15 Yoga Poses for Pregnant Women

Tadasana, Mountain Pose or Samasthiti is a standing asana in modern yoga as exercise; it is not described in medieval hatha yoga texts. It is the basis for several other standing asanas.

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Downward Dog Pose, Downward-facing Dog Pose, or Adho Mukha Shvanasana is an inversion Asana in modern yoga as exercise, often practised as part of a flowing sequence of poses, especially Surya Namaskar, the Salute to the Sun. The asana does not have formally named variations, but several playful variants are used to assist beginning practitioners to become comfortable in the pose. Downward Dog stretches the hamstring and calf muscles in the backs of the legs, and builds strength in the shoulders. Some popular sites have advised against it during pregnancy, but an experimental study of pregnant women found it beneficial. Downward Dog has been called “deservedly one of yoga’s most widely recognized yoga poses” and the “quintessential yoga pose”. As such it is often the asana of choice when yoga is depicted in film, literature, and advertising. The pose has frequently appeared in Western culture, including in the titles of novels, a painting, and a television series, and it is implied in the name, “Yoga”, of a foldable computer.

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Baddha Konasana, Bound Angle Pose, Throne Pose, Butterfly Pose, or Cobbler’s Pose (after the typical sitting position of Indian cobblers when they work), and historically called Bhadrasana, is a seated asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. It is suitable as a meditation seat.

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Bidalasana or Marjariasana both meaning Cat Pose in Sanskrit, is a kneeling asana in modern yoga as exercise. A variant with one leg held out is Vyaghrasana Tiger Pose. A variant with the back lowered is Bitilasana Cow Pose; this is often used as the counter-posture, and a widely used exercise is to alternate between Cat and Cow Poses repeatedly.

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Shavasana, Corpse Pose, or Mrtasana, is an asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, often used for relaxation at the end of a session. It is the usual pose for the practice of yoga nidra meditation. The name comes from the Sanskrit words शव Śava, “corpse” and आसन Āsana, “posture” or “seat”. The alternative name Mrtasana is from Sanskrit मृत mṛta, “death”.

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Sukhasana, easy pose, is a simple cross -legged sitting asana in hatha yoga, sometimes used for meditation in both Buddhism and Hinduism.

The 19th century Sritattvanidhi describes and illustrates the pose. The name, and the more general name Yogasana which may denote a variety of similar poses, is found in much older documents as a meditation seat, such as in the 4th century Darshana Upanishad.

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Supta Padangusthasana, Reclining Hand to Big Toe pose, or Supine Hand to Toe pose is a reclining asana in modern yoga as exercise. The name is from the Sanskrit सुप्त पादाङ्गुष्ठासन supta pādāṅguṣṭhāsana, from सुप्त supta, “reclined”, पादाङ्गुष्ठ pādāṅguṣṭha, “big toe”, and आस āsana, “posture” or “seat”.

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Trikonasana or Utthita Trikonasana, Triangle Pose is a standing asana in modern yoga as exercise. Variations include Baddha Trikonasana (bound triangle pose) and Parivrtta Trikonasana (revolved triangle pose).

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Upavista Konasana, also written Upavistha Konasana or “wide-angle seated forward bend” is an asana in modern yoga as exercise, sitting upright with the legs as wide apart as possible, grasping the toes and leaning forward.

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Utkatasana, Chair Pose, is a standing asana in modern yoga as exercise. It was a low squatting asana in medieval hatha yoga. The name comes from the Sanskrit words utkaṭa (उत्कट) meaning “wild, frightening, above the usual, intense, gigantic, furious, or heavy”, and āsana (आसन) meaning “posture” or “seat”.

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Uttanasana or Standing Forward Bend, with variants such as Padahastasana where the toes are grasped, is a standing forward bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. The name comes from the Sanskrit words उत्तान uttāna, “intense stretch”; and आसन; āsana, “posture” or “seat”.

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Vajrasana, Thunderbolt Pose, or Diamond Pose, is a kneeling asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. Medieval texts describe a variety of poses under this name.

The practitioner sits on the heels with the calves beneath the thighs. There is a four finger gap between the kneecaps, and the first toe of both the feet touch each other and sit erect.

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Viparita Karani or legs up the wall pose is both an asana and a mudra in hatha yoga. In modern yoga as exercise, it is commonly a fully supported pose using a wall and sometimes a pile of blankets.

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Virabhadrasana or Warrior Pose is a group of related lunging standing asanas in modern yoga as exercise commemorating the exploits of a mythical warrior, Virabhadra. The name of the pose derives from the Hindu myth, but the pose is not recorded in the hatha yoga tradition until the 20th century. This article contains Indic text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text. It has been described as one of the most iconic poses in yoga.

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Yoganidrasana or Yogic Sleep Pose is a reclining forward-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. It is sometimes called Dvi Pada Sirsasana, but that name describes the balancing form of the pose. In hatha yoga, the pose, Pasini Mudra, was a mudra, a seal to prevent the escape of prana, not an asana.

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