How to use the guide
Each pose has a diagram and its text version: entry, the points to line up and the way out. Under it you will find what to look at in the feet, knees, pelvis, back, shoulders, neck and breath, the usual mistakes with a fix, and easier and harder variations. There are no photographs yet, so the diagrams and the text carry the technique.
A page cannot replace a teacher. Names and technique differ between schools, so follow your teacher in class, tell them about injuries and pregnancy, and ask a doctor if you are unsure. If a pose does not feel right, choose an easier variation and stop where it is comfortable.
An upside-down V: hands and feet on the floor, hips high. Steps, what to watch and how to make it easier.
Technique →
Support on hands and toes in one straight line. How to hold it without sagging and how to make it easier.
Technique →
A gentle backbend lying on the belly. How to lift the chest without crunching the lower back, with sphinx and full cobra variations.
Technique →
A resting pose on the knees with a forward fold. How to settle in, with bolster and block variations.
Technique →
A wide side lunge with arms open. Foot and knee placement, mistakes and variations.
Technique →
Standing on one leg. How to find your balance: steps, supports, mistakes and an easier version at the wall.
Technique →
Lifting the hips lying on the back. How to work without straining the neck or lower back, with a block-supported version.
Technique →
The pose of complete rest, lying on the back at the end of class. How to lie, how to settle and how long to stay.
Technique →
A lunge with arms raised and hips facing forward. Feet, knee, the back heel and variations.
Technique →
A move on hands and knees: arching and rounding the back with the breath. A gentle warm-up for body awareness.
Technique →
A side bend over straight legs with a long line from hand to hand. The hand on the shin or a block, no collapsing forward.
Technique →
The basic standing pose: feet, legs, pelvis, chest and head on one line. Support, posture and calm breathing.
Technique →
A squat "onto an imaginary chair" with the arms raised. Knees over the ankles, weight on the heels, a long torso.
Technique →
A deep hip opener: one leg bent in front, the other stretched back. The gentle version is figure-four lying on the back.
Technique →
A lunge with the back knee on the floor: the front leg bent, the pelvis lowered, the torso tall. It opens the front of the hip.
Technique →
A fold over straight legs with calm breathing. The knees may bend and the back stays long.
Technique →
A balance on the sitting bones: the torso and legs make a V. The belly works and the back stays long.
Technique →
A backbend on the hands: the thighs lifted off the floor, shoulders away from the ears, chest forward. Cobra is easier for beginners.
Technique →
A balance on the hands: the knees rest on the upper arms and the feet lift off the floor. An advanced pose, learned with a teacher.
Technique →
A kneeling backbend: the hips go forward, the chest opens, the hands rest on the lower back or the heels. The deep version is learned with a teacher.
Technique →
Lying on the back with the knees towards the armpits and the hands on the shins or feet. A gentle pose for the hips and calm breathing.
Technique →
Lying on the back with the legs resting up the wall. A calm resting pose in which there is nothing to hold.
Technique →
Sitting cross-legged on a support, with a long back and the knees below the hips. A base for sitting and breathing practice.
Technique →
A deep backbend on the back: palms and feet on the floor, the body in an arch. An advanced pose learned with a teacher; the preparation is bridge.
Technique →