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A Complete List of Standing Yoga Poses

Contents

Standing yoga poses are considered best for balance improvement and posture correction apart from other pose-specific anatomical and therapeutic benefits. Some of them are beneficial in strengthening Achilles tendon, hip flexor and hamstrings. Hence, they are good for athletes, dancers, kids, seniors, and those who have desk jobs.

Performing these poses regularly improves full body blood circulation, especially in head and legs, hence, reducing odds of conditions like deep vein thrombosis, cervical pain, asthma, hyper-extended knee, Runner’s knee, and heart related issues such as heart attack and cardiac arrest.

Tips for Standing Yoga poses

  1. For tight hamstrings, make use of a strap to bend forward and get closer to your toes/ankles. If that is not possible, place a block in front of yourself or on your sides. This would decrease the height, and ease the pose.
  2. Take support of a wall or hold a sturdy chair in your beginner days to gain better sense of balance and eliminate risk of falling.
  3. Never overstretch. Any pose should be continued till the point of mild stretch or strain on muscle.
  4. A hammock is a good way to begin with both forward and backward inversion positions as the stress of weight is taken off both from the belly and back, respectively.
  5. Having a yoga ball at home for easing a pose as well for relaxation purposes would take you a long way in the practice.

Maintaining knee, foot, and ankle safety

  1. Bending knees initially is not ‘bad yoga’. The perfect pose is the one which you can do comfortably.
  2. To avoid cramps in the arch of feet, wear an elastic yoga sock. You can also use a small crepe bandage for this purpose.
  3. Steer clear of over stretched Achilles tendon by standing on a small wedge while performing forward bends. This reduces the strain on ankles whilst strengthening them.

All Standing poses (Table with benefits and pictures)

Yoga Poses (asanas) with benefits Pose Image
Big Toe Pose (Padangusthasana)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Ideal for women who are trying to get pregnant
  • Improves digestion
  • Relieves headache
Big Toe Pose (Padangusthasana) thumbnail
Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Improves posture and balance
  • Tones abdomen and thighs
  • Great for athletes and runners
chair pose - thumbnail
Dolphin Pose

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Brings relief to asthma patients
  • Stress-reliever
  • Prevents osteoporosis
dolphin pose thumbnail
Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Enhances hamstring flexibility and hip flexion
  • Stretches Achilles’ tendons
  • Strengthens wrists, ankles, toes and back
Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) thumbnail
Eagle Pose (Garudasana)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Great for balance
  • Good for respiratory problems
  • Tones calves, thighs and arms
eagle pose - thumbnail
Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangustasana)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Improves balance and focus
  • Stimulates urinary and reproductive organs
  • Beneficial in weight loss
Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose thumbnail
Extended Side Angle Pose (Utthita Parsvokonasana)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Great pose for athletes and dancers
  • Improves body alignments and mental focus
  • Opens hips and strengthens ankles
Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose) thumbnail
Half Bound Lotus Standing Pose (Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana)

  • Level: Advanced
  • Great stretch for Achilles’ tendon and hamstrings
  • Beneficial in hormonal imbalances
  • Strengthens arms and legs
Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana thumbnail
Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Aids in fat loss
  • Greatly increases sense of balance and mental focus
  • Stretches thighs and ankles
half moon pose
Half Wheel Pose (Ardha Chakrasana)

  • Level: Advanced
  • Strengthens and tones chest muscles
  • Enhances sense of balance
  • Increases ankle and back strength
Ardha Chakrasana thumbnail
Headstand (Sirsasana)

  • Level: Advanced
  • Improves balance and focus
  • Strengthens upper body
  • Avoid if you have neck injury or migraine
head stand - thumbnail
Intense Side Stretch Pose / Pyramid pose (Parsvottanasana)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Stretches back, groin and inner thighs
  • Tones abdomen and lower body
  • Great for weight and fat loss
pyramid pose - thumbnail
Lord of Dancers Pose (Natarajasana)

  • Level: Advanced
  • Great hip opener and balance enhancer
  • Improves mental focus and back flexibility
  • Sculpts arms and calves
Natarajasana (Dancer Pose) thumbnail
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Helps gain initial sense of balance
  • Opens up chest cavity for breathing exercises
  • Stimulates thyroid and helps increase height
Tadasana (Mountain Pose) thumbnail
One Legged Dog / Downward Dog (Split) Pose (Eka Pada Svanasana)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Enhances hamstring flexibility and hip flexion
  • Stretches Achilles’ tendons and groin
  • Improves digestion and balance
Eka Pada Svanasana thumbnail
One Legged Headstand (Eka Pada Sirsasana)

  • Level: Advanced
  • Beneficial in mental stress, depression, anxiety and fatigue
  • Stretches legs and ankles
  • Strengthens back, elbows and forearms
eka_pada_sirshasana thumbnail
Revolved Extended Side Angle Pose (Parivritta Parsvokonasana)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Stretches groin and legs
  • Helps trim down belly fat and tone abdomen
  • Strengthens ankles, knees and wrist
Revolved Extended Side Angle Pose (Parivritta Parsvokonasana) thumbnail
Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivritta Trikonasana)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Stretches hamstrings and Achilles’ tendon
  • Relaxes back and hips
  • Tones abdomen and shoulders
Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivritta Trikonasana) thumbnail
Standing Forward Bend Pose (Uttanasana)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Stimulates kidney, liver and pancreas for improved digestion
  • Provides relief in obesity, stress and depression
  • Enhances balance and spine strength
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) thumbnail
Standing Half Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Corrects body alignment and standing posture
  • Strengthens ankles and enhances toe grip
  • Improves digestive and urinary functions
Half Forward Bend Pose (Ardha Uttanasana) thumbnail
Standing Spinal Twist Pose (Katichakrasana)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Stretches and relaxes abdomen
  • Strengthens spine and makes it flexible
  • Relieves of stress and anxiety
Standing Spinal Twist Pose (Katichakrasana) thumbnail
Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Helps gain better sense of balance
  • Strengthens ankles, knees and improves toe grip
  • Rectifies standing posture
Tree Pose (Vrksasana) thumbnail
Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Stretches inner thighs and groin
  • Tones waist and aids in fat loss
  • Helps with balance issues
Triangle Pose - thumbnail
Upward Salute / Upward Tree pose (Urdhva Hastasana)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Stimulates abdominal organs
  • Stretches arms and upper back
  • Improves posture
Urdhva-Vrksasana thumbnail
Warrior I Pose (Virabhadrasana I)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Shapes calves and hips
  • Strengthens and stretches ankles and thighs
  • Relaxes arms and back
Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) thumbnail
Warrior II Pose (Virabhadrasana II)

  • Level: Beginner
  • Strengthens and stretches ankles, calves and thighs
  • Improves focus and memory
  • Opens hips and stimulates reproductive organs
Warrior-2-Pose thumbnail
Warrior III Pose (Virabhadrasana III)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Strengthens and tones the whole body
  • Improves memory
  • Corrects posture and improves balance
warrior III pose thumbnail
Wide Legged Standing Forward Bend Pose (Prasarita Paddotanasana)

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Provides relief from stress and obesity
  • Strengthens ankles and wrists
  • Enhances memory and flexibility
Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Forward Bend) thumbnail

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  1. Excellent

  2. Isn’t headstand an inverted posture??

  3. Dinesh Saini

    June 21, 2017

    Marvellous

  4. Susheela V Rao

    April 2, 2018

    Good information

  5. It’s quite informative and help to improve our practice & posture

  6. Awesome 🙂 Thank you 🙂

  7. Anita Singh

    January 29, 2020

    Very informative, it helps in learning all standing poses

  8. Nikita khola

    April 19, 2021

    Very interesting and excellent asana

  9. David Joy

    April 21, 2021

    Thank you for this wonderful, complete list of standing Yoga poses! This is very helpful for when I am outside and I do not have a Yoga mat with me.