Abdominal Poses

In India, where Yoga began, squatting is a go-to pose for many of life’s daily tasks. Before there were chairs, counters and tables, women squatted on...

Chances are Parsva Balasana (Bird Dog Pose) does not have a 2,000-year history in the yoga tradition. More likely, the concept of a bird dog—symbol of one...

If you practice yoga, you probably favor some poses over others. Most of us like the poses that are easy for us as well as the...

Right off, I’ll say that the chances that Dekasana (Airplane Pose) is one of yoga’s ancient staple poses are slim. Unless an ancient yogi sage predicted...

Few members of the animal kingdom elicit more passionate reactions than snakes. Mostly known for their stealthy, slithery sinews and the venomous bites of some species,...

Have you ever been in a yoga class when someone (maybe you) experienced a spontaneous emotional event? Sometimes, especially in intensive workshop situations, a new physical...

Hatha Yoga is the combination of postures and breathing practices. For centuries, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika defined physical yoga practice. Most of the 15 poses described...

When we hear the word “core,” most of us think of the abdomen. Strengthening the core means a “flat stomach” or “washboard abs.” In fact, Americans...

Over the centuries, the bow and arrow has symbolized everything from birds in flight to a phallus to the path of a sadhu, the most direct...

When we think of balancing poses,  Vrksasana (Tree Pose) or Hasta Padangusthasana (Standing Big-Toe Pose) often come to mind. But standing on one foot is not the...

Some schools of yoga teach that it’s best not to practice on the two ends of the moon’s cycle—the full and new moons. The theory is...

What’s an eight-syllable name that, when spoken by a yoga teacher, elicits fear (or at least, a groan) in roughly half the population that practices yoga?...

One of the physical benefits of practicing yoga asanas is the development of balance. This is something our four-legged friends don’t have to worry about. But...

One of my favorite things about writing about asana practice is that in the process of researching poses, I often learn something new. Even as I...

As a child, Anjaneya was a tad over-confident. Considering his origins, this is hardly unexpected. Born to Anjana (a supernatural woman) and Kesari (king of the...

Years ago, Judith Hanson Lasater posed this question in a workshop I was attending: “Who should practice backbends?” After students offered a few answers I don’t...

Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) is a pose that teaches us how to ground and expand simultaneously. In Trikonasana, we root deep into the earth and align ourselves...

If I had to pick the most complicated asana that’s regularly practiced, Parvrtta Trikonasana would be among the top few. Parvrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle) is a...