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Essential4Health

Evidence-based natural health

Essential4Health

Evidence-based natural health

Yoga

Welcome to Yoga—a structured library of foundational postures designed to build mobility, stability, strength, and body control. Each pose page includes clear instructions, key benefits, the primary target area, difficulty level, common mistakes, and equipment notes where relevant. The focus is practical: what the pose trains, what it opens or strengthens, and how it fits into a balanced routine. Use the category filter or search by pose name to find what you need quickly and clearly.

Welcome to Yoga—a structured library of foundational postures designed to build mobility, stability, strength, and body control. Each pose page includes clear instructions, key benefits, the primary target area, difficulty level, common mistakes, and equipment notes where relevant. The focus is practical: what the pose trains, what it opens or strengthens, and how it fits into a balanced routine. Use the category filter or search by pose name to find what you need quickly and clearly.

“Yoga is not about touching your toes. It’s about what you learn on the way down.” — Jigar Gor

108 Poses

Explore beginner to advanced poses and mix them into short flows or focused daily practice.

Search & Filter

Use a simple filter and search to quickly find poses by goal, level, and body area.

Practical How-To

Difficulty, setup steps, and common mistakes help you apply each pose safely and consistently.

Yoga Pose Guides

Each page shows alignment cues, target areas, benefits, and how to perform the pose correctly.

What You’ll Find Here

Top Searches

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Child’s Pose

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Downward Dog

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Tree Pose

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Triangle Pose

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Warrior II

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Total: 108 poses

Page 3

Person in Plow Pose with legs reaching overhead to the floor

Plow Pose

Plow Pose (Halasana) is an inverted forward fold with legs overhead that lengthens the back line and calms the nervous system, common late in hatha cooldowns.

Person kneeling in Puppy Pose with arms extended and chest lowered

Puppy Pose

Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana) blends rest and shoulder opening, stretching chest, lats, and the front ribs, and preparing the body for Dolphin and backbends.

Person lying on the back in Reclined Figure Four with one ankle crossed over the opposite thigh

Reclined Figure Four

Reclined Figure Four (Supta Sucirandhrasana) is a supine outer-hip stretch for deep glutes and rotators, a grounded cooldown alternative to pigeon-style work.

Person lying on the back holding one raised foot in Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose

Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose

Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana A) is a supine hamstring and calf stretch that keeps the pelvis heavy, often used late to benchmark sides.

Person lying back in Reclining Hero Pose with knees bent under the body

Reclining Hero Pose

Reclining Hero Pose (Supta Virasana) is a deep quad and hip-flexor opener with a chest lift, often held longer in yin or restorative near the end of class.

Person lying on the back in a Reclining Twist

Reclining Twist

Reclining Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana) is a supine spinal rotation that releases ribs and low back, a calming cooldown often used before quiet finishing poses.

Person in Reverse Warrior with front knee bent and top arm reaching overhead

Reverse Warrior

Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana) is a Warrior II side arc that keeps legs strong while lengthening ribs and waist, a smooth link to Side Angle in flow.

Person in Chair Pose with torso twisted and hands at the chest

Revolved Chair Pose

Revolved Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana) adds a twist to Chair, building heat, balance, and midline control, often used before side-facing flows and twists.

Person seated in Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose reaching over one extended leg

Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose

Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose (Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana) is a seated side bend that links hamstrings, outer hip, and ribs, changing planes late in a seated series.

Person in Revolved Side Angle with one hand on the mat and top arm reaching overhead

Revolved Side Angle

Revolved Side Angle (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana) is a twisting lunge that builds leg drive and deep thoracic rotation, a standing twist used after heat is built.

Person in Revolved Triangle with one hand on the mat and top arm reaching upward

Revolved Triangle

Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana) is a straight-leg standing twist that lengthens hamstrings and trains clean rotation, often repeated to compare sides.

Person balancing in Scorpion Pose with forearms on the mat and feet arched overhead

Scorpion Pose

Scorpion Pose (Vrschikasana) is an advanced inversion that combines strong shoulder demand with a deep backbend arc, seen mainly in workshops and elite classes.

Person seated cross-legged with arms wrapped in Seated Eagle Arms

Seated Eagle Arms

Seated Eagle Arms (Garudasana Arms) is an arm wrap that stretches the upper back and shoulders, ideal for cooldowns and breath pauses, repeated on both sides.

Person seated in a forward fold over straight legs

Seated Forward Fold

Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) is a classic seated fold that lengthens hamstrings and spine, often used late in practice to quiet breath and focus.

Person seated cross-legged reaching one arm overhead in a side bend

Seated Side Bend

Seated Side Bend (Parsva Sukhasana) is a cross-legged lateral stretch that lengthens the waist and ribs, a gentle opener used early or in seated sequences.

Person seated with torso twisted to one side

Seated Twist

Seated Twist (Bharadvajasana) is a compact seated rotation that anchors the pelvis and turns ribs and upper back, often used after forward folds in hatha class.

Person balancing on the shoulders with hands supporting the back in Supported Shoulderstand

Shoulderstand

Shoulderstand (Supported) (Salamba Sarvangasana) is a traditional inversion that stacks the body vertically for steady lift and stillness late in practice.

Person in Side Angle Pose with front knee bent and top arm reaching overhead

Side Angle Pose

Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvakonasana) is a strong lunge that builds hip and thigh strength while lengthening the side body in a long diagonal line in flow.

Person in a low lunge with one hand down and the other arm reaching overhead

Side Body Stretch in Low Lunge

Side Body Stretch in Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana Side Reach) adds a rib-and-waist arc to low lunge, opening the side line often in warm-ups and low-flow sequences.

Person balancing on the hands in Side Crow Pose with legs extended to one side

Side Crow Pose

Side Crow Pose (Parsva Bakasana) is a twisting arm balance that trains core control, triceps, and shoulder stability, often featured after hip and twist work.

Person in a deep side lunge with the opposite leg extended

Side Lunge

Side Lunge (Skandasana) is a deep lateral squat that opens hips and inner thighs while building ankle range and strength in wide-stance and vinyasa yoga flows.

Person balancing in Side Plank with one arm reaching upward

Side Plank

Side Plank (Vasisthasana) is a one-arm plank that builds shoulder strength and side-body core control, testing clean lateral stability in vinyasa core blocks.

Person lying on one side holding the raised top foot

Side Reclining Leg Lift

Side Reclining Leg Lift (Anantasana) is a side-lying leg raise that trains outer-hip control and hamstring range, a supported drill to compare sides in class.

Person lying on the belly propped on the forearms in Sphinx Pose

Sphinx Pose

Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) is a low forearm backbend that opens the front body slowly, a yin option after forward folds that prepares deeper backbends.

Person seated upright in Staff Pose with legs extended forward

Staff Pose

Staff Pose (Dandasana) is an upright seated baseline that trains spinal length and leg engagement, helping you spot slumping before folds, twists, or core work.

Person standing in a gentle backbend with arms reaching overhead

Standing Backbend

Standing Backbend (Anuvittasana) is a rooted extension that opens the front body and shoulders, used as a countershape after forward folds in sun salutations.

Person standing in a side bend with arms reaching overhead

Standing Crescent Moon Pose

Standing Crescent Moon Pose (Indudalasana) is a tall side bend that lengthens lats and side ribs, a brief standing reset in flows before lunges and warriors.

Person balancing on one leg with the opposite ankle crossed over the thigh and hands at the chest

Standing Figure Four Pose

Standing Figure Four Pose (Standing Eka Pada Utkatasana) is a one-leg hip opener that builds balance and targets glutes, used in class to compare sides clearly.

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