Cobra is one of my favorite yoga poses. It’s a backbend and heart opening pose that can be modified to fit whatever your body needs.

I have a love-hate relationship with Four-Limbed Staff Pose, or as it’s more referred to, Chaturanga. It’s essentially a “half pushup”—a position in which the entire body is working, especially the shoulders, triceps, and core.

You might be thinking, “Halfway Lift … wtf?” Because you’re right, Halfway Lift is kind of a weird name. But if you’ve been to a yoga class, you’re likely all too familiar with this common, transitional pose that teachers will call out, ahem, like so:

Forward fold is one of the most foundational postures in yoga asana. It’s an element of all sun salutations and is typically done towards the beginning of class to help lengthen the hamstrings, spine, and release tension from the head, neck, and shoulders.

Despite being one of the most foundational yoga poses, not to mention a pose that you’ll do multiple times in almost any yoga class, downward dog is not exactly an “easy” posture. For a lot of people, especially those who are just starting out in yoga, downward dog can be particularly taxing on the arms, shoulders, and hamstrings. Here are a few alignment tips you can try out to help make your downward facing dog feel a bit more inviting.