Assume Pose in Yoga

The horse rider pose is a fairly straight forward posture in yoga that can be executed by pretty much any level of yoga student. It’s a great way of stretching the groins while strengthening the arms and legs during your practice, and can be sequenced quite easily into any routine. Try placing it before downward facing dog, big toe or intense side stretch in your next yoga workout.

The awkward pose is the third posture in a sequence of 26 poses for Bikram Yoga. One of the chief benefits of this pose is its ability to improve a person’s overall strength, but that isn’t its only reward. The awkward pose is also said to align your skeletal system while opening the pelvis and toning the muscles of the legs. For women, its form can also alleviate cramping due to menstruation. If you’re currently practicing Bikram Yoga, you can include the awkward pose in your daily yoga practice.

Next to corpse, the crocodile pose may just be the easiest, most relaxing pose in yoga. It is said to bring about mental peace in all who employ its form. Most of the focus is placed on the neck and lower back but does have some effect on the upper back, the abdominals and the digestive system. As you sequence this posture into your practice, try implementing it after some of your more challenging and strenuous yoga poses since it has some of the same benefits as corpse or child. It is also a good posture in which you can…

Vishnu’s Couch Pose, or Lord Vishnu’s Couch Pose as it is commonly called, is a basic core posture in yoga that can be practiced by virtually all levels of fitness. It is said that Vishnu, or Krishna, reclines on his couch as one universe ends and another begins hence the derivation of the pose. Though Vishnu’s Couch is a great stretch for the hamstrings and calves as well as the thighs and hips, it is also a way in which you can clear your thoughts and begin, for all popular purposes, again. If you’re having a bad day or feel…

The Fierce Pose, or Utkatasana in Sanskrit, is considered a standing forward bend in yoga that can be performed by any level of yoga student. Though great emphasis is placed on the movement of your arms and legs, the Fierce Pose is a good work out for your core as you engage the muscles of the abdomen as you move into the form. Utkatasana is a great tool to strengthen your ankles, thighs, calves and spine with stretching the shoulder and chest. If you want to intensify the stretch, instead of remaining in the “uneven” position of the pose, move…

Though it is performed in a kneeling position, the Gate Pose, or Parighasana in Sanskrit, is considered one of the traditional standing postures in yoga. As you move into the form, you should feel not only a stretch at the sides of your body, but also to the hamstrings and spine. Much like a number of the standard yoga posture in practice today, Gate stimulates the organs of your abdominal region. Sequencing this pose into your daily practice can be quite easy as you can naturally and effortlessly move from Downward Facing Dog, Hero, Bound Angle, and Reclining Big Toe.

The Horse Pose, or Vatayanasana, is considered part of the second, or intermediate, series in Ashtanga Yoga, being slightly more advanced than the first, or primary. It is used as a way to cleanse to nerves of the body, and more specifically, in the case of Horse, brings the physical aspects of your practice to a more energetic level. With this exercise, your shoulders, hips and knees benefit at the same time while ridding the body of unneeded gases. The second series, to which this pose is part of, demands a great deal more experience and strength as well as…

Sage Mariachi C, or Marichiasana C, is a seated twist that is used in Ashtanga Yoga. It is a variation of Sage Mariachi A which contains a forward bend and not the twist found in this pose. It is believed that the practice of Sage Mariachi can help people overcome the daunting fear of failure. When incorporated into your practice, Sage Mariachi C works extremely well when sequenced after the “A” variation since your leg position will remain virtually the same for both postures.