Yoga Poses by Difficulty: Beginner to Advanced

In short: poses grouped as beginner, intermediate and advanced, then by the skills they need first. The level describes the full pose; most pages give an easier version. A pose being “basic” in a tradition does not make it beginner-friendly, so read the prerequisites and precautions on each page.

Difficulty in yoga is personal. Hip structure, past injuries, age, strength and how long you have practised change what a pose asks of you, and a pose that one person finds restful can strain another. Our levels are a guide to where most people start:

Beginner: accessible to most people new to yoga, with the easier options on the page.
Intermediate: needs some strength, flexibility, balance or body awareness built in simpler poses first.
Advanced: deep backbends, demanding balances, inversions on the head or shoulders, lotus-based and leg-behind-head poses. Learn these with a qualified teacher, and skip them if a precaution on the page applies to you.

Traditions use words like “primary” or “basic” differently. The Ashtanga primary series is the first series in that system, not a beginners’ class, and the Sivananda 12 basic postures include headstand and shoulderstand. See traditional practice series for how each tradition introduces them. If you are new, the beginner pathway gives an order to learn in.

Poses by level

Beginner 70 poses

Ankle Stretch (Yin)
Banana (Yin)
Bharadvaja’s Twist Bharadvājāsana
Bird Dog
Bound Angle Pose Baddha Koṇāsana
Bridge Pose Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana
Butterfly (Yin)
Cat-Cow Marjaryasana-Bitilasana
Caterpillar (Yin)
Chair Pose Utkaṭāsana
Child's Pose Bālāsana
Cobra Pose Bhujaṅgāsana
Corpse Pose Śavāsana
Crocodile Pose Makarāsana
Dangling (Yin)
Deer (Yin)
Downward Dog Adho Mukha Śvānāsana
Dragon (Yin)
Dragonfly (Yin)
Easy Pose Sukhāsana
Eight-Point Salute Aṣṭāṅga Namaskāra
Equestrian Pose Aśva Sañcalanāsana
Extended Puppy Pose
Extended Side Angle Utthita Pārśvakoṇāsana
Five-Pointed Star
Garland Pose Mālāsana
Goddess Pose
Gracious Pose Bhadrāsana
Half Butterfly (Yin)
Half Lord of the Fishes Ardha Matsyendrāsana
Half Split
Half Standing Forward Fold Ardha Uttānāsana
Happy Baby Pose Ānanda Bālāsana
Head-to-Knee Pose Jānu Śīrṣāsana
Legs Up the Wall
Lion Pose Siṃhāsana
Locust Pose Śalabhāsana
Low Lunge Āñjaneyāsana
Melting Heart (Yin)
Mountain Pose Tāḍāsana
Plank Pose
Prayer Pose Praṇāmāsana
Pyramid Pose Pārśvottānāsana
Raised Arms with Backbend Hasta Uttānāsana
Reclining Bound Angle Supta Baddha Koṇāsana
Reclining Figure Four
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Supta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
Reclining Spinal Twist
Reverse Warrior
Revolved Easy Seat
Seated Forward Bend Paścimottānāsana
Sphinx (Yin)
Sphinx Pose
Staff Pose Daṇḍāsana
Standing Forward Fold Uttānāsana
Standing Side Bend
Supported Bridge
Supported Fish
Swaying Palm Tree Tiryaka Tāḍāsana
Tabletop
Thunderbolt Pose Vajrāsana
Toe Squat (Yin)
Tree Pose Vṛkṣāsana
Triangle Pose Utthita Trikoṇāsana
Twisted Roots (Yin)
Upward Salute Ūrdhva Hastāsana
Warrior I Vīrabhadrāsana I
Warrior II Vīrabhadrāsana II
Wide-Legged Forward Fold Prasārita Pādottānāsana
Wind-Relieving Pose Pavanamuktāsana

Intermediate 58 poses

Accomplished Pose Siddhāsana
Auspicious Pose Svastikāsana
Big Toe Pose Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
Boat Pose Paripūrṇa Nāvāsana
Both Big Toes Pose Ubhaya Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
Bow Pose Dhanurāsana
Camel Pose Uṣṭrāsana
Chaturanga Caturaṅga Daṇḍāsana
Cow Face Pose Gomukhāsana
Crow Pose Kākāsana
Dancer Pose Naṭarājāsana
Dolphin Pose
Eagle Pose Garuḍāsana
Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Utthita Hasta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
Fire Log Pose Agnistambhāsana
Fish Pose Matsyāsana
Frog (Yin)
Half Lord of the Fishes Ardha Matsyendrāsana
Half Lotus Ardha Padmāsana
Half Moon Pose Ardha Candrāsana
Hands Under Feet Pose Pādahastāsana
Hero Pose Vīrāsana
Heron Pose Krauñcāsana
High Lunge
Humble Warrior
Lizard Pose
Marichi’s Pose (A and B) Marīcyāsana A
Marichi’s Twist (C and D) Marīcyāsana C
Pigeon Pose Eka Pāda Rājakapotāsana
Plow Pose Halāsana
Reclining Hero Supta Vīrāsana
Revolved Abdomen Pose Jaṭhara Parivartanāsana
Revolved Chair Pose Parivṛtta Utkaṭāsana
Revolved Half Moon Parivṛtta Ardha Candrāsana
Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose Parivṛtta Jānu Śīrṣāsana
Revolved Lunge
Revolved Side Angle Parivṛtta Pārśvakoṇāsana
Revolved Triangle Parivṛtta Trikoṇāsana
Saddle (Yin)
Seated Wide-Angle Forward Bend Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsana
Shoelace (Yin)
Side Lunge Skandāsana
Side Plank Vasiṣṭhāsana
Side-Reclining Leg Lift Anantāsana
Snail (Yin)
Square (Yin)
Standing Figure Four
Standing Split Ūrdhva Prasārita Ekapādāsana
Swan (Yin)
Three-Limbed Forward Bend Triaṅga Mukhaikapāda Paścimottānāsana
Upward Extended Legs Ūrdhva Prasārita Pādāsana
Upward Plank Pūrvottānāsana
Upward-Facing Dog Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana
Upward-Facing Intense Stretch Ūrdhva Mukha Paścimottānāsana
Viparita Karani Viparīta Karaṇī
Warrior III Vīrabhadrāsana III
Wide-Knee Frog
Wild Thing

Advanced 41 poses

Bird of Paradise
Both Legs Behind the Head Dvi Pāda Śīrṣāsana
Bound Lotus Baddha Padmāsana
Crane Pose Bakāsana
Ear Pressure Pose Karṇapīḍāsana
Eight-Angle Pose Aṣṭāvakrāsana
Embryo in the Womb Garbha Piṇḍāsana
Firefly Pose Ṭiṭṭibhāsana
Flying Pigeon Eka Pāda Gālavāsana
Forearm Stand Piñcha Mayūrāsana
Frog Pose (Bhekasana) Bhekāsana
Full Lord of the Fishes Matsyendrāsana
Half-Bound Lotus Seated Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padma Paścimottānāsana
Half-Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padmottānāsana
Handstand Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana
Kapotasana Kapotāsana
Little Thunderbolt Laghu Vajrāsana
Lotus Pose Padmāsana
Monkey Pose (Full Split) Hanumānāsana
Noose Pose Pāśāsana
One Leg Behind the Head Eka Pāda Śīrṣāsana
One-Legged King Pigeon Eka Pāda Rājakapotāsana
Peacock Pose Mayūrāsana
Pendant Pose Lolāsana
Reclining Tortoise Supta Kūrmāsana
Rooster Pose Kukkuṭāsana
Sage Koundinya’s Pose Eka Pāda Kauṇḍinyāsana I
Sage Visvamitra’s Pose Viśvāmitrāsana
Scale Pose Tolāsana
Scorpion Pose Vṛścikāsana
Shoulder-Pressing Pose Bhujapīḍāsana
Side Crow Pose Pārśva Bakāsana
Supported Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana
Supported Shoulderstand Sālamba Sarvāṅgāsana
Toe Stand
Tortoise Pose Kūrmāsana
Tripod Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana II
Two-Legged Inverted Staff Dvi Pāda Viparīta Daṇḍāsana
Wheel Pose Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana
Yoga Seal Pose Yoga Mudrāsana
Yoga Sleep Pose (Yoganidrasana) Yoganidrāsana

Poses by prerequisite skill

What to be comfortable with before trying a pose: for example, steady weight on the hands before arm balances, or prepared backbends before wheel.

Getting down to and up from the floor 21 poses

Accomplished Pose Siddhāsana
Auspicious Pose Svastikāsana
Bound Angle Pose Baddha Koṇāsana
Cobra Pose Bhujaṅgāsana
Easy Pose Sukhāsana
Equestrian Pose Aśva Sañcalanāsana
Gracious Pose Bhadrāsana
Half Lotus Ardha Padmāsana
Legs Up the Wall
Locust Pose Śalabhāsana
Low Lunge Āñjaneyāsana
Monkey Pose (Full Split) Hanumānāsana
Reclining Bound Angle Supta Baddha Koṇāsana
Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Supta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
Seated Wide-Angle Forward Bend Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsana
Sphinx Pose
Staff Pose Daṇḍāsana
Supported Bridge
Supported Fish
Thunderbolt Pose Vajrāsana
Wide-Knee Frog

Comfortable weight on the hands 25 poses

Bird Dog
Crane Pose Bakāsana
Eight-Angle Pose Aṣṭāvakrāsana
Eight-Point Salute Aṣṭāṅga Namaskāra
Firefly Pose Ṭiṭṭibhāsana
Flying Pigeon Eka Pāda Gālavāsana
Hands Under Feet Pose Pādahastāsana
Handstand Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana
Lizard Pose
Peacock Pose Mayūrāsana
Pendant Pose Lolāsana
Plank Pose
Rooster Pose Kukkuṭāsana
Sage Koundinya’s Pose Eka Pāda Kauṇḍinyāsana I
Sage Visvamitra’s Pose Viśvāmitrāsana
Scale Pose Tolāsana
Shoulder-Pressing Pose Bhujapīḍāsana
Side Crow Pose Pārśva Bakāsana
Side Plank Vasiṣṭhāsana
Tabletop
Tripod Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana II
Upward Plank Pūrvottānāsana
Upward-Facing Dog Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana
Wheel Pose Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana
Wild Thing

Hamstring length 36 poses

Big Toe Pose Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
Bird of Paradise
Both Big Toes Pose Ubhaya Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
Ear Pressure Pose Karṇapīḍāsana
Eight-Angle Pose Aṣṭāvakrāsana
Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Utthita Hasta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
Firefly Pose Ṭiṭṭibhāsana
Half Moon Pose Ardha Candrāsana
Half Split
Half-Bound Lotus Seated Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padma Paścimottānāsana
Half-Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padmottānāsana
Hands Under Feet Pose Pādahastāsana
Head-to-Knee Pose Jānu Śīrṣāsana
Heron Pose Krauñcāsana
Marichi’s Pose (A and B) Marīcyāsana A
Monkey Pose (Full Split) Hanumānāsana
One Leg Behind the Head Eka Pāda Śīrṣāsana
Plow Pose Halāsana
Pyramid Pose Pārśvottānāsana
Reclining Tortoise Supta Kūrmāsana
Revolved Half Moon Parivṛtta Ardha Candrāsana
Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose Parivṛtta Jānu Śīrṣāsana
Revolved Triangle Parivṛtta Trikoṇāsana
Sage Koundinya’s Pose Eka Pāda Kauṇḍinyāsana I
Sage Visvamitra’s Pose Viśvāmitrāsana
Seated Forward Bend Paścimottānāsana
Seated Wide-Angle Forward Bend Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsana
Side-Reclining Leg Lift Anantāsana
Standing Split Ūrdhva Prasārita Ekapādāsana
Three-Limbed Forward Bend Triaṅga Mukhaikapāda Paścimottānāsana
Tortoise Pose Kūrmāsana
Triangle Pose Utthita Trikoṇāsana
Upward Extended Legs Ūrdhva Prasārita Pādāsana
Upward-Facing Intense Stretch Ūrdhva Mukha Paścimottānāsana
Wide-Legged Forward Fold Prasārita Pādottānāsana
Yoga Sleep Pose (Yoganidrasana) Yoganidrāsana

Hip rotation range 32 poses

Accomplished Pose Siddhāsana
Auspicious Pose Svastikāsana
Bird of Paradise
Both Legs Behind the Head Dvi Pāda Śīrṣāsana
Bound Lotus Baddha Padmāsana
Cow Face Pose Gomukhāsana
Eight-Angle Pose Aṣṭāvakrāsana
Fire Log Pose Agnistambhāsana
Flying Pigeon Eka Pāda Gālavāsana
Frog (Yin)
Full Lord of the Fishes Matsyendrāsana
Gracious Pose Bhadrāsana
Half Lotus Ardha Padmāsana
Half-Bound Lotus Seated Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padma Paścimottānāsana
Half-Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padmottānāsana
Head-to-Knee Pose Jānu Śīrṣāsana
Lizard Pose
Marichi’s Twist (C and D) Marīcyāsana C
One Leg Behind the Head Eka Pāda Śīrṣāsana
One-Legged King Pigeon Eka Pāda Rājakapotāsana
Reclining Tortoise Supta Kūrmāsana
Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose Parivṛtta Jānu Śīrṣāsana
Sage Visvamitra’s Pose Viśvāmitrāsana
Shoelace (Yin)
Shoulder-Pressing Pose Bhujapīḍāsana
Side Lunge Skandāsana
Square (Yin)
Standing Figure Four
Swan (Yin)
Tortoise Pose Kūrmāsana
Wide-Knee Frog
Yoga Sleep Pose (Yoganidrasana) Yoganidrāsana

Comfortable deep knee bend 23 poses

Ankle Stretch (Yin)
Bow Pose Dhanurāsana
Chair Pose Utkaṭāsana
Child's Pose Bālāsana
Cow Face Pose Gomukhāsana
Dragon (Yin)
Eagle Pose Garuḍāsana
Frog Pose (Bhekasana) Bhekāsana
Garland Pose Mālāsana
Goddess Pose
Hero Pose Vīrāsana
Heron Pose Krauñcāsana
Lion Pose Siṃhāsana
Noose Pose Pāśāsana
Reclining Hero Supta Vīrāsana
Revolved Chair Pose Parivṛtta Utkaṭāsana
Saddle (Yin)
Side Lunge Skandāsana
Standing Figure Four
Three-Limbed Forward Bend Triaṅga Mukhaikapāda Paścimottānāsana
Thunderbolt Pose Vajrāsana
Toe Squat (Yin)
Toe Stand

Arms overhead with ease 25 poses

Banana (Yin)
Bird of Paradise
Chair Pose Utkaṭāsana
Cow Face Pose Gomukhāsana
Dolphin Pose
Extended Puppy Pose
Forearm Stand Piñcha Mayūrāsana
Full Lord of the Fishes Matsyendrāsana
Half-Bound Lotus Seated Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padma Paścimottānāsana
Handstand Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana
Kapotasana Kapotāsana
Marichi’s Pose (A and B) Marīcyāsana A
Marichi’s Twist (C and D) Marīcyāsana C
Melting Heart (Yin)
Noose Pose Pāśāsana
One-Legged King Pigeon Eka Pāda Rājakapotāsana
Raised Arms with Backbend Hasta Uttānāsana
Reclining Tortoise Supta Kūrmāsana
Reverse Warrior
Standing Side Bend
Swaying Palm Tree Tiryaka Tāḍāsana
Upward Salute Ūrdhva Hastāsana
Warrior I Vīrabhadrāsana I
Wheel Pose Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana
Yoga Seal Pose Yoga Mudrāsana

Core strength 30 poses

Boat Pose Paripūrṇa Nāvāsana
Both Big Toes Pose Ubhaya Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
Both Legs Behind the Head Dvi Pāda Śīrṣāsana
Crane Pose Bakāsana
Eight-Angle Pose Aṣṭāvakrāsana
Embryo in the Womb Garbha Piṇḍāsana
Firefly Pose Ṭiṭṭibhāsana
Flying Pigeon Eka Pāda Gālavāsana
Forearm Stand Piñcha Mayūrāsana
Handstand Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana
Little Thunderbolt Laghu Vajrāsana
Peacock Pose Mayūrāsana
Pendant Pose Lolāsana
Plank Pose
Revolved Abdomen Pose Jaṭhara Parivartanāsana
Revolved Half Moon Parivṛtta Ardha Candrāsana
Sage Koundinya’s Pose Eka Pāda Kauṇḍinyāsana I
Scale Pose Tolāsana
Scorpion Pose Vṛścikāsana
Shoulder-Pressing Pose Bhujapīḍāsana
Side Crow Pose Pārśva Bakāsana
Side Plank Vasiṣṭhāsana
Side-Reclining Leg Lift Anantāsana
Supported Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana
Supported Shoulderstand Sālamba Sarvāṅgāsana
Tripod Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana II
Upward Extended Legs Ūrdhva Prasārita Pādāsana
Upward-Facing Intense Stretch Ūrdhva Mukha Paścimottānāsana
Viparita Karani Viparīta Karaṇī
Warrior III Vīrabhadrāsana III

Arm and shoulder strength 23 poses

Crane Pose Bakāsana
Dolphin Pose
Eight-Angle Pose Aṣṭāvakrāsana
Firefly Pose Ṭiṭṭibhāsana
Flying Pigeon Eka Pāda Gālavāsana
Forearm Stand Piñcha Mayūrāsana
Handstand Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana
Peacock Pose Mayūrāsana
Pendant Pose Lolāsana
Rooster Pose Kukkuṭāsana
Sage Koundinya’s Pose Eka Pāda Kauṇḍinyāsana I
Sage Visvamitra’s Pose Viśvāmitrāsana
Scale Pose Tolāsana
Scorpion Pose Vṛścikāsana
Side Crow Pose Pārśva Bakāsana
Side Plank Vasiṣṭhāsana
Supported Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana
Tripod Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana II
Two-Legged Inverted Staff Dvi Pāda Viparīta Daṇḍāsana
Upward Plank Pūrvottānāsana
Upward-Facing Dog Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana
Wheel Pose Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana
Wild Thing

Standing balance 16 poses

Bird of Paradise
Dancer Pose Naṭarājāsana
Eagle Pose Garuḍāsana
Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Utthita Hasta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
Half Moon Pose Ardha Candrāsana
Half-Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padmottānāsana
High Lunge
Revolved Half Moon Parivṛtta Ardha Candrāsana
Revolved Lunge
Revolved Side Angle Parivṛtta Pārśvakoṇāsana
Revolved Triangle Parivṛtta Trikoṇāsana
Standing Figure Four
Standing Split Ūrdhva Prasārita Ekapādāsana
Toe Stand
Tree Pose Vṛkṣāsana
Warrior III Vīrabhadrāsana III

Prepared for backbends 14 poses

Bow Pose Dhanurāsana
Camel Pose Uṣṭrāsana
Dancer Pose Naṭarājāsana
Fish Pose Matsyāsana
Frog Pose (Bhekasana) Bhekāsana
Kapotasana Kapotāsana
Little Thunderbolt Laghu Vajrāsana
One-Legged King Pigeon Eka Pāda Rājakapotāsana
Saddle (Yin)
Scorpion Pose Vṛścikāsana
Two-Legged Inverted Staff Dvi Pāda Viparīta Daṇḍāsana
Upward-Facing Dog Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana
Wheel Pose Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana
Wild Thing

Experience with inversions (with a teacher) 11 poses

Ear Pressure Pose Karṇapīḍāsana
Forearm Stand Piñcha Mayūrāsana
Handstand Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana
Plow Pose Halāsana
Scorpion Pose Vṛścikāsana
Snail (Yin)
Supported Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana
Supported Shoulderstand Sālamba Sarvāṅgāsana
Tripod Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana II
Two-Legged Inverted Staff Dvi Pāda Viparīta Daṇḍāsana
Viparita Karani Viparīta Karaṇī

Neck awareness and control 18 poses

Both Legs Behind the Head Dvi Pāda Śīrṣāsana
Bridge Pose Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana
Camel Pose Uṣṭrāsana
Ear Pressure Pose Karṇapīḍāsana
Fish Pose Matsyāsana
Kapotasana Kapotāsana
Little Thunderbolt Laghu Vajrāsana
One Leg Behind the Head Eka Pāda Śīrṣāsana
Plow Pose Halāsana
Reclining Tortoise Supta Kūrmāsana
Scorpion Pose Vṛścikāsana
Snail (Yin)
Supported Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana
Supported Shoulderstand Sālamba Sarvāṅgāsana
Tripod Headstand Sālamba Śīrṣāsana II
Two-Legged Inverted Staff Dvi Pāda Viparīta Daṇḍāsana
Viparita Karani Viparīta Karaṇī
Yoga Sleep Pose (Yoganidrasana) Yoganidrāsana

Lotus or half lotus without knee strain 9 poses

Bound Lotus Baddha Padmāsana
Embryo in the Womb Garbha Piṇḍāsana
Full Lord of the Fishes Matsyendrāsana
Half-Bound Lotus Seated Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padma Paścimottānāsana
Half-Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend Ardha Baddha Padmottānāsana
Rooster Pose Kukkuṭāsana
Scale Pose Tolāsana
Toe Stand
Yoga Seal Pose Yoga Mudrāsana

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ashtanga primary series for beginners?

Primary means it is the first series in the Ashtanga system, not that every posture in it suits beginners. Many include lotus, binds and jumps that take time and a teacher to learn.