In honor of the birthday of Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, this week’s pose is the one I most associate with Ashtanga yoga: chaturanga dandasana. Of course there are many poses in the Ashtanga primary series, even more in the second series, and so on, but between just about every pose you’re going to hit that [...]

When the weather is hot, it’s nice to include some cooling, restorative poses in your practice. To this end, I offer you a supported version of janu sirsasana. You will need a bolster, firm pillow (couch cushions will work), or a number of folded blankets. Set your legs up for the pose and then [...]

Plank pose is often seen as a quick stopping off point between downward facing dog and chaturanga. It’s just a transition, right? Wrong! If you’ve ever tried to hold plank for more than a few breaths, you’ve surely discovered that it’s a great arm strengthener and that it’s really hard to hold your body [...]

Crow pose is usually the first arm balance that yoga students learn. It can also be the start of a yoga home practice. If you’ve set your sights on crow pose, my advice is to try the pose every day at home. Consistency is important here, as is freeing yourself from the potential embarrassment [...]

One of the most interesting things about starting to do yoga is that you become very aware of your body’s asymmetries. This often becomes very apparent in cow face pose, where most people have a much easier time binding the hands behind their backs on one side than the other. When these types of [...]