Hot Yoga How-Tos

How To: Sirshasana (Headstand) with Catarina Lacayo

What to think about when practicing a supported headstand, Sirshasana, in Ashtanga Yoga with Catarina Lacayo.

How To: Do Warm-Up Yoga Poses

Yoga posturing sequences are a succession of postures intended to flow together, one following the next. This is most commonly referred to as vinyasa or a personal yoga flow. Use these relaxing poses to release tension and stress from the entire body. Remember, the key to yoga is gentle, deep breathing and a clear mind.

How To: Perform a yoga tripod headstand pose

Perfecting the right headstand pose in yoga can be a complicated process. You need to be sure that you are practicing the right procedures before you accomplish the headstand so that you do not hurt yourself and so that you can hold the yoga pose for the full duration. This segment will help guide you into it safely.

How To: Strengthen Your Back by Practicing the Saithalyasana Yoga Pose

Bring your body into balance as your improve your fitness and flexibility by practicing yoga. This pose, called Saithalyasana or Animal Relaxation Pose, is an excellent stretch for the low back, hamstrings, and hips. This video will teach you how to improve your posture, gain flexibility, and find balance of body and mind.

How To: Relieve Your Sciatica Pain with the Cow Face Yoga Pose

The name Cow Face pose has probably got you asking, what does this yoga pose do? What doesn't it do? Find relief from back pain, improve flexibility in the neck and shoulders, feel invigorated and calm by practicing Gomukhasana, or Cow's Face pose.

How To: Relax Your Back, Neck, and Mind in the Reversed Corpse Pose

If tension is bothering you, take some time to relax and let the stress melt away by practicing the Reversed Corpse pose, or Adavasana. This simple exercise can help you relax your body and mind, by focusing on your breathing you will find relief from stress and tension.

How To: Perform the Janu Sirasanasa Head to Knee Yoga Pose

If you are looking for a low impact exercise with tremendous benefits, consider exploring yoga. This pose, called Janu Sirasanasa, or Head to Knee pose, will stretch and strengthen your back, legs, core and internal organs. Practicing yoga can also bring calm and clarity to the mind.

How To: Strengthen your back and gain flexibility by practicing Chakrasana

Wheel pose, also known as Chakrasana is one the most famous poses in yoga. It is well known because it delivers many benefits, ranging from improved strength and flexibility of the back, legs and arms to relief of hormonal imbalances.

How To: Increase your strength, stamina and flexibility through yoga

Halasana, the plow pose, is an excellent strengthener of the back and neck. Practicing this pose will keep your spine flexible and healthy. This is an advanced pose, so pay close attention to this video to learn how to do it successfully.

How To: Encourage Your Spiritual and Physical Health by Practicing Swastikasana Pose

If you are interested in rejuvenating your tired legs, relieving your varicose veins, or simply finding the right pose for meditation, watch this video and learn how to sit in the Swastikasana, or Ausipicious Pose. This pose will strengthen your legs and increase flexibility.

How To: Use leg extensions when practicing yoga to help improve your balance

Yoga Body Naturals shows you how to use yoga to improve your balance! This video shows you the proper way to do leg extensions, which will also help strengthen your body core in addition to helping you with your balance.

How To: Assume the Eagle yoga pose to help improve your balance

This quick video by Yoga Body Naturals shows you how to correctly assume the Eagle pose, a pose that not only helps improve your balance but will also help to demonstrate the importance of proper breathing when you're practicing yoga.

How To: Assume the correct dancer's pose in yoga

In this video, expert yoga teacher Kay Bray shows you how to correctly assume what's called a dancer's pose when practicing yoga. This pose will not only help improve your balance, it will also help focus, strengthen and extend your body.

How To: Use the crow yoga posa to improve your balance

Yoga has been found to provide a wealth of benefits to those who practice it. This video shows you how to assume one of the poses in yoga, the crow pose. Using this pose will help improve your balance, especially as this pose makes use of your arms.

How To: Master the Warrior 3 pose in yoga

Practicing yoga has many known health benefits, and this video shows you how to master what is called the Warrior 3 pose. This pose teaches you how to engage all your body's muscles for the purposes of improving your balance.

How To: Open up your hips using yoga poses and stretches

There is no real shortcut for opening up your hips when practicing yoga - you just have to find the technqiue that works best for you, and perfect it. This tutorial shows you a few different methods you can use to open up your hips.

How To: Use yoga poses and stretches to improve your digestion

If you think your digestive system might need a bit of kick start, the answer might be in yoga. This video shows you a spine twist that will limber you up and help add some energy to a sluggish digestive system. Keep your spine straight!

How To: Stretch out your abdominal muscles for practicing yoga

This video shows you a few stretches you can use that focus on your abdominal muscles. These practices will also help strengthen this area of your body. Make sure that you are breathing properly while performing these exercises, and be aware of where your feet are!

How To: Learn how to do a headstand yoga pose safely and correctly

If you want to learn how to do a headstand in yoga, the first step is to make sure you have sufficient upper body strength. Then, find the right position to make sure that your body will be in the correct and safe alignment.

How To: Use different yoga postures to open and cleanse your body

For this position, you will need a basic kitchen chair. These positions are useful to help open up and cleanse your body. Make sure to focus on keeping your breathing steady, and always stretch before practicing any kind of yoga.

How To: Develop your core strength and balance when practicing yoga

Develop your core strength and balance using these tradtional yoga poses. All you need is a yoga mat! This video also demonstrates a few different variations on these poses, depending on if you are a beginning, intermediate or advanced student of yoga.

How To: Do Baby Swinging Yoga... Or Less Daring & More Cautious Normal Baby Yoga

What's a yoga master do when she gets pregnant and has a baby? Teach it yoga, of course. This brings a whole new meaning to beautiful bouncing baby.

How To: Master the Crow pose when you're studying yoga

This video demonstrates the proper crow posture for yoga students. One of the pitfalls of this pose is a lack of stability, and your teacher shows you a few tips in placing your knees and arms to increase your balance.

How To: Practice a variation of the backbend posture for yoga

This tutorial gives you a variation on the basic backbend for yoga. Always make sure you are breathing properly when practicing this movement. Also make sure to keep your hips square and relatively motionless while moving your legs in this pose.

How To: Increase your flexibility by practicing yoga backbends

This mini class shows you how to correctly perform the backbend in yoga, which helps you restore the natural curves in your spine. It also helps energize you. Always make sure your breathing is slow and measured, and don't overextend your muscles.

How To: Learn how to perform the advanced headstand pose in yoga

This pose is only for people who are advanced practitioners of yoga, and should not be done by anyone who has a chronic neck injury. If you feel confident in your yoga skills, watch this video and learn how to do the headstand pose.

How To: Master the camel pose when practicing yoa

The camel pose will open up your throat, increase the blood flow into your brain and aid in your digestion. Make sure you have stretched adequately before attempting this pose, and pay attention to your breathing to make sure you are inhaling and exhaling at the right times.

How To: Master the basic breathing exercises for practicing yoga

The key to being able to perform yoga properly is in the breath. This tutorial shows you how to get started on breathing the yogic way. Use your entire lung capacity to take slow, measured breaths and focus on your diaphragm.

How To: Practice the proper Vinyasa flow and open up your hips

The Vinyasa flow is a short exercise you can use to limber up your body, as well as open your hips. It starts with a rotating triange and then slowly transitions into a forward bend. Make sure to pay attention to your breathing techniques!

How To: Use the Siberian sequence to warm up for yoga

This is a quick technique you can use to warm up for your regular yoga workout. Taken from a Siberian yogi, this is an ideal warmup to use if you don't have a whole lot of time for an extensive workout.

How To: Do the shoulder stand exercise in yoga

Ready to stretch out and relax? Yoga will help you out. Yoga's been known to help with flexibility and health. This is a perfect exercise to start out with. Watch this video to learn how to do a basic shoulder stand.

How To: Perform a strong, firm handstand in vinyasa yoga

Handstands are hard to do in general, whether you're a yoga veteran or a little tyke trying to impress his friends in P.E. Yoga junkies, however, possess a much butter control of the muscles that hold a handstand in place, including the core and arms.

How To: Complete simple vinyasa yoga stretches to improve flexibility

When it comes to yoga, none other than Gumby himself should be your flexi hero. Unlike the rest of us, who suffer from stiff joints, lack of flexibility, and aches in our muscles, Gumby is like a human (or toy?) pretzel, able to contort his way out of any stressful situation.

How To: Complete vinyasa yoga ninja salutations with Sadie Nardini

Are you familiar with the sun salutation? If so, then you can amp up your body toning and calorie burning power by completing this series of "ninja" salutations with Sadie Nardini.

How To: Complete a detoxifying vinyasa yoga sequence with Sadie Nardini

When you think detox, you probably imagine lithe, bony starlets sipping on vegetable juice or lemon water with cayenne pepper. While removing junk from your diet is a common form of detox, you can also remove toxins and cleanse your body by doing exercise.

How To: Release built up tension

This video explains how to release built up tension using De-stress styled Yoga. This type of Yoga requires you sit on your legs while sitting up straight. Taking deep breaths is the first step to begin releasing tension using Yoga. While taking deep breaths you must turn your torso very slowly from left to right. While keeping your legs planted on the ground, stretch your arms forward until the tips of your fingers are touching the ground. Taking frequent deep breaths in between these two Yo...

How To: Do the hastauttanasana (Hand raising pose)

Want to increase your flexibility, tone your back and core, AND relieve stress all at once? It sounds nothing short of a miracle, but with a good yoga practice you can have all three at the same time.

How To: Do the pada hastasana (hand to foot pose)

Want to freak your friends out by walking around looking like a human pretzel? Twist and bend your way to yogi bliss by doing this hand to toe pose, also known as a pada hastasana.

How To: Do the sirsha angushtha yogasana (head to toe pose)

The sirsha angushtha yogasana sounds pretty simple - it's a bending forward pose - but it's actually among the more intermediate yoga poses you can try. In a sort of lunge position, you clasp your arms behind you and bend forward as much as you can, until your head hits the floor if possible.

How To: Do a whole body vinyasa yoga sculpting sequence

People who have never done yoga before think of it as a kind of phony exercise for crunchy granola hippie types where all you do is sit on your butt in the lotus pose and say "Ohm."