Pose Categories Overview

1. BACKBENDING POSES — Stretch the front of the body
2. BALANCING POSES — Remove an element of support to strengthen and stabilize the body and mind
3. CLASSIC INVERSIONS — Variations of Headstand (called the king of asanas) and Shoulderstand (the queen)
4. FORWARD BENDING POSES — Move the chest and thighs toward one another, stretch the back of the body
5. FULL INVERSIONS — Poses in which the heart is higher than the head while also the pelvis, legs and feet are higher than the heart
6. INVERSION POSES — Invert the body’s relationship to space and gravity
7. MILD / PARTIAL / HALF INVERSIONS — Poses where the head is below the heart (but legs are not higher than the heart)
8. TWISTING POSES — Rotate the spine, increasing spinal range of motion and lubricating spinal discs

Standing Poses

Physical Effects

1. Build strength.
2. Develop stamina.
3. Develop heat.
4. Safely warm and open body prior to more complex poses.
5. Can bring awareness to body alignment principles such as noticing feet in relation to legs and pelvis.
6. Bring balance to body with combination of strength-building and opening.
7. Poses with externally rotated femurs such as Virabhadrasana II (Warrior 2 Pose) generally stretch inner thigh and groins and strengthen outer hips.
8. Poses with internally rotated femurs such as Virabhadrasana I (Warrior 1 Pose) generally strengthen inner thighs and internal rotators and stretch outer hips.