Yoga Midterm Poses

Front 1

Mountain

Back 1

Standing
Benefits: aligns spine, tones abs, and buttocks, opens chest, improves posture, strengthens arches, ankles, knees, and thighs
Mental benefits: improves focus, develops willpower, reduced mild anxiety
Contra:none

Front 2

Downward-Facing Dog

Back 2

Standing
Benefits; improves digestion, relieves insomnia, menstrual and menopausal discomfort, and low back pain, strengthens arms, legs, torso, strengthens palms, chest, back, hamstrings, calves, and feet, energizes the body, improves focus, develops willpower, stimulates mind, relieves stress and mild anxiety
Contra: carpal tunnel, high bp, headache

Front 3

Crescent Lunge

Back 3

Standing
Benefits: strengthens arches, ankles, knees, thighs, stretches hips and shoulders, opens chest, stimulates digestin, increases muscular endurance, relieves symptoms of sciatica, builds mental focus, develops willpower, stimulates mind
Contra: neck injury, knee injury

Front 4

Chair

Back 4

Standing
Lengthens spine, strengthens feet, ankles, calves, knees, buttocks, and thighs
Opens chest, stimulates digestive, circulatory, and reproductive, builds focus, develops willpower, stimulates mind, reduced stress
Contra: low BP, insomnia, knee injury

Front 5

Tree

Back 5

Balancing
Benefits: remedies flat feet, strengthens arches, ankles, calves, thighs, lengthens spine, improves balance, opens shoulders, chest, thighs, hips, improves circulation, calms mind, cultivates poise and focus
Contra: headaches, high BP (keep hands under heart)

Front 6

Plank

Back 6

Balancing
Strengthens arms, wrists, spine, tones abdomen
Contra: carpal tunnel

Front 7

Cobra

Back 7

Backward-Bending
benefits; improves posture, stimulates circulatory, digestive, and lymphatic systems, opens chest, shoulders, throat, lengthens spine, increases spinal flexibility, strengthens low back, shoulders, and legs, reduces fatigue, energizes mind, relieves mild depression and anxiety, reduces stress
Contra: pregnancy, high BP, severe spinal or neck injury

Front 8

Locust

Back 8

Backward-Bending
Benefits: lengthens spine, opens chest, shoulders, throat, strengthens legs, buttocks, shoulders, arms, tones abdominal cavity, aids digestion, stimulates circulation, increases flexibility, improves posture, reduces stress, relieves mild depression and anxiety, energizes mind
Contra: headache, high BP, spinal or neck injury,

Front 9

Cat Cow

Back 9

Backward-Bending
Benefits: increases spinal flexibility, opens lower back and abdominal cavity, aids digestion, opens chest, throat, shoulders, increases circulation, stimulates thyroid and parathyroid function, therapeutic for mild carpal tunnel, tendonitis, sciatica, and low back injury, energizes mind, relieves mild depression and anxiety, reduces stress
Contra: severe carpal tunnel

Front 10

Gentle Spinal Twist

Back 10

Twist
Benefits: improves digestive and circulation, reduces discomfort from backache, neck pain, sciatica, strengthens and stretches spines, shoulders, and hips, relieves menstrual discomfort, stimulates lymphatic system, relieves stress, mild depression, and anxiety
Contra: digestive discomfort, high or low BP, headache

Front 11

Reclining Spinal Twist (Belly Turning)

Back 11

Twist
Benefits: strengthens spine and shoulders, improves digestive and circulation, strengthens lower back, relieves lower backache, neck pain, sciatica, opens chest and hips, helps relieve stress, mild depression, anxiety
Contra: high or low BP, diahrrea, headache, menstruation

Front 12

Simple Sitting Twist

Back 12

Twist
Opens chest and neck, stimulates digestive and lymphatic, increases circulation in spine and abdominal cavity, improves digestion, relieves carpal tunnel, alleviates sciatica, strengthens hips, shoulders, and spine, relieves low back and neck discomfort, reduces stress, relieves mild anxiety
Contra: headache, high or low BP, ankle/knee injury

Front 13

Seated Forward Bend (Intense West Stretch)

Back 13

Forward-Bending
Stretches spine, hamstrings, calves, improves digestion, stimulates lymphatic and reproductive system, helps relieve menstrual and menopausal discomfort, improves liver, kidney, and colon function, alleviates high BP, infertility, sinusitis, reduces fatigue and insomnia, soothes nervous system, relieves stress, anxiety, mild depression
Contra: low back injury, asthma,

Front 14

Head to Knee Pose

Back 14

Forward-Bending
Strengthens feet, knees, thighs, stretches hamstrings, calves, improves function of digestive and reproductive systems, open hips and groin, stimulates liver, kidneys, digestive, relieves menopausal discomfort, headache, insomnia, fatigue, alleviates discomfort from sinusitis
Soothes nervous system, relieves stress, anxiety, mild depression
Contra: back injury (keep knees bent), low BP, pregnancy (widen stance)

Front 15

Revolved Head to Knee

Back 15

Forward-Bending
Improves digestion, stretches calves, hamstring, lower back muscles, opens hips, groin, shoulder, opens musculature and fascia around waist, ribcage, and chest, stimulates reproductive system, circulates blood to liver, colon, kidneys, soothes nervous system, relieve stress/anxiety/mild depression
Contra: low BP, low back injury, neck/shoulder injury, pregnancy after first trimester

Front 16

Open Angle

Back 16

Forward-Bending
Strengthens low back, spine, opens hips, groin, shoulders, stretches hamstrings, calves, and inner thighs, stimulates digestive and reproductive systems, increases circulation to liver and kidneys, soothes nervous system, relieves stress, anxiety, mild depression
Contra: low BP, low back injury, groin or hamstring injury

Front 17

Side Open Angle

Back 17

Forward-Bending
Improves digestin, stretches calf, hamstring, and low back muscles, strengthens low back, promotes spinal flexibility, opens musculature and fascia around the waist and rib cage,opens the hips,groins,and shoulders
contra:low BP,low back injury

Front 18

Baby Cradle

Back 18

Sitting
benefits:stretches the thighs,hamstrings,and calf muscles. creates proper engagement of the hamstrings. improves digestion, massages the abdominal muscles,stimulates the colon,liver, and kidneys
contra:knee or hip injury

Front 19

Thunderbolt

Back 19

Sitting
benefits:stimulates circulation,energizes the thighs,calves,and ankles, aligns the spine, stretches the quadriceps, opens ankle,knee,and hip joints
contra:knee injury,ankle injury

Front 20

Staff

Back 20

Sitting
benefits:tones abdominal muscles, increases circulation, opens the chest, strengthens legs,torso,arms,and spine
contra: none

Front 21

Sage (Easy pose)

Back 21

Sitting
benefits:increases blood circulation in the lower spine, tones abdominal organs through breathing action, elongates the spine, opens the hips
contra:low back,hip,knee,or ankle injury

Front 22

Knee to Chest

Back 22

Reclining
benefits:stretches the spine,improves digestion, massages the abdominal organs and back, relieves lower back pain,opens the hips
contra:knee injuries,hernia

Front 23

Child’s Pose

Back 23

Reclining
benefits:alleviates head,neck,and chest pain, opens the pelvic floor,hips,and low back, stretches ankles,knees,and hips, opens the upper back
contra:ankle, knee,hip injury

Front 24

Corpse

Back 24

Reclining
benefits:lowers blood pressure,relaxes and rejuvenates the body,reduces fatigue,reduces stress,mild depression,and anxiety
contra:low back or spinal injuries(use variation)

Front 25

Sun Salutation

Back 25

mountain,standing forward bend,lunge,plank,cobra,downward-facing dog, lunge,standing forward bend,mountain,end with hands in namaste(prayer form)