Standing Poses

Many of the most important foundational poses of yoga are done while standing. Creating a strong foundational by using one or both feet and sometimes one or both hands helps to build awareness of our bodies in space and to improve our posture and alignment of various joints, particularly the ankles, knees, hips, spinal column and shoulders. Standing postures strengthen and add flexibility to the muscles of the legs and feet, as well as the side body and the core. They open the chest and shoulders, enhancing our ability to breathe fully, and counteracting hunched over positions so many of us assume during daily work and other activities. Standing yoga poses enhance our balance and help us focus the mind. In addition to the poses featured here, there is Eagle Pose (Garudasana) under the Bird Poses section, the standing positions in the Forward Folds section, and Double Tree (Yugalaka Vriksasana) and Double Warrior II (Yugalaka Vribhadrasana dvi) in the Partner Yoga section. In some yogic traditions, Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) in the Dog Poses section and Dolphin (Makarasana) in the Inversions section are also considered standing poses.

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