Yoga poses, or asanas, are the physical part of a yoga practice. They serve to strengthen your body, increase your endurance and elongate your muscles. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that yoga asanas also contain physiological benefits, such as massaging your internal organs, improving circulation and regulating your digestion system. Yoga practitioners usually perform poses in a 60- or 90-minute practice, or workout, but individual poses can be done anytime to reap the benefits.
Warrior III
Warrior III is the third in the series of warrior poses, which all represent inner strength and power. Warrior III is a challenging pose that requires balancing on a single leg while your body is parallel to the floor. The pose helps to strengthen your ankles, legs, shoulders, back and abdominal muscles while also helping to improve your posture, according to Yoga Journal. The pose is executed by standing with your feet together and then lifting your left leg straight behind you until it is parallel to the floor, while keeping your foot flexed. Your torso tilts forward until it too is parallel to the floor. Your arms are extended forward and parallel to your ears.
Camel Pose
Camel pose is in the backbend family and helps to stretch and strengthen the front of your body, ankles, thighs, groin, hip flexors and throat, while also strengthening your back muscles. Yoga Journal reports that camel pose also stimulates your abdomen and neck muscles. This pose is executed by kneeling on the floor with knees hip-width apart and bending your torso back while reaching behind you and taking hold of your heels with each hand.
Bow Pose
Bow pose is also in the backbend series of poses. It is executed by lying on your stomach and simultaneously lifting your head, neck, shoulders and legs off of the floor, and then reaching back and taking hold of your ankles with your hands, at which point your body should be in the position of a bow. Yoga Journal reports that bow pose helps to improve your posture while stretching the entire front of your body and strengthening your back.
Hero Pose
Hero pose helps you stretch your thighs, knees and ankles while also aiding your digestive system, according to Yoga Journal. This pose is executed by kneeling on the floor and then sitting your glutes down between your feet. The tops of your feet should be flat on the floor; if your ankles are lacking the flexibility to do so then place a yoga block under your butt.
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