Beginner & Advanced Yoga Exercises

Hundreds of yoga postures and variations exist in modern practice. If you look closely, many poses are either flipped, deepened or otherwise modified versions of others. Paschimottanasana-seated forward bend-for example, mimics Uttanasana, also called standing forward bend. To increase the challenge of basic poses, you can alter them into advanced poses.

Lower Body

Beginners spend a lot of time strengthening the lower body in preparation for a more advanced practice. You practice lunges before moving on to the warrior poses: Virabhadrasana I and II. Chair pose strengthens your legs to help you retain stability when attempting an advanced pose like standing split.

Core and Balancing Poses

You will learn Tadasana or mountain pose in your first yoga practices. Supported boat, with your hands or elbows on the floor for support, builds strength in your core, which helps your balance as well. Tree pose---Vrksasana---starts you on the road to balancing on one foot. As your practice grows, you can advance to half moon pose and king dancer, a balance and backbend in one.

Upper Body

The all-around pose, downward facing dog, tones your arms as a beginner while stretching your legs. You progress to arm balances like plank and side plank as you get stronger. When you become an advanced practitioner, you can manage inverted arm balances like forearm balance and handstand. Some traditions, however, like Anusara Yoga will teach the arm balances in your beginner courses.

Back Body

Backbends give your spine the flexibility you will need for an advanced yoga practice. You start with less intense backbends like half locust or low cobra, using your hands on the floor for support and only curving the spine a small amount. Upward facing dog, wheel and full pigeon at the advanced level, bend your body almost completely backward and can require years of training before your spine is supple enough for them.

Twists

Twists establish mobility in your spine while stimulating your internal organs. In her YogaJournal.com article, Let's Twist Again, Julie Gudmestad says, "There are physiological benefits to the circulatory system and internal organs, structural benefits to the musculoskeletal system, and focusing benefits to your consciousness." Bharadvajasana twists the spine gently as you sit, while the more advanced revolved triangle turns your chest almost completely to the back in a standing twist.

Breathing Exercises

Early breath work teaches you to use the full capacity of your lungs and to breathe with awareness. Three-part breath, interrupted three-part breath and Ujjayi breath develop your breath control. More complex pranayama, or breathing exercises, like Kapalabhati breath should only be done by experienced practitioners and with guidance, according to David Swenson.