You can practice yoga at home to enhance your fitness level and well being. Here we provide a yoga workout with various different poses for you to practice whenever you can to help you get fitter, healthier and more active.

You can start your yoga practice workout with a little bit of relaxation to unwind and get into the mood for an energising yoga session. Lie down flat on the floor in the corpse posture and relax for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Start to feel yourself back into the room, open your eyes and give a big stretch. Now you can start warming up the body for the exercise to come with the following loosening postures (the description of these postures can be found here – Yoga Warm Up Exercises):

• Supine Breath x 10
• Single Knee Hugs x 3 on each side
• Double knee hug x 2
• Supine Twist
• Easy Sitting Forward Bend

Now that you have stretched your muscles you are ready for some more enduring standing postures. We suggest the following poses:

• Standing Forward Bend
• Extended Triangle
• Revolved Triangle

Followed by a balance posture and an inverted posture:

• Tree Pose
• Downward Facing Dog

Then go into the Child Pose to counterbalance the downward dog posture.

Sit into a Spinal Twist Pose, followed by the Cobra Pose. Then go into the Child Pose again to counterbalance the cobra posture. Complete the postures with the Seated Forward Bend Pose.

Finish your yoga workout practice with some relaxation, meditation or breathing such as Ujjayi breath.

Enjoy the feeling of health and well being.

Ashtanga Yoga is an intense and disciplined form of Yoga practice, it consists of a series of vinyasas, yoga postures performed in a sequence that creates a flow of movement throughout the session. Traditionally it starts and finishes with a mantra recitation to express the wish for healing, prosperity and acknowledgement of Patanjali.

The regular practice of Ashtanga Yoga can improve your fitness level and wellbeing, as the constant repetition of a wide range of postures can increase your stamina and flexibility. Ashtanga Yoga also builds the upper body strength and improves your posture. The regular practice of ashtanga yoga, together with a healthy diet can help you to lose weight, keep fit and athletic. The dynamic nature of ashtanga creates an excellent combination of cardio and tone workout, helping you to keep in good shape with a healthy body and mind.

The practice of Ashtanga yoga should be carried out in combination with Ujjayi Pranayama breathing – the victorious breath, which consists of the narrowing of the air passages in your throat enabling precise control of the flow of air in and out of the body. The practice of ashtanga yoga combined with the ujjayi breath can increase your lung capacity, it creates a feeling of heat in the body which helps the muscles to stretch, helps the body to detox and creates a rhythm to the yoga practice that improves concentration and focus to reach a meditative state. Performing Ujjayi pranayama during yoga practice facilitates a stillness of mind and also helps the body to control the breath and avoid panting during intense exercise. Also Mula Bandha should be contracted throughout the entire practice of Ashtanga yoga.

Start the Ashtanga Yoga Workout

You can start the ashtanga yoga workout with the standing forward bend sequence, as it helps to stretch the muscles in preparation for the session.

This can be followed by about 10 repetitions of the Sun Salutation. The sun salutation is a workout in itself, as it helps to improve your cardiovascular fitness and body strength. It is a vital part of Ashtanga Yoga, helping to warm up the muscles in preparation for the practice. The number of repetitions for the sun salutation is just a guideline. You can do more or less than 5, depending on your level of fitness, and you can build it up gradually.

Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series – Yoga Lesson

Now you can start praticing the different asanas. Remember to repeat each posture on both sides for balance. The Sun Salutation A is repeated after each posture, although you don’t have to do it after every posture if you don’t want to. Practice Ashtanga Yoga in accordance to your fitness level. If you feel breathless and need to take a break, than just rest in the child pose between postures instead of doing the sun salutation. You can build your stamina up with time, as your practice improves.

• Utthita Trikonasana – The Extended Triangle Pose
• Parivritta Trikonasana – The Revolved Triangle Pose
• Utthita Parsvakonasana – The Extended Side Angle Pose
• Parivritta Parsvakonasana – The Revolved Side Angle Pose
• Prasarita Padottanasana A – The Intense Spread Leg Stretch Pose
• Rishi’s Pose
• Utkatasana – The Chair Pose
• Paschimottanasana A – The Seated Forward Bend Pose
• Janu Sirsasana A – The Head to Knee Forward Bend Pose
• Ardha Matsyendrasana – The Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
• Navasana – The Boat Pose
• Baddha Konasana A – The Butterfly or Bound Angel pose
• Upavishta Konasana A – The Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend Pose
• Urdhva Dhanurasana – The Upward Bow or Wheel Pose
• Salamba Sarvangasana – The Shoulderstand Pose
• Halasana – The Plow Pose
• Padmasana – The Lotus Pose
• Savasana – The Corpse/Relaxation Pose

After you finish your yoga practice take a few minutes in the relaxation pose and free your mind of any thoughts. Concentrate your attention on your breathing and relax.

When you finished the relaxation you will feel reinvigorated and full of energy. The benefits of Ashtanga Yoga will make you feel more alert, vibrant and fitter.

This Ashtanga Yoga workout lesson can take about 1 hour to complete. But, you are encouraged to take your time and practice at your own pace. Ashtanga Yoga is challenging and rewarding, as it helps to boost your self-esteem and confidence within yourself. It is also an effective workout to keep you in good shape.

The Sun Salutation routine is really a warm up for yoga which consists of a sequence of classic yoga postures. It is designed to warm up the muscles and joints in readiness for a yoga session.

Many people use this sequence as a way to training their yoga, or as a form of exercise, by repeating the sequence several times. It includes the classic yoga postures such as mountain pose, plank, cobra, downward dog, forward bends.

The sequence is done with both side of the body leading, to ensure balance.

It includes good instruction on both the breathing, i.e. when to inhale, exhale, and hold your breathe, and also on the movements themselves.

This yoga workout is a good way to start your yoga session. As it helps to stretch the muscles and warm up in preparation for the Sun Salutation Vinyasa and other yoga postures.

Start standing upright with your arms lengthened at your side and feet close together. Position the hands in prayer position. Keep the feet parallel and spread out the toes, keeping the body weight spread evenly across the feet.

Take a deep breath in and lift the arms up, open the chest and bend backwards slightly.

Uttanasana A
Exhale and fold the torso down from the hips, place your hands on your ankles. Keep the legs straight and hold this position for about 30 seconds, breathing normally.


Uttanasana B
Inhale, raise the gaze and straighten the back while the torso is still folded, then exhale and lower the chest closer to the legs. Hold your big toes with your thumb and first two fingers, holding for another 30 seconds.


Uttanasana C
Inhale, raise the gaze and straighten the back again, while the torso is still folded, then exhale and lower the chest even closer to the legs. Place the palms of your hand under your feet, holding for another 30 seconds.

To Come out, release the hands, inhale and lift the torso up slowly. Lift the arms up above the head, exhale and bring the arms down to your side.

The Standing Forward Bend Yoga Posture helps to stretch the legs, back and hips.

• Yoga Asana Sequences and Workouts
• Hatha Yoga Postures: Sanskrit – English

Dolphin Push-up

Starting from the Dolphin yoga pose, demonstrated above, then inhale and lean forward lowering your shoulders down as much as you can or until your head is over your hands. Keep the chest open.

Exhale and pull the arms and shoulders up again bringing the pelvis towards the ceiling.

Repeat these movements for about 10 breaths. To come out release the hands and sit down on your knees, lean the chest down towards the floor and rest on child pose for few seconds.

Avoid the dolphin push up if you have any problems with the shoulders or neck.

This workout helps to strengthen the upper body in preparation for the headstand yoga pose.

• Yoga Asana Sequences and Workouts
• Yoga Asanas, Postures and Exercises

This sequence is also known as Wide-Legged Forward Bend.

Start in the mountain pose, standing upright with arms relaxed and feet shoulder width apart.

Then, open the legs wide, keep the feet facing forward, and place the hands on your waist, inhale and on the next exhalation bend the torso forward from the hips.

Breathe normally and hold this position for about 30 seconds.

Place your hands together behind you and interlink the fingers together.

Exhale and bend the torso down further toward the floor. Stretch your arms behind you, taking them as far from your back as you can.

Place the feet evenly on the floor, so that your body weight is equally spread between the legs and feet, causing less fatigue during this sequence. Hold for another 30 sends.

Keep the shoulders open and relaxed through out.

Place the hands back on the waist, keeping the torso down.

Then, exhale and place the hands on the floor in line with the feet. Holding for about 30 seconds.

Slowly walk the hands backwards one at a time, hold for a few seconds and bring them in line with the feet again (only walk your hands backwards if they are touching the floor). If your hands do not touch the floor place them on your ankle, shin or knee.

Grab your toes with your fingers. Placing the index finger and the middle finger around the big toe and the thumb on top of it.

Open the arms as wide as you can, so that the elbows are facing the ceiling.

Keep the shoulders and chest open and concentrate on your breathing through out this sequence.

Hold this posture for about 30 seconds.

Then release the toes bring your arms back to your waist and gradually lift the torso up on one inhalation. Alternatively, you can place your hands on your legs for support as you come up. Or place your hands on the floor and bring your legs together before you lift up the torso.

You can also bend your knees slightly at any time during this sequence if you find this easier to start with.

Once you are standing upright again walk or jump your feet together. Then, inhale and lift the arms up above your head and lean back into a gentle backbend to counterbalance the forward bends. Then rest in the mountain pose.

The Intense Spread Leg Stretch Yoga Sequence helps to stretch and strengthen the muscles of the legs and back.

• Yoga Asana Sequences and Workouts
• Hatha Yoga Postures: Sanskrit – English

You can perform this vinyasa sequence as part of your yoga workout. This sequence can be done at the end of your session before beginning cooling down with some gentle stretching poses and relaxation.

Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand)

It is performed by first lying on the back with the palm of your hands on the floor and your legs together. Bend the knees, exhale, press the arms against the floor and lift your legs and pelvis, rolling up to the shoulders while placing the hands on your mid-back, keep the elbows drawn in. Inhale and lengthen the body, keep the back supported with both hands and point the toes upwards. Breathe normally, holding the position for 10 to 25 breaths, as long as it is comfortable. Come out of this posture at any sign of discomfort on the neck, shoulders or back.

To come out of this posture exhale and bend the knees down towards the chest, roll your back down gradually to the floor using your hands for support.

Halasana – Plow Yoga Posture

Exhale and gradually lower your feet to the floor over your head keeping the legs straight (if you find this difficult then bend the knees as you bring the legs down). Place the toes on the floor and lengthen the spine, keeping the hips upward. Place the palm of your hands onto the floor behind you, keeping the arms straight. Keep this position for about five breaths.

Karnapidasana (Ear Pressure)

Exhale and bend your knees towards the floor, placing them between the head, gently press the knees against each ear. Keep this posture for about five breaths. Keep the shoulders down and relaxed.

This posture is a powerful back lengthener and requires good body flexibility. If you can not touch the knees to the floor comfortably, place the hands on the back for support.

Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand)

Place your hands on your back and lift the legs up again into the shoulderstand.

Bend your knees down in preparation for the arch pose.

Setu Bandhasana (Arch)

Gradually bring your feet down to the floor in front of you. Pull the chest and knees towards the head, while supporting the lower back with both hands.

Keep shin straight and breathe normally, extending the back from the chest down, keep the shoulders down. Hold this position for about 30 seconds. This pose is a good chest opener.

To come out place arms on the floor and gradually bring the back and pelvis down. Straightening the legs down in front of you.

Matsyasana (Fish)

Place the hands in between the buttocks and the lower back with the palms facing down.

Lift the chest and abdomen as high as possible placing the crown of the head on the floor, supporting the posture with the upper extremities (arms, elbows, forearms, clavicle, scapula) without applying pressure on the neck. This posture helps to open the chest, works the inner hip muscles and requires a strong neck, release the pose in case of any discomfort.

To come out release the arms and head bringing the back down to the floor or go straight to the next posture.

Uttana Padasana (Extended Fish)

Keep the chest lifted and release the arms from underneath the sitting bones, placing the hands next to the hips. Lift both legs up together, using the arms for support. Then raise the arms up with the palms touching.

To come out lower the arms and legs down and release the neck bringing the back down to the floor.

Relax for a few minutes in Savasana (the corpse posture). Take a moment to assimilate the flow and energy of this vinyasa.