Do more to strengthen your body with these difficult yoga poses.
Stocksy
Yoga shouldn’t be classified as an “easy” form of exercise.
From the plank pose, slowly lower your chest and chin down to the yoga mat.
Stocksy
Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
Benefits:Strengthens back and abdominal muscles.
Begin by laying flat on your stomach.
Bend knees in to grab hold of your ankles.
Push the back of the feet into your hands to pull up the legs and lift your chest.
Compass Pose
Benefits:Opens up the hamstrings, chest, and glute muscles.
From a seated position, see if you might get your right leg over the right shoulder.
Repeat on the other side.
Boat Pose
Benefits:Helps with focus; strengthens core.
Begin in Staff Pose and place your hands next to your hips.
Lift through your sternum and lean back slightly without having your back touch the floor.
Balance on your sit bones and tailbone.
While there, straighten your back and draw arms forward with palms facing inwards.
Crow Pose
Benefits:Opens the hips; strengthens the core, arms, and wrists.
Engage your core and lift the toes up and in towards the glute muscles.
Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose)
Benefits:Improves posture; stretches body.
Then, bend your left knee and bring it to the outside of your right hip.
Stick your right arm out as you inhale, with palms facing backwards and thumbs pointed down.
During your exhale, bend the elbow and bring the arm behind your back with the palm facing out.
Your elbow should point towards your sacrum and your right fingers should point towards the base of your neck.
Then, stick your left arm out to the side and lift up to the ceiling.
Reach so both hands are close to touching and clasp hands if you’re able to.
Repeat on opposite side.
Astavakrasana (Eight-Angle Pose)
Benefits:Total body engagement.
From sitting, see if you could wrap the right leg over the right shoulder.
Then send your left leg in front of your right hand.
Repeat on the other side.
Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose)
Benefits:Improves balance; strengthens core muscles.
Start in Extended Triangle with your left foot forward.
Bring your right hand to your hip and turn your head to face the floor.
Bend front leg and shift your weight to the ball of your front foot.
Reach your top hand towards the ceiling.
Steady your balance by focusing your gaze and keep a slight bend in your front leg.
Repeat on opposite side.
Flying Crow
Benefits:Strengthens the upper body, arms, wrists, and shoulders.
Lean forward, engage the core, and feel the toes lift off the ground.
Tittibhasana
Benefits:Helps build strength in upper arms.
Start in a standing forward fold with knees slightly bent.
Then, place your right hand on the floor behind your heel with fingers facing forward.
Repeat on your left side.
Slightly lean chest forward and slowly lower your legs onto the back of the upper arms.
Lift feet off the mat and straighten legs.
Forearm Stand
Benefits:Strengthens arms, core, shoulder, and back; increases circulation.
From Dolphin Pose, walk feet to the heart.
Send your gaze between the wrist, and lift one leg and hop to lift the other.
Tolasana (Scale Pose)
Benefits:Improves balance skills; strengthens abs.
Begin in Lotus Pose with legs crossed.
Place the palms of your hands next to your hips, with fingers spread wide.
Inhale and press hands deeply into the floor while lifting your torso and legs off the ground.
Tighten your core and squeeze your thighs to help maintain the position.
Exhale and lower to the floor.
Press the forearms into the ground, and then lift your knees and walk the feet towards the face.
Begin to lift one foot, then the other.
Eagle Pose
Benefits:Improves balance and focus.
Begin in mountain pose with feet slightly apart.
Place hands on hips and press your pelvis down.
Bend both knees and lift your right foot while wrapping your left leg over the right thigh.
Curl your right foot behind the left calf.
Hold and repeat on opposite side.
Lizard Variation
Benefits:Stretches the hip flexors, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
Step the right leg to the outside of your right hand.
you’ve got the option to also try this on your forearms.
Start in Corpse Pose, then bring knees toward chest.
Stack hips above shoulders.
Slowly lower legs backward over your head until toes reach the ground behind you.
Rest your toes on the ground, feet flexed.
Release your hands and place arms onto the floor, palms down or hands clasped.
Then, walk your left foot behind you.
Forearm Hollow Back Pose
Benefits:Strengthens arms, back, and shoulders.
Start in feathered peacock pose, then bend your knees coming into a pike shape.
Point toes and press heels towards your buttocks.
Drop your head, pushing down firmly through your forearm.
Bring your head and chest through the arms.
Then, take hold of the inside of your left foot.
Press the top of the foot into the hand.
Lift your foot nice and high by pressing the foot back and up.
From half monkey pose, shift your torso up and place your fingertips directly under your shoulders.
Flex your front foot while engaging your quad.
verify to square your hips as much as possible and pull your naval in.
Side Crow
Benefits:Strengthens the upper body, core, glute muscles; lengthens hamstrings.
Lean forward, engage the core, and feel the toes lift off the ground.
Lotus Pose
Benefits:Increases circulation.
Start in a cross-legged position sitting up straight.
Grab your right ankle and rotate the foot to face up towards you.
Then, grasp the left ankle and bring it over the right thigh to settle into the right hip.
Let your knees sink towards the floor continuing to sit up straight.
Side Plank With Lifted Leg Variation
Benefits:Opens up hamstrings.
See if you could wrap two fingers around the big toe.
Then, extend the leg forward and up to stack over the top of the right hip.
Start in one-legged Pigeon Prep Pose, then confirm your hips are squared and squeeze your inner thighs.
Open toward back leg and reach the hand on that side back grabbing your foot and pulling it in.
Bring the same-side arm around to the outside back of leg to flip your grip.
Grab hold of the pinky-toe-edge of your back-leg foot.
double-check your elbow is facing down, then turn toward the front of the mat.
Lift your belly and chest and press your foot back to complete the pose.
Standing Hand to Big Toe
Benefits:Stabilizes the core and opens up hamstrings and hips.
Transfer the weight into the right foot.
Lift the left foot off the ground and interlace fingers around the left knee.
Hug the inner thighs in towards each other for stability.
Scorpion Handstand
Benefits:Improves balance; builds core strength.
Start in a handstand with your legs together.
Bend one of your legs while keeping the other straight.
Bend the straight leg to bring the toes to touch.
double-check elbows are over the wrist and hugged in.
From a three-legged dog, flip your dog, and have your free right foot touch the ground.
Pivot your foot to press all four corners down into the yoga mat.
From here, send the hips up and reach the free right hand back.
From here, walk the feet closer to the hands, coming into the full bow.
Twisted Floor Bow Pose
Benefits:Builds strength in back muscles.
Start in a Sphinx pose and extend your left arm forward.
Walk right arm over to the left and come down onto your right shoulder.
Kick back with your right foot and lift your right knee to lift yourself up.
Push down on your right elbow and lift your chest up.
One-Legged Crow Pose
Benefits:Improves balance; strengthens wrists, shoulders and core.
Start in crow pose, point your toes, pull your heels in towards your buttocks engaging hamstrings.
Pull stomach in and spread your shoulder blades wide.
Once you’ve mastered these poses, feel free to head over to YogaToday for theiradvanced series full-length classes.
