Body · Yoga

Yogasana

25 classical asanas with Sanskrit names in IAST, step-by-step guidance, benefits, contraindications and the doshas each pose traditionally helps balance; sourced from the hatha tradition and respected modern teachers.

Backbend Intermediate

Bow Pose

Dhanurāsana

Grab the ankles, lift, and rock gently; the whole body strung taut like an archer's bow, a strong heating backbend for the front line.
- Balances kapha
5 steps · intermediate practice
Backbend Beginner

Bridge Pose

Setu Bandhāsana

Lie back, feet planted, and lift the hips into a low, sturdy bridge; a safe, rejuvenating backbend that both calms and energises.
- Balances vāta
- Balances kapha
5 steps · beginner practice
Backbend Beginner

Cobra Pose

Bhujaṅgāsana

Lie prone and lift the chest like a rising serpent, a moderate, invigorating backbend that opens the heart and fires the digestion.
- Balances kapha
5 steps · beginner practice
Backbend Intermediate

Fish Pose

Matsyāsana

Lie back and arch the chest skyward, cradled on the forearms; the fish that swam Matsya's waters, opener of the heart and throat.
- Balances kapha
5 steps · intermediate practice
Backbend Beginner

Locust Pose

Śalabhāsana

Lie prone and lift everything, chest, arms and legs; like a locust in flight; a quiet strength-builder for the whole back line.
- Balances kapha
5 steps · beginner practice
Balance Beginner

Tree Pose

Vṛkṣāsana

Root through one foot and grow the other into the standing thigh, the classical balance that steadies body and wandering mind alike.
- Balances vāta
6 steps · beginner practice
Forward bend Beginner

Downward Facing Dog Pose

Adho Mukha Śvānāsana

The iconic inverted V, hands and feet rooted, hips high; one pose that stretches, strengthens and rests the heart all at once.
- Balances pitta
- Balances kapha
5 steps · beginner practice
Forward bend Beginner

Head-to-Knee Pose

Jānu Śīrṣāsana

Fold over one extended leg while the other rests bent open, an asymmetric, gentle fold that meets a tight back with kindness.
- Balances pitta
- Balances vāta
5 steps · beginner practice
Forward bend Beginner

Seated Forward Bend

Paścimottānāsana

The classical seated fold over the extended legs, praised in the haṭha texts for turning the mind inward and waking the digestive fire.
- Balances pitta
- Balances vāta
6 steps · beginner practice
Forward bend Beginner

Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend

Prasārīta Pādottānāsana

Feet wide, crown hanging; a grounded, cooling half-inversion that lengthens the spine without demanding hamstring flexibility.
- Balances pitta
- Balances vāta
5 steps · beginner practice
Inversion Intermediate

Plough Pose

Halāsana

From shoulder stand, lower the feet overhead to the floor behind; the plough that turns the body's soil, a deep quiet stretch.
- Balances kapha
- Balances vāta
5 steps · intermediate practice
Inversion Intermediate

Shoulder Stand

Sarvāṅgāsana

The "all-limbs" pose, balance the body vertically on the shoulders and let blood, breath and attention run the other way for a while.
- Balances kapha
- Balances vāta
5 steps · intermediate practice
Meditative Beginner

Easy Pose

Sukhāsana

Simple cross-legged sitting, sukhāsana, "the pose of ease"; the doorway seat for breathing practices and meditation.
- Balances vāta
5 steps · beginner practice
Meditative Advanced

Lotus Pose

Padmāsana

The famed lotus seat, each foot cradled on the opposite thigh; the supreme meditation posture of the haṭha texts, to be earned not forced.
- Balances vāta
5 steps · advanced practice
Restful Beginner

Child's Pose

Bālāsana

Fold back over the heels with the forehead down, the child's resting pose, a cool dark cave to return to between every effort.
- Balances vāta
- Balances pitta
5 steps · beginner practice
Restful Beginner

Corpse Pose

Śavāsana

Lie flat, fully awake and fully still; the hardest pose in the book and the one every practice ends with; conscious, deliberate rest.
- Balances vāta
- Balances pitta
- Balances kapha
5 steps · beginner practice
Seated Beginner

Bound Angle Pose

Baddha Koṇāsana

Soles together, knees wide open; the butterfly seat that quietly opens the deepest hips and steadies the breath.
- Balances vāta
- Balances pitta
5 steps · beginner practice
Seated Beginner

Hero Pose

Vīrāsana

Kneel and sit between the heels, an upright, dignified seat that keeps the spine tall and the digestion comfortable after meals.
- Balances pitta
- Balances vāta
5 steps · beginner practice
Seated Beginner

Thunderbolt Pose

Vajrāsana

The firm kneeling seat, vajra means diamond-thunderbolt; the one classical pose traditionally practised right after eating.
- Balances vāta
- Balances pitta
- Balances kapha
4 steps · beginner practice
Standing Beginner

Chair Pose

Utkaṭāsana

Sit back into an imaginary chair, a heating, strengthening squat that builds heat in the thighs and steady determination in the mind.
- Balances kapha
5 steps · beginner practice
Standing Beginner

Mountain Pose

Tāḍāsana

The quiet foundation of all standing poses: stand tall, root the feet, and let the spine grow effortless and long.
- Balances vāta
- Balances kapha
6 steps · beginner practice
Standing Beginner

Triangle Pose

Trikoṇāsana

A wide-legged stance folding sideways, a long, cooling line from heel to fingertips that opens the whole side body.
- Balances pitta
- Balances kapha
6 steps · beginner practice
Standing Beginner

Warrior II

Vīrabhadrāsana II

A wide, steady stance with arms stretched horizon-wide; strength, stamina and calm focus in one classical shape.
- Balances kapha
6 steps · beginner practice
Reclined Beginner

Wind-Relieving Pose

Pāvanamuktāsana

Hug the knees to the chest and rock gently, the folk remedy pose of every Indian household, releasing wind and easing the low back.
- Balances vāta
5 steps · beginner practice
Twist Intermediate

Half Lord of the Fishes Pose

Ardha Matsyendrāsana

The classic seated spiral, named for the teacher Matsyendranāth; wringing the spine gently while feeding the digestive fire.
- Balances kapha
- Balances vāta
6 steps · intermediate practice