The Body You Want, The Poses You Need
Fitness Goal: WEIGHT LOSS

By Nicole Kwan

20 ways to boost your power, strength, energy, and endurance

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.

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.

---