A Complete List of Seated Yoga Poses

Asana – the Sanskrit term for a pose in yoga, literally translates to “position of sitting”. Hence, yoga essentially means how you place yourself. This is precisely the reason why most yoga classes begin with sitting poses. However, there are other reasons to this as well, such as low risk of falling, more control over body, better joint and spine opening through mild stretching, etc.

Therefore, seated poses are the way to begin with yoga. Not all poses listed below in the table are meant for beginners though. Try them as per your level and physical condition.

Tips for seated yoga poses

With a little help from yoga accessories and props like blocks, straps, bolsters, etc. one can ease as well deepen their yoga practice.

1. In forward bends, if you feel difficult to bend forward and stretch, sit on a small block to ease.
2. You can also use a strap or belt, hold its ends in your hands and wrap around foot to deepen your practice and stretch more.
3. Beginners with tight hamstrings are advised to place a rolled towel beneath the knees in forward bending poses to avoid cases of hyper extended knee and over stretched hamstrings.
4. For back bends like Camel pose, take help of a wall to crawl down and grab your ankles.
5. Place soft blanket beneath your knees and palms when performing poses in table top position or where you balance weight on knees and palms.

Correcting spine alignment

Alignment of back is crucial in seated postures. To check whether yours is proper or not, follow the steps given below:

1. Take a place near wall and get into Lotus pose, Staff pose or Easy pose.
2. With your back towards the wall, sit relaxed – shoulders relaxed, hands on knees or in center placed one palm over another and gaze forward.
3. Now, notice the parts touching wall.
   • Correct alignment: Only your shoulder blades and pelvis should touch the wall.
   • Incorrect alignment: Middle back touching the wall.
4. Once you are aware of your spine alignment, sit proper and take in a few deep breaths. Check alignment again.
5. Do this exercise twice each day for permanent correction of your seated posture.

Bonus tip: A good pre-workout supplement can help you make the most of your yoga.