Boat
Start by sitting on your mat and begin to shift weight back to balance as you lift your legs. Your body is basically balancing in a "V" position and your arms stretch out reaching toward your toes.
Bow
On your stomach, bend both legs back and grab your feet with both hands. Gently arch your back and lift your head up. Hold for a few seconds as this is a difficult post.
Bow and Arrow
Sitting with your legs stretched out in from of you pick up your right leg as if you were cradling it. Stretch your left arm toward your extended left leg reaching for your foot.
Bridge
This posture helps the muscles of the lumbar region. Lie on your back, bring feet up to the back of the legs and left hips and arch back. Clasp hands underneath your back as you also work shoulder blades together.
Butterfly Stretch
Bringing the soles of the feet together and holding the ankles, press your elbows into your knees. Sit straight back up and drop head down to stretch and relax the neck.
Camel
This pose increases flexibility of the back and spine and strengthens upper legs. Kneel with your legs slightly apart. Slowly bend back reaching for your heels or ankles. Drop your head back.
Cat
Resting on hands and knees, lift up shoulders and back, tuck hips under and chin down. Is always paired with the Cow Pose.
Chair
This pose stretches your calf muscles. Standing in mountain bend your knees and begin to squat down but do not lift your heels off the floor. Your back should remain as upright as possible and arms extended in front of you.
Chaturanga
This pose basically starts in plank and is an active pose in which you slowly lower yourself to the mat keeping your elbows tucked in next to your sides.
Cobra
This develops strong back muscles and upper arms. Lie on your stomach with hands at shoulder level. Slowly raise torso, keeping hips on the mat. Arch neck back if you have the flexibility.
Cow
Begin by resting on hands and knees, lit head and chest up, tuck hips back and up so that the back is arched. Is always paired with the Cat Pose.
Crescent Lunge/Crescent Moon pose
In lunge position, slightly lean back as you look up and back.
Crow
A balance pose. In a squatted position, place hands on floor between your legs. Next slowly roll forward placing knees on elbows. Then raise your head up slightly. This pose takes strength.
Dancer
Standing on your right leg, grab left ankle and lift/press foot into left hand. Raise your right arm straight out in front of you or reach back and grab the left ankle if you have the flexibility.
Downward Dog
Start this pose on your hands and knees. Tuck toes under and raise hips as high as possible. Drop heels down and straighten legs as much as possible. This pose stretches the back of your legs and relieves pressure on lower back. This pose also strengthens
Eagle
This pose tones and limbers the muscles of the legs and arms. Stand on left leg. Twist right leg in front of and behind left leg. Entwine arms with palms coming together in front of face.
Fish
Lay on your back. Lift up chest, resting weight on forearms and/or top of head.
Forward Bend
Start in mountain pose. Next breathe in and as you breathe out stretch to bring upper body down toward thighs. Grab calves or let arms hang loosely toward the floor.
Half Moon Pose
A balance pose. STanding on your right leg bring your right arm down to the floor while extending your left arm to the ceiling. Turn your head to look up your left hand as you gain balance. Repeat on the other side.
Hero Pose
This pose can gently stretch your knees. You are basically sitting on your feet, hands places on thighs, straight back. This is sometimes called a centering pose.
Heron
Sitting on your mat, you start this pose by having one leg tucked up next to your body as close as possible. Taking both hands behind the other leg you slowly straighten this leg as much as possible and gently pull back toward your torso.
Inclined Plane
Sit with your legs outstretch in front of you and your arms behind you with your fingers pointing away from your body. Inhale, lift torso and drop your head back. This pose strengths arms and back.
Lateral Inclined Plane
You are on your side for this pose. Start with one hand at your shoulder level and straighten out arm as you also lift your body off the mat. The other arm should be straight and stretch upward. The pose resembles a sideways 'T' if practiced correctly.
Locust
This pose strengthens abs and lower back. Lie on your stomach with arms by your side, palms facing up. In a series of 3 breaths, first lift your arms then your legs and finally lift your head up.
Mountain
This pose sets the standard for spinal alignment. Stand straight, shoulders back, weight balanced between both feet.
Pigeon
Sitting on your feet (as in Hero pose) stretch your right leg out behind you. Lower your upper body down to the mat so that you feel the stretch in your hip. Raise upper body so that arms are straight and then bend right left back and try and grab your fo
Plank
In this pose your weight is resting on your hands and feet, your body is extended and this pose could also be called the 'push up' pose.
Plow
Lay on your back on the mat. Raise your legs up and over your head. If possible extend legs back so that they are touching the mat up by your head. The arms and hands are pressing flat into the mat for this pose.
Prayer Pose
Sitting on your heels, bring your forehead to the floor and extend your arms out in front of you. This is a relaxation pose and is a counter stretch for poses that cause you to arch your back.
Reclined Spinal Twist
Laying on your mat with feet flat, knees up, cross right leg over left leg. Next stretch your arms out to the side, palms facing up. Slowly let your legs fall to the left as your head turns to the right. Hold then repeat on the other side.
Seated Forward Bend
Sitting on your mat with your legs stretched out in front of you bring your upper body down as close as possible to your thighs.
Shoulderstand
Lie on your back. Raise your legs up and over your head, keeping knees straight. Bring your legs up to as straight a vertical position as possible. Feet, hips, back should form a straight line with weight resting on your shoulders.
Side Angle Pose
This pose tones and strengthens the spine and also considered a side stretch. Lunge to the right and extended your left arm overhead and reaching to the right. The right arm stretches down toward the right foot.
Spinal Twist
One of the best exercises to release tension in the back. Sit with legs stretched in front of you or sit on your heels. Shift weight to left hip and cross right over left knee. Take left arm and rest it on the outside of right knee and twist back, look ba
Staff Pose
Sitting with your legs straight out in front of you and with your hands placed next to your hips, this pose is intended to create a straight back and it has the intention of making you aware of your breath and other yoga poses.
Sun Salutation
A series of 12 poses in a continuous flow. Doing this exercise as a warm up, loosens tight muscles and gives the body greater freedom of movement.
Tree
This is an exercise of balance and concentration. Stand on left leg. Next, bring your right leg up and over the left thigh or place your right foot on the inside of your left thigh. Inhale and slowly raise your arms overhead and then in front of your hear
Triangle
Standing with feet 3-4 feet apart, arms stretched to the sides, slowly bend to the right. Your arms should stretch up and down vertically and your head should turn to look up at the upper arm. This tones the waistline and inner thigh. Hold for 1 minute an
Upward Facing Dog
This pose has it's opposite. Start by holding your weight on your hands and the top part of your feet with your legs stretched out behind you. Hips will remain slightly off mat.
Warrior 1
Lunge to the right, bring left arm around to the right and bring hands together with fingers interlocked. Raise arms straight overhead and arch back if possible. Repeat on other side.
Warrior 2
Lunge to the right, bring right arm straight out in front of you and the left arm straight back, back foot is turned out for balance and leg is strong and straight. Repeat on the other side.
Warrior 3
A balance and concentration pose to stretch, tone and firm the legs. Stand on right leg. Next bend forward stretching out arms and stretching out left leg to as horizontal plane as possible. Hold and repeat on the other side.