Yoga poses with names, step by step

Yoga poses are the shapes of a practice, and each has an English and a Sanskrit name. Here they are grouped by family, from standing poses and balances to twists, backbends and the slow floor shapes of restorative and Yin, each with steps, teaching cues and notes for pregnancy and after birth.

Standing Balances Seated and floor Twists Backbends Inversions Arm balances Yin shapes Restorative

Pick a family below to jump straight to it. Every pose page gives the English name first and the Sanskrit name in brackets, how to come into the shape step by step, the most common mistakes, and an easier version. Standing on your feet is the usual place to begin, and the standing poses, one card each gathers them on a single page with two lines on how to do each.

Reading about a pose is a start; having someone watch your knees and shoulders is another thing. If you are new, yoga for complete beginners starts with the plainest of these shapes and builds from there, and the guide to your first yoga class explains what to expect in a group setting.

Standing

Standing poses Chair PoseUtkatasana Crescent LungeAshta Chandrasana Extended Side AngleUtthita Parsvakonasana Garland PoseMalasana Lizard PoseUtthan Pristhasana Low LungeAnjaneyasana Mountain PoseTadasana Pyramid PoseParsvottanasana Standing Forward BendUttanasana Star PoseUtthita Tadasana Sun SalutationSurya Namaskar Triangle PoseTrikonasana Warrior PosesVirabhadrasana I, II and III Wide Legged Forward BendPrasarita Padottanasana Wide Squat PoseUtkata Konasana

Balances

Dancer PoseNatarajasana Eagle PoseGarudasana Flamingo PoseModern variation Half Moon PoseArdha Chandrasana Tree PoseVrksasana

Seated and floor

Twists

Seated TwistArdha Matsyendrasana Supine TwistSupta Matsyendrasana

Backbends

Bow PoseDhanurasana Bridge PoseSetu Bandha Sarvangasana Camel PoseUstrasana Cobra PoseBhujangasana Fish PoseMatsyasana King Pigeon PoseEka Pada Rajakapotasana Locust PoseSalabhasana Upward-Facing DogUrdhva Mukha Svanasana Wheel PoseUrdhva Dhanurasana

Inversions

Dolphin PoseArdha Pincha Mayurasana Downward-Facing DogAdho Mukha Svanasana HandstandAdho Mukha Vrksasana HeadstandSirsasana Plow PoseHalasana Scorpion PoseVrschikasana Shoulder StandSalamba Sarvangasana

Arm balances

Crow PoseBakasana Eight Angle PoseAstavakrasana Firefly PoseTittibhasana Four-Limbed Staff PoseChaturanga Dandasana Plank PosePhalakasana Side PlankVasisthasana

Yin shapes

Caterpillar PoseYin shape Dragon PoseYin shape Frog PoseMandukasana Puppy PoseUttana Shishosana Saddle PoseSupta Vajrasana Sphinx PoseSalamba Bhujangasana

Restorative

Child's PoseBalasana Corpse PoseSavasana Legs Up the WallViparita Karani Reclined ButterflySupta Baddha Konasana Supported Child's PoseSalamba Balasana

Questions

How many yoga poses are there?

There is no fixed number. Different schools name and count them differently, and many poses have several variations. A practice for most people draws on a few dozen, and the ones on this page are the shapes most often taught in beginner and all-levels classes.

Which yoga poses should a beginner learn first?

Start with the standing basics, such as Mountain Pose and the Warrior poses, plus Cat-Cow, Downward-Facing Dog and Child's Pose. They teach where your weight sits and how to breathe in a shape. Leave inversions, deep backbends and arm balances for later, ideally with a teacher.