Yoga guides

Short, calm explanations for the questions yoga teachers and home practitioners ask most. Each one links to the poses and sequences it talks about.

• How to Create a Yoga Sequence (Without a Headache)

  A calm, step-by-step guide to building a yoga sequence: pick an intention, shape the arc, choose a peak pose, add counter-poses and finish with rest. Free creator included.

• How Long to Hold Yoga Poses

  How long should you hold a yoga pose? Typical hold times for standing, balancing, seated, restorative and yin poses, plus how to count breaths instead of seconds.

• Yoga Styles Explained: Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin and More

  A plain-language guide to the main yoga styles — hatha, vinyasa, ashtanga, yin, restorative, iyengar and more — and how to choose one or sequence for it.

• Yoga Counter-Poses: What They Are and How to Use Them

  What a counter-pose is in yoga, why teachers use them after backbends, forward folds and twists, and a simple list of pairs to use when sequencing a class.