Yoga Pose Directory

Whether you’ve just completed your teacher training or you’re simply looking to understand and improve your postures, I’ve created an entire yoga pose directory just for you. There are many types of yoga, some types that are designed for strength building and weight loss while others are meant more for relaxation and peace of mind. It all really comes down to how your personal asana practice looks and what you’re trying to accomplish with each of these postures.

Kundalini yoga is one of my favorite types of yoga and pairs well with pranayama breathing exercises 🙂 It helps with chakra balancing, stress, and a cluttered mind.

I designed this list with the budding yoga instructor in mind, so grab your yoga mat and take a deep breath because there are a lot of postures to explore here!

Most Common Yoga Poses

Warrior 2

Dolphin

Bow

Pigeon

Standing Poses

I love the square your hips Cue. Using your back foot, curl your toes under and press against the mat to drive that hip forward a bit.💗

Megan Marie Torres

Beginner

Mountain(Tadasana)

Extending Standing Pose(Urdhva Hastasana)

Standing Half Forward Bend(Ardha Uttanasana)

Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

Tree Pose (Vrikasana)

Low Lunge (Ardha Alana)

High Lunge (Alana)

Pyramid (Parsvottanasna)

Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana)

Reverse Triangle (Parivritta Trikonasana)

Intermediate

Dancer (Natarajasana)

Eagle (Garudasana)

Triangle (Trikonasana)

Standing Split (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)

Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

Half moon (Ardha Chandrasana)

Seated Poses

Beginner

Easy Pose (Sukhasana)

Hero (Virasana)

Staff (Dandasana)

Head to knee forward Bend (Janu sirsasana)

Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

Wide Leg Seated Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana)

Bound Angle/Butterfly (Baddha Konasana)

Intermediate

Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana)

Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Garland (Malasana )

Boat (Navasana)

I see people really struggle in my YMCA yoga classes with pigeon, and i really encourage people to prop a blanket or yoga block under that front thigh. I also always give the alternative to do this lying on their backs with legs in a figure-4 shape if they prefer. When I teach Yin yoga, where props are used all the time, people have no problem doing that front thigh prop, but when it’s a regular yoga class people seem to resist it a lot more. I’m working on getting my students to really start using props more 😉

Andrea Marquis Roozekrans

Forward Bending Poses

Beginner

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Cat (Marjaryasana)

Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

Standing Wide Leg Forward Fold (Prasarita Padottanasana)

Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana)

Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)

Wide-Leg Seated Forward Fold (Upacistha Konasana)

Intermediate

Half Split (Ardha Parsvottansasana)

Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

Humble Warrior (Baddha Virabhadrasana)

Split (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana)

Twisted/Revolved Poses

I know this prop prob also. I had some success with this comment: “The senseful usage of props is a sign of intelligence not of weakness. I never start my personal yoga practice without having a dozen straps, blocks, blankets and bolsters nearby:-)”.
They laughed and used these damn blocks for pigeon.

Thomas Gewald

Beginner

Twisted Lizard Pose (Parivritta Utthan Pristhasana)

Seated Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Rotated Head to Knee (Parivritta Upavistha Konasana)

Intermediate

Revolved Chair (Parivritta Utkatasana)

Revolved Side Angle (Parivritta Parsvakonasana)

Lunge with Prayer Twist (Namaskar Parsvakonasana)

Revolved Triangle (Parivritta Trikonasana)

Revolved Half Moon (Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana)

Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Balance Poses

Beginner

Tree Pose (Vrikasana)

High Lunge (Alana)

Spinal Balance

Intermediate

Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

Eagle (Garudasana)

Dancer (Natarajasana)

Half moon (Ardha Chandrasana)

Revolved half moon (Parivritta Ardha Chandrasana)

Side Plank

Advanced

Crow (Bakasana)

If I have a private or a smaller class I have them move their mats to the wall and their back foot is flexed pressing against the wall. Even better if I preced it with shin up the wall ( similar effects to half hero/virasana but even better )

Cheri Weber

Surya Namaskar Poses

Beginner

Mountain (Tadasana)

Extending Standing Pose (Urdhva Hastasana)

Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

Standing Half Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana)

Cobra (Bhujangasana)

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Intermediate

Plank Pose

Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

Advanced

Four-limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)

Backbend/Heart Poses

I recently decided to refrain from teaching sleeping pigeon. I teach the upward pigeon (when i teach pigeon, otherwise i go with figure 4) so that the students are engaged in the hips (there are many articles out there talking about the dangers of sleeping pigeon and I’m afraid that i caused myself some kind of injury or weakness by daily long deep holds of sleeping pigeon). If i see they crave it, I cue it for a couple of breaths.

Lilith Bernou