Yoga Poses with Pictures

Top Yoga Poses

In our busy lives, it is not always possible to do 2 hours of yoga daily.  It would be great if we all had the time for such devoted practice, and even if some of us were lucky enough to be able to accommodate such a practice, there would inevitably be phases where time would be limited and we would have to make do with a shorter practice.  Today I would like to present you with a great set, composed of many of the top yoga poses, which is ideal for meeting the needs of a quick yet complete yoga routine.

The set below incorporates many of the best yoga poses and exercises out there and is quite complete, but you can supplement it with other poses if you feel that there are some aspects that this workout does not cover.  An example of such additions, would be adding Spinal Twists for the Lower Back, Frog Pose for Toned Legs or any of the exercises from the Simple Yoga for Upper Body Training Set.  Each of the links I have cited above will take you to an article with details of those poses, complete with pictures and illustrations.

To help you customize your set and include such additions, you can use the tips from the article: 6 Guidelines of How to Create Yoga Sets.

You can see from the poses illustrated below, that this set of exercises already targets a wide range of muscle groups and works on many different systems and organs.  It also includes some of the most important yoga poses and poses that according to yoga you should try to do daily.  For this reason, it is one of my favorite sets and very useful for regular maintenance and upkeep.

This set will be added to our Free Online Yoga Sets and Kriyas Collection, which already has 22 wonderful yoga sets to help you develop and expand your yoga practice.  All the yoga sets in the collection also come with pictures of the yoga poses and in many cases, videos are also included.

The building blocks for these sets are of course the yoga exercises, and complete details for each exercise can be found in the Illustrated Kundalini Yoga Exercises Collection and the Illustrated Hatha Yoga Poses Galleries.  So if you are looking to enhance this set even further, you can find many more top yoga poses in those collections to do so with.

In addition to just the yoga poses that make up this set, I have added a yoga breathing exercise for you to start this set with and suggest that you end with a meditation of your choice.  Incorporating these practices into your routine will ensure that you are not just enjoying the physical benefits of yoga, but are also getting the mental, emotional and spiritual benefits that these sister sciences bestow.

For Online Yoga and Meditation Certification Students:

For those students enrolled in the Yoga Certification Program or Meditation Teacher’s Training Course, this set is great to do in a beginner’s or intermediate yoga class, as I have seen that most students are able to practice these poses or at least do the modified versions quite well.

Each exercise title and image below are links which you can click for additional details about that pose, including benefits, cautions, modification and more pictures.

Please share any poses and exercises you enjoy.  Thank you.

KUNDALINI YOGA SET FOR EVERYDAY HEALTH AND FITNESS

1. 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise:

Along with the yoga sets and poses collections indicated above, the website also hosts the Free Online Yoga Breathing Exercises Collection.  From that collection one of the best exercises to get you energy going is the 4 Part Deep Breathing exercise.

How to Do 4 Part Deep Breathing Exercise:

• To do this exercise, sit up straight to ensure that the spine is erect.  

• Then inhale in 4 parts.  This means to break up 1 inhalation into 4 parts, such that by the fourth sniff you have completely filled your lungs to capacity. 

• After inhalation, exhale in 4 parts, such that by the fourth sniff you have emptied your lungs.

• Now start to breathe in again in 4 parts and repeat the cycle

• Start with 1 minute and work your way up to 3 minutes or more.  Take breaks as you need.

2. Archer Pose for Power and Confidence:

Next come into Archer Pose.  This pose is a great exercise for building confidence and energy.  In addition, it helps strengthen your legs and opens up your energy pathways.  Do this exercise with full focus and concentration.

Start with facing to the left and hold for 1-3 minutes and then switch and face the other way for an equal amount of time.  

Do the pose with Breath of Fire or with Long Deep Breathing.

Kundalini Yoga Archer Pose Illustration

3. Forward Bending Yoga Pose:

Next come into one of the best yoga poses for healing and longevity, Back Stretching Pose, also called the Forwarding Bending Pose.

For this pose, make sure you stretch gently at first and only accent the stretch after you feel yourself warming up a little.  It is fine if you can’t reach all the way to your toes as shown in the illustration below.  Simply reach forward as far as you comfortably can.

Hold for 1-3 minutes doing either Long Deep Breathing or the Breath of Fire.

Yoga Forward Bend Picture

4. Camel Pose for Optimal Health:

Camel pose in and of itself is great for maintaining good health as it has a long list of wonderful benefits, so it is only logical that such a useful pose would be part of a daily maintenance set.

For those who are new to yoga, don’t feel intimidated by this pose, as it has some very good modifications that are very suitable for beginner’s to do.  You can find those modified versions in the article (simply click the title to be taken to the article).  The full article has pictures of the modified versions of Camel Pose as well.

Hold this pose for 1-3 minutes doing either Breath of Fire or Long Deep Breathing.

Camel Pose Illustration

5. Stretch Pose for Core Abdominal Power:

No Kundailni Yoga set is complete without have an exercise for the abs and core, and the most basic pose for working on this critical region is the famous Stretch Pose.

Do this pose daily and you will enjoy the great benefits of energy, willpower and good digestion that this pose bestows.

Stretch Pose is typically done with Breath of Fire, so try to develop that combination.

Try to build up your time to 3 minutes.  In the beginning you can take frequent breaks while doing the pose, or use the single leg modification until your abs get strong enough.   The picture below shows the pose being done with both legs up.

Kundalini Yoga Stretch Pose Picture

6. Bow Pose for Eternal Health:

Perhaps one of the most famous yoga poses is Bow Pose.  This is another superb pose and certainly one that is excellent to do on a daily basis.

Once you get proficient with the basic version of Bow Pose, try the advanced version where you rock back and forth on your stomach.  

For this pose, you can start with doing just 15 seconds and building up from there.  Doing this pose with just normal breathing is fine.

Yoga Bow Pose Illustration

7. Shoulder Stand for Brain Fitness:

If we are creating a set for daily practice, it only makes sense that it would have an inversion and a pose which is good for brain health. This pose is Shoulder Stand.  Use your hands to support your lower back as I have shown in the illustration below.

Only do this pose for a maximum of 5 minutes a day and also be careful of your neck when practicing it.  

While holding the pose just do normal breathing.

Shoulder Stand Pose

8. Meditation of Your Choice:

To Complete this set, select a meditation of your choice from the Free Online Meditations Collection or Free Kundalini Yoga Meditations Collection.

Try to practice your meditation for at least 5 minutes and build up to 20 minutes over time.

The Top Yoga Poses for Everyday Practice is a great set to do daily in order to stay strong, flexible, energized and fit.