Yoga is the art of looking inward by way of physical, mental, and spiritual introspection. Yoga has been around for centuries and it plays a part in many religions throughout the world. While some people look at yoga like it is a simple meditation, true practitioners know the physically grueling reality. Today we are looking at 12 INSANE poses for the yoga master within you! Be careful, these could hurt a little.
One Handed Tree Pose
Otherwise known as the Eka Hasta Vrksasana. This pose requires you to balance upside down on a single hand with your legs splayed in the air — like a tree. If you thought finding affordable health insurance was tough, wait until you try this yoga maneuver. You need some crazy core strength and ridiculous determination in order to make this work. We don’t suggest trying this in your first session.
One Handed Tree Pose
Firefly Pose
This master yoga move is also known by the hard to pronounce name of Tittibhasana. This maneuver requires you to squat with your feet roughly shoulder width apart. Then you tilt your pelvis forward, lift up your legs, and straighten them above your knees. Your hands end up staying flat on the ground and you have to support your entire upper body on just your two hands. You’ll strengthen pretty much your entire body by mastering this pose — and most of all it should impress your significant other. On the second hand, maybe we’ll just order flowers online for Valentine’s Day.
Firefly Pose
Scorpion Pose Alternate
The Sayanasana looks like it should be physically impossible, but it isn’t. If you are at the point where you have insane flexibility and killer strength then this pose could be right up your alley. For this pose you have to get down on your hands and knees, laying your forearms flat. Next you’ll raise your legs above your back with your toes eventually facing over your head — somewhat like a bow and arrow. This just looks painful.
Scorpion Pose Alternate
Head to Foot Pose
Are you ready for the slightly more realistic Sirsa Padasana? This pose is still absolutely difficult and it will require you to have elite flexibility to accomplish it. For this pose you’ll lay flat on your stomach and slowly raise your legs, and lower body, until they are over your head. It’s probably easier paying off a dozen home loans than landing this pose without a ton of work. This just looks like it is ripe for spine damage.
Sirsa Padasana
Yoga Sleep Pose
Yeah, we don’t know how folding yourself in half makes for good sleep, but we’ll go with it. For this pose you need to lay flat on your back with your face looking up at the ceiling. Then you’ll slowly bend your legs, bringing them toward your head. You’ll hold your foot and bring it over your shoulders and behind your head, repeating the same with the other foot. Eventually you’ll look like a folded up, human pretzel. Spinal flexibility for the win, right?
Yoga Sleep Pose
Wounded Peacock Pose
This pose alone should prove that you need to be physically tough in order to practice yoga. The Pungu Mayurasana pose requires you to be balanced on one hand with your legs upwards and at an angle away from your body. You’ll essentially look like you are floating. The kind of upper body strength you need is unbelievable, not to mention your own master of balance.
Wounded Peacock Pose
Formidable Face Pose
Have you ever seen The Ring? Yeah, the Gandha Bherundasana is a pretzel type pose that makes you look like the famous horror character. For this pose you’ll lay flat on your stomach, slowly bringing your legs up and over your back until your feet are placed flat on the ground by your head. How anyone can actually do this is beyond us. If you’ve ever wanted to kiss your own ankle, while your face was level with the ground, this is how you are going to do it. Ouch.
Formidable Face Pose
Destroyer of the Universe Pose
This pose is also named the Kala Bhairavasana. The pose looks much less intimidating than it’s name, but it is still difficult. For this pose you will be plating your feet in a leaning stance, as if stretching your hamstrings either right or left. Then you’ll place a hand flat on the ground and bend your leg up behind the shoulder and behind your head. Now you should be able to stick your other arm straight in the air. Who invented this pose? Why does none of this look physically possible to us?
Kala Bhairavasana
Unsupported Headstand
Otherwise known as the Niralamba Sirsasana, the Unsupported Headstand pose takes your hands out of the equation. For this pose you will end up balancing on only your head with your feet straight in the air and your arms splayed out to hold your balance. If you are a crazy yogi then you’ll love this pose. Even though it doesn’t look as crazy as some of these pretzel poses, this is still a ridiculously hard asana to master. You’ll need to have crazy core strength and excellent balance in order to pull this off.
Unsupported Headstand
Handstand Scorpion
Remember that crazy scorpion pose we talked about earlier? Well this is a handstand version of it, known as the Taraksvasana. This pose is incredibly difficult because it infuses extreme balance with crazy contortion. If you were to get in this pose and fall in the wrong direction then you could end up getting pretty injured! This pose ends with you doing a handstand, your hands flat on the ground, with your legs in front of your face. You should be able to kiss your heel at the end of this pose if you master it right. If you are trying this for the first time then make sure that you have someone at your side to guide you through all of it.
Taraksvasana
Crane Pose
Cranes are elegant creatures so this pose shouldn’t be too difficult, right? Wrong. The Bakasana is the same as the Kakasana (Crane Pose) and you’ll need excellent balance and crazy forearm strength to accomplish it. For this pose you will put your hands flat on the ground with your arms fairly straight — but loose, in an athletic stance. Next you will lift up onto the balls of your feet before slowly leaning forward. Bring your feet off of the ground until you can place your knees just under your armpit. Once your knees are pushing into your armpit you need to hold the pose for a full 30 seconds. Once done you can slowly lower your feet back to the ground before repeating the process. You’ll definitely be racking up a bit of a sweat with this pose.
Crane Pose
Chakra Bound Pose
Our final pose looks like a scene ripped out of Doctor Strange. The Urdhva Dhanurasana Variation, or Chakra Bound Pose, is about as intense of a backbend as you are ever going to see. Your back is going to need to be in incredible shape to accomplish this crazy bend. For this pose you’ll end with your feet planted flat and your knees slightly bent while you bend completely backwards. Your head will end up behind your ankles and you’ll be able to kiss your own heels. This pose is incredibly dangerous for people who haven’t mastered their flexibility. You must have a limber spine in order to accomplish this crazy pose.
Urdhva Dhanurasana Variation
