Yoga Poses: How To Do Each One, Step By Step
Yoga poses: how to do each one, step by step
Want to learn a yoga pose? You are in the right place. Each yoga pose page here shows one pose in plain steps, with its English and Sanskrit names, pictures from several angles, the props that make it easier and the mistakes to avoid.
Flametree teaches in the Iyengar yoga style. During the 20th century, Mr BKS Iyengar was the major person who codified traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his widespread teaching. He also pioneered the use of props, so more people can do more poses well. His style is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it is what we teach in Darwin and LIVE online.
- One page per pose, English name first, Sanskrit in brackets
- Numbered steps in everyday words
- Props, mistakes and who should take care, with sources
- Benefits as Dr J. T. Shah, a medical doctor who was also an Iyengar yoga teacher, who worked closely with Mr BKS Iyengar for many years, shows them
- Grouped in the order we teach them in class
Which yoga pose should I start with?
Start with the pose you are about to try in class, or with a standing pose. Standing poses teach you to feel your feet, your legs and your balance. Everything else in yoga builds on that.
New to yoga? A beginner class is the quickest way to learn these poses with a teacher watching. See the beginner deal. Already practising? See the starter deal.
Chair pose, one of the new pose pages
Chris Lalor in Chair Pose on a Darwin beach. Every pose page shows the pose from several angles and settings.
Standing poses
We start most classes here. These poses build strong legs, steady balance and good posture.
- Chair Pose (Utkatasana): how to do it, step by step
- Mountain Pose (Tadasana), and why we teach the feet parallel
- Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
- Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)
- Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II)
- Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)
- Eagle Pose (Garudasana)
- Wide Legged Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)
- Deep squat and hip flexor stretch
- More in our standing yoga pose overview
Seated poses and forward bends
These poses calm you down, stretch the backs of the legs and open the hips and knees.
- Hero Pose (Virasana): how to do it, step by step
- Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana): how to do it, step by step
- Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
- Bound Angle Pose, the butterfly stretch (Baddha Konasana)
- Wide-Angle Seated Pose (Upavistha Konasana)
- Garland Pose (Malasana)
- Pigeon Pose
- Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana)
Twists
Twists wring out the spine and wake up the middle of your body. Read our guide to yoga twists. Single pose pages for twists are coming.
Backbends
Backbends lift your chest and your mood. Our overview is backbend yoga.
- Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana): how to do it, step by step
- Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
- Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)
- Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana): page coming soon
Bridge pose on a block
Props make poses possible now, not later: supported Bridge Pose on a block.
Upside down poses (inversions)
Inversions turn you upside down. Learn them with a teacher and a wall. Our overview is yoga inversions.
- Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
- Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)
- Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana)
- Shoulder stand benefits and Plough Pose
- How to do a handstand
- Four Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)
Resting poses
We finish every class here. Your body takes in what the class has done.
Which props help with yoga poses?
Props let you do a pose well now, instead of waiting until you are flexible. Our prop guides: yoga blocks, yoga bolster, yoga blanket, how to use a yoga strap and yoga sandbag. To kit out home practice, see the beginner prop pack and the blanket and block pack, or our yoga props page.
Looking for yoga for a health problem?
See our encyclopaedia of yoga for health conditions, for example back pain or hip and knee pain. For longer notes on poses and practice, see Iyengar Yoga Poses: Pose And Practice Notes.
Learn these yoga poses with a teacher in Darwin or LIVE online
- New to yoga? Half price beginner classes, plus 2 free
- Done yoga before, or away 3 months or more? 2 free classes, then 10 non-beginner classes at half price
- Beginner timetable and group or private classes
Follow us on Facebook for pose tips.
Yoga poses: your questions
What is the best way to learn yoga poses?
Learn them in a class with a teacher who can see you. A teacher spots small things you cannot feel yet, such as a turned foot or a lifted shoulder. Use these pages to remember what you learned.
Do I need props to do yoga poses?
No, but props help a lot. A block, a belt or a blanket lets you keep the pose long and correct. Mr BKS Iyengar pioneered their use so more people could do more poses well.
Which yoga poses are good for beginners?
Standing poses such as Mountain, Tree, Triangle, Warrior II and Chair Pose are a strong start. Supported Bridge Pose and Hero Pose on a block suit beginners too. Finish with Savasana.
Why do yoga poses have two names?
Sanskrit is the old language of yoga, so every pose has a Sanskrit name. The English name is easier to say. We give both on every page, English first.
Who is Dr Shah?
Dr J. T. Shah was a medical doctor who worked with Mr BKS Iyengar. His book Therapeutic Yoga, with a foreword by Mr Iyengar, shows the body systems each pose works on. Our pose pages share his benefits in our own words.
How many yoga poses are there?
Hundreds. Mr BKS Iyengar’s book Light on Yoga describes about 200. Most classes use a few dozen, and we are adding a page for each one.
Where can I learn yoga poses in Darwin?
Come to a Flametree class in Darwin or LIVE online. Start with the beginner deal, or see the timetable.
Last updated: 4 November 2026. General information, not medical advice.
