You're busy. We get it. But you still want every benefit possible from the time you spend in practice—power, strength, energy, and endurance—without spending hours on the mat. To help, we've asked four top yoga experts to choose their favorite poses to create the ultimate yoga workout. It’s a virtual yoga buffet where you can fill up on all your favorites in one stop, and still have a little time to tackle the rest of your life.
In this series, we've pulled over 20 poses from ashtanga (better than a Hollywood weight trainer), vinyasa (the Ironman of yoga), kundalini (could be called ginseng yoga), and power yoga (equal to power lifting), pick the ones you need for your workout goals, and get started on the body you want.
FITNESS GOAL: Weight Loss
STYLE: Power Vinyasa Yoga is built on isometric movements that recruit every muscle in the body. This sparks your metabolism, and you end up burning more calories.
EXPERT: Baron Baptiste, who runs acclaimed boot camps around the world and is author of Journey into Power, breaks you down to build you up. Ninety-minute sessions (conducted in Costa Rican heat or classrooms with elaborate heating systems) and constant engagement of large muscle groups equals serious fat burning and body sculpting.
Hold each pose below for five to 10 breaths. The poses can be done as a sequence or in any combination.
Revolving Crescent Lunge (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana)
With right foot forward and left leg stretched behind you, go to the ball of left foot, squeezing left leg straight. Right knee is stacked over right ankle. With hands pressing together at the center of body, straighten arms, bringing left hand to the floor on the outside of front foot. Right hand reaches up. Pull shoulder blades toward the spine. Open chest wide and breathe deeply. Place hands on floor, step feet back, and switch sides to repeat. The twisting action tones and whittles your waist.
Dancer’s Pose (Natarajasana)
From standing, bring left arm up and roll right hand open so palm faces forward. Bend right knee and bring right foot up from behind. Reach right hand back and grab inside of right foot with thumb pointing like a hitchhiker. Bring knees together. Set gaze forward and lift chest high as you stretch forward, bringing leg up. Keeping chest a bit higher than hips, hold, then repeat to other side. This pose will make your shoulders, spine, and legs strong and elongated, so you look slimmer.
Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
From a wide-leg standing position open arms so they are parallel with the floor. Turn right foot to face forward and turn back foot to a 45 degree angle. Reach down and grab right shin, bringing left arm up. Arms should stack in one vertical line. Resist the temptation to let body weight drop into the lower shoulder; engage the shoulder and surrounding muscle by extending from fingertip to fingertip. Engage upper thighs and stack entire body on one plane (as if between two panes of glass.) Breathe slowly before coming up to standing. Step left foot forward, then repeat on other side.
Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
Lying on belly, bend knees, bringing them hip-width apart. Reach back and grab tops of feet or ankles. On inhale, press back through legs as you lift thighs and chest off floor. Press feet back into hands, drop chin to chest, and breathe deeply. Release and repeat. Bow pose contracts and tones ab muscles—the first step to a washboard.
Supported Shoulder Stand (Salamba Sarvangasana)
Lying on back, squeeze knees to chest. Contract core and on the exhale, bring legs and hips up, rolling onto the back of shoulders. Bring hands to lower back and walk elbows and shoulder blades toward each other. Press up through the soles of feet, using hands to lift and support hips. To come down, draw knees into chest and gently roll onto back. Rest before coming to sit up.
For more goal-specific workouts, follow any of these links:
FITNESS GOAL: Strength
FITNESS GOAL: Endurance
FITNESS GOAL: Energy
