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Pose collection · 16 poses

Advanced yoga poses, and the intermediate steps that lead to them

By the YogaPhilippines.com editorial teamUpdated 2 October 2026

Advanced yoga poses include arm balances like Firefly, Eight Angle and Handstand, deep backbends like King Pigeon and Wheel, and inversions like Scorpion. Intermediate poses such as Crow, Side Plank, Dolphin, Camel and Headstand build the strength and range for them. Learn them in that order, with a teacher, over months.

Intermediate

A woman in an oat set balances in Crow Pose, knees on her upper arms and feet lifted, with a folded blanket in front of her hands.

Crow Pose

Bakasana
The first arm balance most people learn. Knees on the upper arms, a cushion under the face.
A woman in a sage set balances in Side Plank on one straight arm with her top arm reaching up, on a BGC rooftop.

Side Plank

Vasisthasana
Strength through one arm and the side of the body. Builds the base for the twisted arm balances.
A woman in a cream set holds Dolphin Pose on her forearms, hips high and head hanging free, in a Makati studio.

Dolphin Pose

Ardha Pincha Mayurasana
Downward Dog on the forearms. Builds shoulder strength for Headstand and forearm balances.
A woman in a sage set balances in Half Moon Pose, one hand on a cork block, back leg lifted and top arm reaching up.

Half Moon Pose

Ardha Chandrasana
A standing balance that tips the body sideways. Teaches control with the eyes off the horizon.
A woman in a cream set kneels in Camel Pose, chest lifted and hands on her heels, in an open-air shala with palms behind.

Camel Pose

Ustrasana
A kneeling backbend. Hands on the lower back first, heels later, the neck long.
A woman in an espresso set holds her ankles and lifts her chest and thighs into Bow Pose in an open-air Siargao shala.

Bow Pose

Dhanurasana
A backbend lying on the front, holding the ankles. Prepares the front body for Wheel.
A woman in a cream set holds a supported Shoulder Stand on folded blankets, hands on her back and legs straight up.

Shoulder Stand

Salamba Sarvangasana
An inversion on the shoulders, with a folded blanket under them. Learn it with a teacher.
A woman in a sage set holds a forearm-supported Headstand on a folded mat, legs straight up in one line, beside a sunny window.

Headstand

Sirsasana
Forearms and crown on the floor, legs lifted. Learn at a wall with a teacher; never jump up.
LOTUS POSEPadmasana

Lotus Pose

Padmasana
Each foot on the opposite thigh. Only when the hips open freely, never forced through the knees.

Advanced

A woman in a sage set presses up into Wheel Pose, arms and legs straight and back fully arched, in a warm plaster-walled studio.

Wheel Pose

Urdhva Dhanurasana
A full backbend pressed up from the floor. Needs open shoulders and warm hip flexors.
A woman in an espresso set arches into King Pigeon with a strap from her back foot held overhead, in an open-air shala.

King Pigeon Pose

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Pigeon with the back foot drawn to the head. A deep backbend for the spine and hips.
A man balances on his hands in Firefly Pose with thighs on his upper arms and legs extended forward, in a Makati studio.

Firefly Pose

Tittibhasana
Legs straight and wide over the arms, balancing on the hands. Needs open hamstrings and strong wrists.
A man balances on bent arms in Eight-Angle Pose, ankles crossed and legs extended to one side, in a BGC studio.

Eight Angle Pose

Astavakrasana
A twisted arm balance with the legs hooked over one arm. Built on Side Plank and Crow.
A woman in a sage set sits in Compass Pose, one leg lifted behind her shoulder and her foot held overhead, other hand on the floor.

Compass Pose

Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana
A seated twist with one leg drawn behind the shoulder. Needs deep hip and hamstring range.
A man holds an L-shaped handstand at a plaster wall, hands on the mat and feet pressing into the wall at hip height.

Handstand

Adho Mukha Vrksasana
The full balance on the hands. Learned in stages at a wall, over months.
A woman in a sage set balances on her forearms in Scorpion Pose, back deeply arched and feet resting on the wall.

Scorpion Pose

Vrschikasana
A forearm or hand balance with a backbend, feet towards the head. For long-term practitioners.

Advanced yoga poses are the shapes that combine strength, range of movement and balance at once: the arm balances, the deep backbends and the inversions you see in photographs. They are the end of a long road, and the poses that lead to them are worth more of your attention than the poses themselves.

This page lists them with a level. Intermediate poses come first, because each advanced shape grows out of one or two of them. If you are still building the basics, the guide to yoga poses for beginners explains which shapes to leave for later and why.

How do you progress from intermediate to advanced yoga poses?

Pair each goal with its foundation. Crow and Side Plank lead to Firefly and Eight Angle. Dolphin and Headstand lead to Handstand and forearm balances. Bow, Camel and Bridge lead to Wheel and King Pigeon. When the foundation pose is steady for five calm breaths, start the next one in its easiest version.

Warm up properly first, with Sun Salutations and the hips and shoulders moving. Use a wall, blocks and padding. Practise the hard shapes early in a session, while you are fresh, and stop while you still have something left.

Crow Pose, Bakasana is the usual first step, and the page on arm balance yoga poses sets the hand balances in order. For the full backbend, see Wheel Pose, Urdhva Dhanurasana. If you want a hard pose for the camera, the guide to yoga photoshoot poses you can hold safely explains why the one you already know usually looks better.

When should you learn hard yoga poses with a teacher?

For anything upside down or anything with a deep backbend, from the start. Headstand and Shoulder Stand put weight through the neck, and a fall from an arm balance can hurt the face, wrists or shoulders. A teacher can spot you, check your setup and tell you when a shape is not yet right for your body.

Skip inversions if you have high blood pressure, glaucoma, a neck injury or are pregnant, unless your doctor agrees. Stop any pose that causes sharp pain in the wrists, lower back, knees or neck. For a steadier base before any of this, the balancing yoga poses build the control these shapes need.

Safety noteYoga is not medical care. Stop if anything feels sharp, pinching or numb, and see a doctor or physiotherapist about pain or an injury before you practise. Inversions such as headstand and shoulderstand put weight on the neck and head: avoid them with neck injuries, high blood pressure, glaucoma or in pregnancy, and learn them with a teacher. Read the health and safety note.

Questions

What makes a yoga pose advanced?

Usually a combination of strength, range of movement and balance in one shape, plus more risk if you fall or force it. A pose is advanced for you when the poses that lead to it are not yet steady, whatever its label.

What is the hardest yoga pose?

There is no single answer, because bodies differ: a flexible person may find arm balances hardest and a strong one may struggle with backbends. Forearm and hand balances with a deep backbend, such as Scorpion, are among the hardest shapes commonly taught.

How long does it take to learn advanced yoga poses?

Months to years, and some shapes may never suit a particular body. Regular practice of the intermediate poses on this page, with a teacher checking your setup, is what moves you towards them.

Keep reading

Crow PoseBakasanaHandstandAdho Mukha VrksasanaWheel PoseUrdhva Dhanurasana