Breakthrough Poses

By Nora Isaacs

Master these moves and you can master yoga

Think kicking up into a Handstand looks really easy? It isn’t. We don’t want to discourage you, but if you haven’t been practicing regularly for some time, odds are you won’t be hanging around upside down by next week. But you can start doing the things that will lead to doing the Handstand (and all the other uber-poses), laying the groundwork by mastering a few fundamental yoga moves. “Each pose will teach you something about the next,” says Seane Corn, the renowned yoga instructor who teaches Vinyasa Flow yoga at Sacred Movement in Santa Monica, California, and around the world. “If you really understand the dynamics of Down Dog, for example, those actions begin to translate into the next level.” Even better, you don’t have to nail Handstand to start getting the increased flexibility and strength, reduced aches and pains, and the delicious sense of peace that yoga offers—that all starts right now.

For Beginners: Tree Pose »

For Intermediate Students: Downward Facing Dog »

For Advanced Practitioners: Handstand »

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