Category: Yoga Poses

Sanskrit: Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana

OORD-vah pra-SAR-ee-tah eh kuh PAH-DAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Stretches and strengthens legs; Stimulates kidneys and liver; Improves memory and concentration

Standard Cues

Stand with your feet together and parallel. Bend forward from your hips with an exhale. Lengthen your torso as you come down. Reach your palms toward the floor on either side of your feet. Draw your kneecaps up and lift your sitting bones toward the sky. Shift your weight to your right foot. Reach your left foot back and up with an inhale. Draw your torso toward your thigh.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths. Lower your leg with an exhale. Change sides.

Short Cues and Options

Point standing knee forward
Square hips toward floor
Draw torso toward thigh
Relax neck
Lift raised leg parallel to the floor.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure.

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Sanskrit: Urdhva Hastasana

erd-vah ahs-TAHS-anna

Benefits

Stretches the entire body
Prepares the body for Yoga practice
Helps align the spinal column
Opens the shoulders
Improves digestion
Relieves mild anxiety and fatigue

Standard Cues

Stand in Tadasana (Mountain pose) with your feet together and arms at your sides.

Ground down through your feet by pressing evenly into the big toe, little toe, and heel.

As you inhale, sweep your arms out to the sides and then up toward the sky. Press your palms and fingers together, coming into prayer over your head.

With an exhale, release your shoulders away from your ears to open the chest. Draw your front ribs in, toward your spine, and lengthen your tailbone toward the ground.
Set your gaze up at your hands.

Hold this pose for a few gentle breaths. To release, lower your hands (in prayer) to heart center. If performing a vinyasa flow, exhale and hinge forward at the hips, coming into Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold).

Short Cues and options

Ground down through all four corners of the feet.
Keep your tailbone in a neutral position.
Lower the shoulders away from the ears.
Do not let the front ribs protrude forward—draw them down and in.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if you have shoulder or neck injuries

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Sanskrit: Urdhva Dhanurasana

OORD-vah dhah-noor-AH-sah-nah

Benefits

Stretches spine and chest, strengthens legs and arms
Stimulates respiratory, digestive and cardiovascular systems
Gives vitality and energy

Standard Cues

Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Bring your feet hip distance wide. Reach your arms up with an inhale.

Place your palms next to your head, fingers pointing toward your shoulders. Keep your forearms parallel.

Press your hands and feet into the floor with an exhale and very gently rest on the top of your head. Pause.

Straighten your arms and legs on your next exhalation. Press your chest forward. Let your head hang. Hold the pose and breathe normally.

Carefully lower your head and then whole body to the floor with an exhale.

Modification

Rise onto your head only and stay here for one breath

Short Cues and options

Broaden shoulder blades
Avoid compressing low back
Feet parallel, hip-width apart
Keep arms parallel

Precautionary Warnings

This Asana should only be learned from a Yoga teacher. Avoid this pose if you have a back injury, heart problems or high or low blood pressure.

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Sanskrit: Tolasana

toe-LAHS-anna

Benefits

Strengthens the arms and wrists
Strengthens and tones the abdominal muscles
Reduces stiffness in the knees and ankles
Stimulates the digestive system
Opens the hip joints

Standard Cues

Begin in Padmasana (Lotus pose).

Flex your feet, pressing your ankles into your thighs.

Place both of your palms on the floor, next to your hips.

Exhale and press down firmly through the palms of your hands. Engage the abdominal muscles, and lift the buttocks and legs off the floor.

Then slowly lower yourself down onto the mat. Switch your leg crossing, and repeat on the other side.

Short Cues and options

Do not push yourself into this posture. If you feel pain in your knees at any point, come out of the pose.
Keep your spine straight, reaching the crown of your head toward the sky.
Keep your chin parallel to the floor.
Lower your shoulders away from the ears.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if you have shoulder or wrist injuries

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Sanskrit: Tittibhasana

ti-tee-BHAS-anna

Benefits

Challenges and improves balance
Tones the internal organs
Strengthens the core, arms, wrists, and legs
Opens the hips

Standard Cues

Stand with your feet hip-distance wide and lower into a squat.

Lift your hips and place your palms on the floor behind your feet, shoulder-distance apart. Point your fingers forward and spread them wide.

Lower your hips and squeeze your outer arms with your inner thighs.

Shift your bodyweight into your hands. Then inhale and lift your legs from the floor, extending them straight out to the sides.

As you balance in the pose, gaze forward. Lift your pelvis, and press your thumbs and index fingers into the ground.

Stay in Firefly pose for a few breaths. Then exhale and release your feet to the ground.

Short Cues and options

Position your inner thighs high on the backs of the upper arms.
Press your thumbs and forefingers into the ground.
Lift your pelvis.
Release any tension in your neck.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if Arm, wrist, shoulder, or low back injuries

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Sanskrit: Samasthiti / Tadasana

sah-mah-stee-tee / TAHD-AH-sah-nah

Benefits

Improves posture
aligns spine
Calms nervous system
Promotes awareness

Standard Cues

Stand with your feet together. Allow your arms to hang by your sides, palms facing in. Reach the crown of your head toward the sky. Point your tailbone toward the floor.

Widen across your collarbones and relax your shoulders downward. Engage your core and thighs and lift your kneecaps up.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Short Cues and Options

Soft, steady gaze
Chin parallel to floor
Point tailbone toward floor
Lift kneecaps up
Body weight centered between heels and toes
Hands to the side palms facing front.
Check your alignment by practicing with your back to a wall.

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Sanskrit: Supta Virasana

soup-tah VEER-AH-sah-nah

Benefits

Stretches thighs and abdomen
Improves digestion and respiration
Redirects energy to the mind

Standard Cues

Begin in Hero. Lean back with an exhale, resting on your elbows.

Pause here for a moment.

Slowly lower your torso to the floor with an exhale. Grasp opposite elbows above your head with an inhale.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Carefully rise back onto your elbows with an inhale.

Pause here for a moment, then sit all the way up.

Modification

Stay on your elbows. Separate your knees slightly but keep thighs parallel.

Short Cues and options

Keep thighs parallel
Feet parallel, outside of hips
Lift tailbone up toward pubic bone

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid this pose if you have knee, back or ankle injury.

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Sanskrit: Supta Baddha Konasana

soop-tah bah-dha ko-NAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Stretches groins and knees
Stimulates reproductive organs
Lowers blood pressure
Relieves stress and anxiety

Standard Cues

Lie on your back. With an exhale bring the soles of your feet to touch and draw them toward your pelvis. Release your knees toward the floor.

Bring your arms several inches away from your torso, palms facing up.

Close your eyes.

Find stillness.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.

Supporting your knees with your hands, straighten your legs with an exhale.

Modification

Support your knees on blocks or blankets.

Short Cues and options

Soften belly
Tuck shoulder blades under
Relax knees but do not push toward floor

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid this pose if you have groin injury

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Sanskrit: Sukhasana

soo-KHAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Calms the brain and reduces anxiety
Begins to open the hips for Yoga practice
Stretches the knees and ankles
Strengthens the back
Relieves mental and physical fatigue

Standard Cues

Sit down on your mat with your legs extended in front of you in Dandasana (Staff pose).

Bend your knees and cross your legs inward, crossing one shin in front of the other.

Relax your feet so the outer edge of each foot is resting on the ground. Maintain a slight gap between your pelvis and your feet.

Bring your right hand to your right knee, and left hand to left knee. You can rest your hands here with your palms facing down, join the palms together in prayer, or position them in Guyan Mudra.

Close your eyes. Ground your sitting bones down and reach through the crown of your head to lengthen the spine.

Uncross your legs and repeat with the opposite shin forward.

Short Cues and options

Ideally, your pelvis should be higher than your knees. If your hips are tight, sit on a blanket or block.

Lengthen your spine through the crown of your head, keeping your chin parallel to the ground.

Focus on the breath, letting go of whatever you did before practice or whatever you need to do after. Go inside.

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid if you have a knee, ankle or hip injury.

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Sanskrit: Sirsasana

SHEER-SHAH-sah-nah

Benefits

Strengthens spine, arms and legs
Stimulates pituitary and pineal glands;
brings fresh blood to brain
Revitalizes mind and senses

Standard Cues

Begin kneeling and place your elbows on the floor. Clasp the outsides of your elbows with opposite hands. Release your hands but don’t move your elbows – keep this distance throughout the pose. Interlace your fingers and place the pinky fingers on the floor.

Place the part of your head on the floor. Cup the back of your head with your hands. Curl your toes under, straighten your legs and walk your feet in toward you.
With an inhale, bring one knee into your chest, then the other. Straighten your legs toward the sky with an exhale.

Fix your gaze at one point to balance. Press your elbows and wrists into the floor.

Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths. Lower your legs to the floor one at a time with an exhale.

Rest in Extended Child’s Pose for 30 seconds.

Note: Headstand should only be learned from a Yoga teacher. Always follow headstand with shoulderstand.

Short Cues and options

Press elbows and wrists into floor
Focus at one fixed point in front of you to balance
Draw ribs in
Draw shoulder blades toward sky

Precautionary Warnings

Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure, headache, back or neck injury, glaucoma, or a heart condition.

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