• Yoga

  1. Mountain Pose
  Sanskrit: Tadasana

  
  
  

  How to do it>

  
  

  Stand with your feet together or hip-width apart. Ground down through the four corners of your feet. Roll your shoulders away from your ears, draw your shoulder blades down your back, and lift the crown of your head. Engage your thighs, draw your belly button in, and lengthen up through the spine. Turn your palms facing the front of the room. Relax your jaw and unfurrow your brow. Breathe easy. The 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.

• Yoga

  2. Chair Pose
  Sanskrit: Utkatasana

  
  
  

  How to do it>

  
  

  Start in Mountain Pose. As you inhale, raise your arms, spread your fingers, and reach up through your fingertips. As you exhale,sit back and down as if sitting into a chair. Shift your weight toward the heels and lengthen up through the spine. As you inhale,lift and lengthen through your arms. As you exhale, sit deeper into the pose. The benefits This heating standing pose (give it a minute, you’ll feel the burn) strengthens your legs, upper back, and shoulders. As a bonus, you’ll have an opportunity to practice patience as your thighs work hard. Just remember to breathe.

• Yoga

  3. Triangle Pose
  Sanskrit: Trikonasana

  
  
  

  How to do it>

  
  

  Stand with feet wide, 3–4 feet apart. Shift your right heel out so your toes are pointing slightly inward. Turn your left foot out 90 degrees. Line up your left heel with the arch of your right foot. Keeping both legs straight, ground through your feet. Lift arms into a T at shoulder height. Reach forward with your front arm. When you can’t reach anymore, hinge at the front hip. Bring your front arm down to your shin, a foam block, or the ground. Lift your back arm up toward the sky and spread your fingers. Take your gaze down to the floor or up toward your lifted hand. The benefits While this pose can be challenging for those with tight muscles, it will help promote balance, stretch the hamstrings and inner thighs, and create a feeling of expansion in the body.

• Yoga

  4. Tree Pose
  Sanskrit: Vrksasana

  
  
  

  How to do it>

  
  

  Start in Mountain Pose. Find a fixed point in front of you and stare at it to help you balance. As you inhale, shift the weight into your left foot and lift your right foot an inch off the floor. Using your right hand, bring the foot to your shin or inner thigh. Avoid placing your foot directly on the knee. As you exhale, ground through the standing leg and lengthen through the crown of your head. Bring your palms to touch in front of your sternum into prayer hands. The benefits This pose helps improve concentration and your ability to balance by strengthening the arches of the feet and the outer hips.

• Yoga

  5. Bound Ankle Pose
  Sanskrit: Baddha Konasana

  
  
  

  How to do it>

  
  

  Sitting on the floor, bend knees and open them out to the side 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 spine. You can also hold onto your ankles and hinge forward at the hips. Pro tip: If you’re feeling stiff, sit on the edge of a blanket to help your forward fold. The benefits You’ll give your inner thighs and groin a nice stretch, while the forward bend creates a calming, cooling effect.

• Yoga

  6. Corpse Pose
  Sanskrit: Savasana

  
  
  

  How to do it>

  
  

  Lie faceup, bringing your legs to the outer edges of your mat, like a starfish. Splay your feet out to the sides. Place arms along sides, palms facing up. Close your eyes and relax. The benefits Yep, it’s as simple as it sounds. Every yoga class includes Savasana, which relaxes the whole body and gives you space to absorb the benefits of the practice.

• Yoga

  7. Plank Pose
  Sanskrit: Kumbhakasana

  
  
  

  How to do it>

  
  

  Start in Downward-Facing Dog. Shift forward so your shoulders are stacked over your wrists. Draw your navel in toward your spine and keep your hips from dropping. Reach heels back as you lengthen the crown of your head forward. Ground down into hands, pushing the floor away beneath you. Lengthen through the arms and broaden your chest. Pro tip: Come down to your knees if the pose is too intense. The benefits Considered one of the best moves for core strength, Plank Pose strengthens your abdominals and promotes stability.

• Yoga

  s 8. Bow Pose
  Sanskrit: Dhanurasana

  
  
  

  How to do it>

  
  

  Lie facedown, roll your shoulder blades down the back, and send your arms back behind you. Bend your knees so that your feet are near your butt. On an inhale, lift your upper body and legs off the floor, keeping the hips grounded. Reach back to grab outer ankles. Use the leverage to lift your body up and broaden across the chest. The benefits This backbend stretches the whole front of the body, especially the chest and the front of your shoulders. It also gives a nice massage to your abdominal organs.