Yoga is not about folding yourself into a pretzel, but let’s be honest, we all love to see the advanced yoga practitioners and teachers tying themselves into unbelievable knots! Careful though, most of the poses are not for the faint hearted (let alone yoga beginners). Needless to say, these are advanced yoga postures and should only be practiced under the guidance of a suitably qualified yoga teacher.
Except Shavasana, go nuts with that one.
Classes Overview
25 Amazing Yoga Poses Most People Wouldn’t Dream of Trying
There is a collection of insane yoga poses which features the incredibly inspiring yogis Kino MacGregor, Dylan Werner and then we have the incredibly advanced Yogis from the land of India like Samresh Yoga, Ravinder Yogi and Master Yogaraj CP has entered Guinesse Book of World Records.
The divine child Rishabh is the master inspiration of Advance Yoga who at the age of 11 can perform more than 1000 advance asanas.
Classes Lesson
We have a list of advance yoga and you can choose the asanas which you want to work towards and we can break it up to take you towards it.
- BEGINNER
FROM 1ST-10TH OF THE MONTH
Wondering how to do advance in yoga?
Start by practicing most difficult yoga moves and poses listed below with pictures and health benefits.
It is a complete list of most advanced yoga poses (asanas) along with some intermediate positions modified to level up your home yoga practice for improved strength, mental focus, flexibility and better health and body.
It’s time to get going and challenge everyone by performing the hardest of hard yoga poses with a master yogi’s ease.
Archer’s Pose (Akarna Dhanurasana)
Level: Advanced
Improves focus and memory
Deep stretches the arms and legs
Good for flat feet and sciatica
Bound Angle Headstand Pose (Baddha Kona Sirsasana)
Level: Advanced
Relieves from depression, stress and anxiety
Strengthens arms, wrists and shoulders
Improves flexibility and balance
Compass Pose (Parivritta Surya Yantrasana )
Level: Advanced
Improves digestion
Provides relief in respiratory disorders
Develops patience
Dove Pose (Vajra Kapotasana)
Level: Advanced
Increases blood circulation in spine and head
Strengthens shoulders and knees
Stretches quadriceps and chest muscles
Feathered Peacock Pose (Pinch Mayurasana)
Level: Advanced
Strengthens arms, shoulders and chest
Tones back and buttocks
Great for anxiety and stress
Firefly Pose (Tittibhasana)
Level: Advanced
Improves wrist strength and hand grip
Tones back of thighs and abdomen
Enhances balance and focus
Half Bound Lotus Standing Pose (Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana)
Level: Advanced
Great stretch for Achilles’ tendon and hamstrings
Beneficial in hormonal imbalances
Strengthens arms and legs
Half Wheel Pose (Ardha Chakrasana)
Level: Advanced
Strengthens and tones chest muscles
Enhances sense of balance
Increases ankle and back strength
Headstand (Sirsasana)
Improves balance and focus
Strengthens upper body
Avoid if you have neck injury or migraine
Knee to Ear Pose (Karnapidasana)
Level: Advanced
Improves balance
Strengthens shoulders and knees
Stretches back and feet
Lord of Dancers Pose (Natarajasana)
Level: Advanced
Great hip opener and balance enhancer
Improves mental focus and back flexibility
Sculpts arms and calves
Lotus in Shoulder Stand Pose (Padma Sarvangasana)
Level: Advanced
Strengthens shoulders and arms
Corrects posture
Improves memory and focus
One Legged Headstand (Eka Pada Sirsasana)
Level: Advanced
Beneficial in mental stress, depression, anxiety and fatigue
Stretches legs and ankles
Strengthens back, elbows and forearms
One Legged Wheel Pose (Eka Pada Chakrasana)
Level: Advanced
Improves balance and focus
Strengthens arms, shoulders and ankles
Tones back, hips and calves
Peacock Pose ( Mayurasana)
Level: Advanced
Good for working on focus
Strengthens and tones arms and upper back
Tones lower body and back
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya I (Eka Pada Koundinyanasana I)
Level: Advanced
Strengthens arms
Improves balance and focus
Stretches groin and legs
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Koundinya II (Eka Pada Koundinyanasana II)
Level: Advanced
Corrects body alignment
Tones whole body
Strengthens arms and wrists
Royal King Pigeon Pose (Raja Kapotasana )
Level: Advanced
Ideal for those ladies who are trying to conceive
Improves posture
Relieves back pain
Unsupported Shoulder Stand (Niralamba Sarvangasana)
Level: Advanced
Strengthens shoulders and neck
Improves balance and mental focus
Provides relief in stress and anxiety
Upward Facing Forward Bend Pose (Urdhva Mukha Paschimottanasana
Level: Advanced
Enhances sense of balance
Stretches whole back and legs
Reduces stress and feelings of panic
- REGULAR YOGI
FROM 11th to 20th OF THE MONTH
Handstand Scorpion
Handstand is hard enough, but when you execute an intense backbend there, it might be a little too challenging for most people to want to try.
King Pigeon Pose
Talk about a backbend! This one known as King Pigeon Pose bends most people more than they’d want to.
Half Lotus Crow
Ever think to do Crow with your legs in Half Lotus?!
Iron Cross Headstand
This is one extreme inversion! Definitely not a pose for everyone, but if you’re up for a challenge, here are instructions on how to get into Iron cross Headstand.
Scorpion With a Broken Tail
Forearm Stand is a toughie, and bending your knees and resting your feet on your head in Scorpion is even harder,but this creative version is definitely way more challenging. Would you try it?
Chakra Bond Pose
This takes Full Wheel to a whole other level most people aren’t willing to go.
Big Toe Bow
Now Bow Pose, most people will try, but this advanced variation where you hold the toes makes your back arch so much, it might feel like it’s breaking in half.
Peacock
Doesn’t it look like her hands are about to break off from her wrists? Although gorgeous, Peacock pose isn’t for everyone.
Sleeping Yogi
Both legs behind your head? She sure looks peaceful in Sleeping Yogi, but for most people, it’d be painful.
Hummingbird
Graceful yet bold arm balance requires amazing power , as well as upper-body strength.
Peacock Variation
Two wows are going on in this crazy variation of Peacock. How does she balance on her hands that way, and how in the world does she get her legs in that bent position?
Firefly B
A variation of the arm balance Firefly, this guy is folding in half so much that his head is behind his legs. Amazing!
One-Legged Staff
This headstand and backbend variation is no joke!
Dropback Wheel pose may be no problem for you, but dropping back into it from standing? Now there’s a challenge!
Standing Flying Crow
It’s hard to see, but in this extreme arm balance pose, your right foot is planted on your right triceps. It takes incredible strength and hip flexibility.
- COMMITTED YOGI
FROM 21st TO 30th OF THE MONTH
Locust Scorpion
Looks like a move right out of Cirque du Soleil! This Locust variation is all about spinal flexibility.
Lifted Thunderbolt
Holy flexible back!
Leg Behind the Head Sage
Sage pose works our upper core and body but wait — does this guy have his leg behind his head? Gorgeous but intense!
Dancer Split
Dancer is a balancing pose that most people think of as a backbend, but if you straighten your lifted leg into a split position, it’s a major stretch for the hamstrings.
Headstand Bow
One part headstand, one part backbend, this pose might be a little too much for most.
Headstand Lotus
Headstand on its own is rater an advanced pose but not many would try folding their legs into Full Lotus while upside down.
Frog
It looks painful, but Frog Pose is a great way to stretch out the quads. Would you try this one?
Pinching Shoulders Headstand
Balancing on your elbows and hands seems like it’d break your neck!
Handstand Lotus
Can you imagine being so steady balancing on your palms that you can fold your legs into Full Lotus without using your hands?
Eight Crooked Limbs
Defying gravity it seems, this arm balance is also an extreme twist. Want to give it a try? This is Ashtavakra Asana.
We will add more Asanas based on demand and instructor preference.
What You Get From This Classes
Some of the advanced asanas take months, years or even a lifetime to master. There’s throwing yourself into the pose just long enough to collapse out of it and then there’s gracefully moving into the pose mindfully and just as mindfully coming out of it. To gracefully execute some of the more advanced asanas, you may find that you’re getting up an hour earlier to squeeze in more practice time, or you may realize that you have to shrink a bit in the mid-section to achieve a certain bind. You may even have to focus your efforts on opening up part of the body or a specific joint before you can achieve the first steps of the pose. Before you know it, you’ve developed more stamina from practicing more, and you’ve gotten into better shape from trying to lose your belly obstacle, or other poses have become stronger because you use them to facilitate the prep work for an advanced pose. And all in all, if you’re practicing yoga with the right intention, all your time on the mat is reinforcing your philosophies behind your practice. So in essence, you may have to change your lifestyle or even adopt a new philosophy to work towards some of the advanced asanas.
You will begin to see that the importance of advanced asanas is subjective. It comes down to “why are you here?” If you feel that the advanced asanas are an important part of your intention, then by all means purusue them. But if it’s not an appropriate asana for your practice, there’s no need to feel that you are missing out, nor should you feel pressured into learning it. You can have a perfectly rewarding practice with both feet planted firmly on the ground.
So if it’s not really a yogic necessity, why do we do it? There are numerous other reasons for advanced yoga poses. In addition to the few I mentioned previously, there are also great benefits in terms of strength, wellness, focus balance and concentration. For example, inversions are great for the body’s lymphatic system. Lymph, or interstitial fluid, really doesn’t move too well on it’s own. There’s no central pump for the Lymphatic system as there is for the circulatory system. The circulation of lymph relies on the movement of skeletal muscles, whether by exercise or massage, and changes in hydrostatic pressure within the body. Increased blood flow from inversions helps to recycle the interstitial fluids back to the subclavian veins. I personally think some of the advanced asanas are just fun to learn and execute. Some people are more serious about their yoga and consider it to be a sign of their dedication to their practice. I have also known of teachers who learned more advanced asanas just so they could teach it to their students who were hungry for the advanced stuff. While some teachers will not put too much emphasis on the harder yoga postures, there are students who will shop a teacher based on their physical abilities and knowledge in the advanced asanas. I have even had one teacher admit to me that if she didn’t challenge her students, they would find other teachers that would, and at least in her class, she operated within a margin of safety from her years of experience with advanced asanas.
So after giving this much thought, I’ve realized that the need for advanced asanas is just as subjective as the need for yoga itself. If you want to learn advanced asanas, ensure you approach them patiently with the proper openings, prep poses and mindfulness. If you decide to teach advanced asanas, it’s your responsibility to have a firm foundation in the pose and to teach the proper alignment for the pose and offer options and modifications along the way for those learning. Advanced asanas can be an integral part of one’s practice, a challenging goal to accomplish or an obstacle along the path. The importance of advanced asanas is a matter of approach and intention in one’s practice.
