Pose library · 80 poses · reviewed by a teacher
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.
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. Want them all on one sheet? Print the yoga poses chart, or, if you are new, the beginner yoga poses chart with line drawings. Looking for poses for one part of the body? Tap it on the body map pose finder, and learn the Sanskrit names a few at a time with the Sanskrit yoga flashcards, then check them with the yoga pose quiz.
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
Balances
Seated and floor
Twists
Backbends
Inversions
Arm balances
Yin shapes
Restorative
Pose collections
This is one section of the free yoga library; the others cover stretches, exercises, philosophy, meditation, guides and gear.
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.
What are the most common yoga poses?
The poses you meet in almost every class include Mountain Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, Cat-Cow, Child's Pose, the Warrior poses, Triangle, Tree, Cobra, Bridge and Corpse Pose. Together they cover standing, balancing, bending forward and back, and rest, which is why lists of five, ten or twelve basic poses usually draw on them.
What is Easy Pose in yoga?
Easy Pose, Sukhasana in Sanskrit, is a simple cross-legged seat. Sit with the shins crossed and each foot under the opposite knee, hands resting on the thighs and the spine tall. Sit on a folded blanket or cushion so the knees can drop below the hips. It is a common seat for breathing and meditation.
What are yoga poses good for?
Yoga poses move the body through its range in every direction: standing poses build strength in the legs, balances work the feet and focus, backbends and twists move the spine, and forward folds stretch the back of the body. Many people find a regular practice helps them feel less stiff and more aware of how they move.
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