1. The ardha-chandra-asana is a basic stretching and balancing pose that benefits principly the lower back, abdomen and chest. It isequally suitable for use in your stretching routine as well as formal asana.
2. Welcome to Yoga Journal, the world's most respected yoga brand. Browse our list of yoga poses, study up on Ayurveda, take a life-altering Master Class with one of our top yoga teachers, and deepen your practice with an online yoga course.

1. Yoga Poses Pdf Chart
2. Basic Yoga Poses

Jan 26, 2018 - Yoga can bring balance to your life, as well as physical, mental, and spiritual cohesion. Here are some basic poses to help men get started.

Partner Yoga You've found our online gallery of 50 Partner Yoga poses for lovers and friends. We hope it brings you a stronger and more flexible body, a deeper connection with your partner, and a whole lot of fun. In most cases, instructions can be followed by both partners at once. I've used feminine pronouns to match the photos and the majority of practitioners, but men are of course more than welcome to try. As you practice, pay close attention to your partner's body as well as your own. You can develop signals like squeezing or tapping, once for 'more' and twice for 'enough'.

Always move with awareness and respect your partner's level of strength and flexibility. Synchronized breath, eye contact and smiles can also add a lot to the practice. You can use the arrows or the thumbnails on the left to explore. Be well and enjoy!

Seated Meditation Sukhasana, Siddhasana or Padmasana Sitting back-to-back lets partners offer each other support, so their core postural muscles can relax. This enables calmer bodies that can go more smoothly into meditation. Synchronized breathing can lead to a deep kinesthetic communication. Partners can try a double breath, inhaling and exhaling together, or practice a yin-yang breath by inhaling as their partners exhale. A strong energetic connection will form as chakras interact and auras overlap. The practice is not suitable for introspective meditation, but mindfulness meditation with a focus on the partner can be quite rewarding. Ego may be reduced as consciousness recognizes itself in another incarnation.

Metta meditation can also deepen empathy and compassion here. The Taoist microcosmic orbit can be done in tandem, and pranic energy can pass through joined palms. This practice fosters intimacy, equality and mutual respect between partners.

It should not replace independent meditation as a central practice, but it can be beneficial, relaxing, and fun. Initial Greeting Namaste Before or after meditating together, partners can sit facing each other and offer a simple greeting, like a seated bow and a gesture of namaste. This can become less formal or more elaborate, and it can develop into a detailed ritual if so desired. Partners can share words written/spoken or quoted/original; they can offer gifts and feed each other fruit or chocolate; or they can practice sustained eye contact, potentially during trataka. These more Tantric practices are obviously very intimate and not suitable for all partners, but they can add another dimension to the connection and communication that occurs during partner yoga, and partner meditation. Seated Twist Parivritta Sukhasana Sit cross-legged back-to-back and lengthen your spine upward. Turn both your shoulders to the right and reach your right hand to your partner's left knee.

Straighten your back as you inhale, and exhale into a deeper twist, perhaps pulling on your partner's knee for leverage. Allow yourself to relax, be aware of yourself and your partner, and adjust the depth of the pose to suit your flexibility.

After several slow and deep breaths, slowly return to the center and repeat, this time twisting to the left. Seated Side Bend Parsva Sukhasana Sit cross-legged back-to-back. Touch your right hand (and your partner, her left) lightly to the floor while keeping both of your sitting bones grounded. Lengthen your left shoulder away from your left hip, without collapsing your right side. Reach upward and rightward with your left hand. If you're shorter than your partner, hold her forearm nearer the elbow.

If your core is strong you might reach your right hand up as well, thus entering an unsupported side bend. If your left sit-bone lifts or your lower back complains at all, pull back from the stretch. Facing Twist Parivritta Sukhasana II Sit cross-legged facing your partner, with your knees almost touching hers. Reach your left arm toward your partner's left waist, and reach your right arm behind your own left waist.

Join hands with your partner on both sides. Deepen her twist by pulling her right hand with your left. Keep your own right shoulder stable and safe by countering her pull a bit.

As with every seated twist, keep length in the front body and keep the pelvis and shoulders level and parallel. Repeat this pose by twisting to the left. Child's Pose & Fish Balasana & Matsyasana Have your partner rest in child's pose.

Sit down on her hips, touching your tailbone to hers and facing away from her. Then slowly lower yourself down so your whole back rests on top of hers. If it's more comfortable to rest higher or lower on her back, then do so. You can extend your arms out to the sides or upward for a deeper chest opener. You can bring your feet in closer and lift your knees a bit if you feel too much stretch in your lower back. This pose can be very soothing for both partners, and a yin-yang breath will suit it well.

Final Relaxation Pose Savasana Lay down in savasana with your head at your partner's feet and your sides close to touching. You can hold hands here, aligning the center of your palm with your partner's. You might also shuffle yourself farther down (i.e. Bring your head closer to hers) until you can rest your hand comfortably on your partner's chest, her heart chakra, or another chakra of your choice. Practising this pose together can be very intimate and it isn't suitable for all partners, but if both partners are on board it can forge a strong energetic connection and build feelings of trust. Acro Yoga This is a whole different type of partner yoga, with many possibilities that aren't shown here.

To see an advanced practice, check out this. To give it a try, you'll ideally have a few square meters of mat space and a third person to spot you for safety.

The stronger partner (the 'base') can lie on the floor and raise both legs up to 45°. The more flexible partner (the 'flyer') can place her front hips on the base's feet, so the center of each forefoot aligns with the matching iliac crest. The flyer can reach forward/down to join hands with the base, who will bend her knees just slightly and lift the flyer up to balance on her feet.

The flyer should keep her front core engaged for support, and her back active for energetic lift. The base should keep her hips and stomach strong and stable; wider elbows can help with lateral weight shifts.

Both partners need to trust each other and be very attentive to each other's movements, so this is a great exercise to build teamwork. If a solid balance is achieved, the second partner can release her hands and raise her arms and legs into locust pose.

For another foundational pose, the flyer can sit on the base's feet and find a balance (and potentially a backbend) while facing up. If you want to get seriously into acro yoga practice, make sure you do it safely: find a good teacher in your area, and use a spotter every time.

Staff Pose & Handstand (Square Pose) Dandasana & Adho Mukha Vrikshasana This is one of several ways to work on your handstand with a partner. Both partners can guide their shoulders towards their ribs and their elbows backward, thus bringing their torsos in line with their arms.

The top partner can even try a handstand push-up if she's very fit. If she's not quite there yet, she can lower slowly into a tripod headstand, mightily pushing the floor the whole time and landing with her head on a folded mat or cushion. Downward Dog & Handstand Adho Mukha Svanasana & Adho Mukha Vrikshasana Have your partner come into downward dog. Plant your hands in front of hers as shown, and lift one leg over her so you're in a forward bend straddling her arms. Bring one foot onto her sacrum, placing it carefully to avoid the movable vertebrae of her lower back. Shift your weight to your arms to keep your legs light, and slowly lift your other foot onto her sacrum as well. Now open your shoulders and walk your hands closer if necessary to align your arms into a handstand.

You can also push with your forefeet to bring your partner's front hipbones closer to her knees, thereby deepening her hamstring stretch. For a fun variation, walk closer to your partner and anchor your chest between their shoulder blades. Then lift your legs up and over your head, so you're in handstand scorpion with your partner giving you balance. Extended Forward Leg Pose Utthita Padangusthasana Stand facing each other, one leg's length away, with your partner's left hip in front of your own.

Raise your right leg into your parter's left hand, and balance there with your knee straight and your foot flexed. You can bend your elbow to deepen your partner's stretch, and possibly lift her foot onto your shoulder; but for proper alignment all of your knees should stay straight. For a more challenging balance, stand with your right arm in front your partner's right leg, and lift your right leg up into her hand. Supported Wheel Pose Salamba Urdhva Dhanurasana This pose feels wonderful and is one of my all-time favorites. Stand facing your partner and hold hands, with your right in her left and vice versa.

Swing your arms up and to the right, leading your partner and turning so you're standing back-to-back. Reach upward and outward, bringing your partner in close and touching your tailbone just above hers.

It may take some practice to get the height right. Now pull her up and forward as you move your hips back, taking her weight onto you with your knees slightly bent. If you bend your knees too far, you'll need lots of leg strength for the lift; you can have your partner stand on blocks if she's too far down to comfortably lift. When you feel her become balanced, straighten your knees without locking them and lean a bit further forward as shown.

If the position is right she can completely relax, and you may be able to release her hands as well. Sideways Warrior Parsva Virabhadrasana II Come into a Warrior 2 stance, facing away from your partner with your left shins (or calves) touching. Lift your right arm up, lengthening the right side of your torso and shortening (not compressing) the left. Continue reaching up and back until you touch your partner's hand; hold hands and reach further up to increase the stretch. If you can't reach your partner's hand, slide your feet away from or toward her until you can. Of course, repeat this pose on the other side.

Rock, Pivot & Roll Sit on the floor with your knees pointing upward and bent. Have your partner sit beside you in the same way, but facing the opposite direction, so your hips line up with her feet and vice versa. If your partner is on your right, reach your right arm under her legs and hold her left hand. This is the starting position.

From here, keep your grip on your partner as you rock back onto your upper back. Before you roll forward, pivot your body 90° around your upper back, toward the direction where your partner was sitting.

Then roll forward to enter a mirror image of the starting position, with your partner sitting on your left and your left arm under her legs holding her hand. Roll back and forth like this a few times and have some fun. Supine Hero Sit-ups Supta Vajrasana sit-ups Begin in Supta Vajrasana, an intermediate-level pose that's best learned from a teacher. Have your partner anchor your knees firmly, then tuck your tailbone down, firm up your stomach, and lift! It won't be easy, but reaching towards your feet will make it easier; reaching overhead will make it very hard. Do not allow your lower back to arch as you lift. If an upward motion is too difficult, gain strength by moving down through the same motion as slowly as possible with proper form.

Warrior 3 Virabhadrasana III The can also be done at a greater distance, which will make balancing slightly tougher. However, it still tends to be easier than doing the full pose on your own. Stand facing each other and join hands in a handshake.

Now step backward and farther backward, leaning forward in the process until both torsos and the extended arms are parallel to the floor. Finally raise either leg until it's level as well. Revolving into stacked hips for half moon pose is pretty hard on the hip joint, but revolved half moon with level hips is safe and it's close. Dancer's pose is not far away either. Head To Knee / Revolved Head to Knee (Parivritta) Janu Sirsasana Enter Janu Sirsasana; sit with one leg extended, each hip as far forward as the other, and the sole of your foot against your inner knee. Have your partner do the same so the soles of your feet touch, then join both hands and pull each other forward as in the.

From here you can twist your torsos, so your straight leg's shoulder moves below your bent leg's shoulder, and the straight leg's hand reaches to the bent knee. Enjoy a deep luxurious stretch here.

Bound Angle Baddha Konasana Sit your partner on the floor in bound angle pose, with her knees apart and the soles of her feet together in front. You can take the same pose facing her and pulling her forward, as in the previous three forward bends. You can also kneel behind her, gently guide her knees downward and slightly towards you, and press forward on your lower back with your chest or shoulder. For a more aggressive stretch requiring more balance from you and flexibility from her, you can stand and place your hands on her shoulders, then carefully step onto her inner legs. Keep most of your weight on her shoulders, and lower your heels a bit to guide her inner thighs back and her front thighs down. Assisted Backbends with Boat Ustrasana/Dandasana/Padmasana & Navasana Your partner can sit in a variety of positions, including on her heels in Diamond Pose, cross-legged in Easy Pose, or up on her knees in Camel Pose.

Place your forefeet on her back with your big toes between her shoulder blades to start. Have her reach back and take hold of her hands, keeping her palms facing away from each other. Gently lean back to stretch her shoulders, as you press forward with your feet to massage her back and further open her chest. You can slowly bend one knee and then the other in a 'walking' motion, or place your toes and forefeet in different places beside the spine.

This move is difficult to learn well online, so pay close attention to what your partner likes and handle her with care. Assisted Bow Pose Salamba Dhanurasana Have your partner take Bow Pose or Dhanurasana, an intermediate pose that's best learned from a teacher. The standard alignment would have her knees level with her shoulders, and her center of gravity in place around her navel.

In this variation, you give her an intense heart-opening stretch by mindfully sitting on her soles to anchor her knees, and gently guiding her shoulders open and back. As always, listen well to her body and don't overdo it, but have a fun time. Triangle Back-to-Back Trikonasana Stand back-to-back with your feet fairly wide.

Point your right foot and her left on off to your right, and turn your left foot/her right one slightly inward. Lift all of your straight arms up, then reach ahead to your right/her left as you lower your right/her left hip down. Finally bring your hands to your shin or the floor to take triangle pose. You can also flow into Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II) or Side Angle Pose (Parsva Konasana) from here.

If you find you're knocking each other off balance, simply step a little farther away. For a fun transition from here, check out the. Lifted Locust Shalabasana In this pose, the partner on top should be well warmed-up and free of lower back problems, as it can be strenuous stretch.

Come into plank facing your partner's feet, and have her lift up your knees in her hands. Lower slowly (slowly!) into the backbend, pressing your belly in, tucking your tailbone down, and opening your chest and ribs. To come out, have your partner carefully lower your knees, or (if you've got a strong front core) return to plank pose by bringing your ribs toward your pelvis and lengthening your lower back.

Yoga Poses Pdf Chart

Rest in Child's Pose when you're done. Bridge & Supported Shoulderstand Setu Bandhasana & Sarvangasana Have your partner take Bridge Pose, preferably with her hands under her hips and fingers and thumbs pointing outward. Take your own bridge pose, with your shins outside hers and your hands holding her ankles.

Now walk your soles onto her thighs near her knees, and lift up your hips so you come into a Shoulderstand. You can stretch yourself further by walking closer to her knees and lifting your hips further up, and you can lift your legs back into Plow Pose as well.

Yoga is a wonderful way to both exercise the body and clear the mind. Details how each pose is working within the body, how to maximize the benefit, and to avoid injury. Begin your yoga journey with these four essential starting poses. And don’t forget to enter our New Year, New You Giveaway below for a chance to win a copy of some wonderful health and fitness books, including The Student’s Manual of Yoga Anatomy. There are four starting poses used throughout this book, and these are explained below. You will be referred back to one of these at the beginning of most asana.

Mountain Pose Tadasana This is the foundation for all standing poses. Breathe steadily and stand upright with the arms by the sides and the feet together. Lift and spread the toes to help create a wide, solid base. Contract your thigh muscles so your kneecaps rise slightly, and draw the tailbone towards the floor to encourage neutral alignment of the pelvis and lumbar spine.

Lift your sternum slightly, broadening the collarbones, and draw the shoulder blades downwards. Elongate the neck so that the crown of the head rises toward the sky and the chin is parallel to the ground. Staff Pose Dandasana Begin in a seated position with the legs extended in front of the torso. The spine is perpendicular to the ground and the upper body is extending upwards through the crown of the head. The palms of the hands are on the ground on either side of the body, in line with the hips, with the shoulders rolling back and down. The legs are pressing together, and the toes are pointing upwards with the feet in a neutral position. The abdominal muscles are contracting lightly to support the spine and the chin is level the ground. Box Position Begin on the hands and knees, with the thighs at right angles to the back, and the arms perpendicular to the ground.

Ensure the knees are set directly below the front of the hips and there is a space in between the knees. Align the shoulders directly over the elbows and wrists, and spread out the fingers and thumbs. Position the entire spine, including the neck, parallel to the ground. The eyes are looking at the floor with the crown of the head pointing directly forwards. Corpse Pose Savasana This may look like a simple relaxing pose, done in between or after an asana, but it requires considerable concentration that develops through continued practice. It is practised lying on the back with the legs straight and the feet hip-width apart. The feet fall out gently to either side, and the arms rest alongside the body, slightly separated from the body, palms facing upwards.

Stretch through the body and draw the shoulder blades gently towards one another so the sternum lifts slightly. Start to breathe deeply, and slowly watch the breath. If this asana is being used for final relaxation, stay here for several minutes.

Basic Yoga Poses

US: The Student’s Manual of Yoga Anatomy is the essential guide for anyone looking to understand the importance of doing yoga poses correctly in order to maximize the benefit and avoid pain and injury. With the guidance of Sally Parkes and Joanna Culley, students and instructors glean a simple and clear understanding of the practice of yoga. Work through 50 step-by-step illustrated poses (asanas) that are perfect for working through each section of the body. Including an overview of the musculoskeletal system to explain the body systems and terminology discussed. Then it deeply introduces yoga, looking at the styles of Hatha yoga, movements of the spine and its axis points, how levers change the intensity of each asana, types of muscle activity, and the science of breathing.

Full-color anatomical illustrations and clear, concise text of 50 common yoga asanas make the science easy to understand, and allow a deeper understanding of yoga and how it works with the body, allowing readers to easily apply what they learn to their own practice. Clear notes describe the type of muscle activation, plane of movement, axis of the spine, and options for practical modifications to allow for individual ability and injury rehabilitation. You’ll also discover a list of sequences to link the asanas together to form a complete workout routine for a healthy lifestyle.