feet.

 

Uttanassan (standing forward fold)

Lengthens hamstrings and spine.  Prepares body for deeper inversions.  Allows body and mind to rest between challenging poses and sequences.  Prepares body for seated forward fold as it is easier when standing.  Tones internal abdominal organs.  Teaches surrender and vulnerability.  Calms mind.

 

Vasisthasana (side plank)

Strengthens wrists.  Warms up shoulders for more challenging postures.  Tones legs.  Uplifting pose that creates strength and courage.

 

Viparita karani (legs up the wall)

Restorative inversion suitable for all levels.  Reduces fatigue.  Lowers BP.  Quietens and calms mind.  Opens up chest which helps to deepen breath.

 

Virabhadrasana 1 (warrior 1)

Stretches chest and lungs; shoulders, and neck; belly and groins (psoas).  Strengthens and stretches thighs, calves, and ankles.  Provides feeling of grounding, strength, power, and courage.

 

Virabhadrasana 2 (warrior 2)

Tones legs, feet, and ankles.  Opens pelvis and groins.  Tones arms.  Creates heat.  Provides feeling of grounding, strength, power, and courage.

 

Virabhadrasana 3 (warrior 3)

Strengthens ankles and legs.  Strengthens shoulders and back muscles.  Tones abdomen.  Improves balance and posture.

 

 

 

Veerasana (hero)

Stretches the quadriceps, knees, and ankles.  Pose is used for opening class, pranayama and/ or meditation.  Flushes out lymph nodes behind knees.  Strengthens arches of feet.  Improves digestion.  Helps relieve symptoms of menopause.  Reduces swelling of legs during pregnancy through second trimester.  Therapeutic for high pressure and asthama.

 

Vrksasana (tree)

Tones legs.  Opens thighs.  Improves balance.  Strengthens knees, ankles, and gluteus medius of standing leg.