The wide legged forward bend pose is very straight forward, but like most yoga poses, it can be challenging at first. This pose particularly challenges the hamstrings, gluteus muscles (aka butt muscles), lower back and shoulders. By first mastering the wide legged forward bend pose, you will better prepare yourself for the very challenging and advanced shoulder stand pose.

First of all, you will want to work on the positioning of your feet. Depending on your height and flexibility, you will position your feet closer or further apart. Your feet should be between 3-4 feet apart (the taller you are, the wider you should position your feet). Feel free to experiment with your positioning and know that this is completely flexible. After you have placed your feet at a distance in which you feel comfortable, take a deep breath and slowly bend from your hips and reach your head to the ground.

As you bend, you will want to support your upper body with your hands, arms, and shoulders. Reach your hands down to rest on either side of your head. Your forearms should be perpendicular to the floor while your elbows create a 90 degree angle. Depending on your flexibility, your head may not reach the floor completely. In that case, you can let your head dangle if it feels comfortable on your back, but do not lose the stiffness in your upper body. Your upper body should be engaged at all times in the pose.

As you bend, really concentrate on lifting your hips upward while folding your upper body downward to the ground. This stretching in opposite directions will be difficult, but is necessary to achieve the full results of the pose. Let yourself relax in the pose as long as it feels comfortable-- no more than 30 seconds. Breathe deeply as you unfold and return to a standing position. Bring your feet back in together to rest under your body and lift your hands above your head to stretch your back and shoulders.

To achieve flexibility in your movements you will also need flexible clothing. This Nike top is perfect for the practice of yoga.

Definitely do not dive into the knee-opening pose on your first try-- most people have incredibly tense knees that do not easily lend themselves to this kind of pose. Remember learning yoga is a process, so be prepared to use a block or blanket in the beginning.

First begin in a standing position with your feet about shoulder width apart. Slowly lower yourself to the ground, with your knees bent (not resting on the ground) and your butt resting on your heels. At this point you should be in a semi-crouching position. Place your hands on either side of your hips in order to retain your balance. Stay for several breaths in this position as you get used to the pressure on your knees. If this is enough for you, stay in this position for about 20 more seconds before unraveling back into a standing position.

If your knees are enjoying the slight pressure and it feels welcoming, you can move on to the next step of the pose. Slowly lower your knees onto the ground, curl your feet under so the bridges of your feet are facing up to the ceiling. Let your butt rest on the underside of your feet if it feels comfortable. If this is too much of a strain on your knees, you can place a blanket or block underneath your butt to relieve the pressure on your knees. If you feel ready, you can also choose to widen your stance a bit and let your butt rest between your ankles so that you are touching the ground. This position is the most challenging, so do not attempt it until you feel comfortable.

Rest in this position for a few breaths, or longer if you are enjoying it, and then slowly unravel back into a standing position. Remember that it may take time for your knees to be open enough for this position to feel comfortable.

Certain yoga poses require thicker mats, similar to those used in the practice of pilates. If this pose was hard on your knees because your mat was not thick enough, consider purchasing a thicker mat.

Although not technically a yoga pose, practicing the plank is really a great way of improving your yoga practice. The plank is a pilates move and really focuses on strengthening the body's core. It can be incredibly difficult at first and beginners are encouraged to try it in short sets, taking care not to strain their bodies.

To begin with, you will start on your hands and knees, with your arms outstretched in front of you, in a leaping frog sort of position. In a swift movement, you will straighten your legs behind you, lift your body off of the ground, and let your arms support you from underneath. At this point your hands should be directly underneath your shoulders and your arms should be taut. Your feet should rest entirely on the floor and you should resist the urge to lift onto your toes. Your body should be straight and as parallel to the floor as possible.

The most common mistake when doing the plank is the tendency to let the core drag -- to let the belly go soft or to the let the lower back sway. If right away you notice this and cannot correct it easily, it is perhaps because your core is not strong enough yet -- you should try the modified plank as will be described below. Letting the belly drop and the back sway or curve is very dangerous, so be sure to not let this happen.

The modified plank is much like the full plank but is done with the knees on the floor (similar to a modified push up). With your knees on the floor, you will push yourself up again so that your body is as straight as possible and your core muscles are engaged. While it might not feel challenging at first, after you hold this position for about 30-40 seconds you should feel the burn. Those in the full plank should release out of the position after about 30 seconds.

Wearing a watch while practicing yoga is important so that you can watch the time as you perform your poses. Straining to get a glimpse of the clock is not wise given the difficulty of many of the positions. 

A good introduction to the vast world of standing poses is the simple tree pose, or Vrksasana. The tree pose is a good place to start because it requires the mastery of balance-- an essential aspect of the practice of yoga. If you are a little shaky when it comes to balance, try a few of these pointers before we begin.

When attempting to balance, it can be extremely helpful to focus on one point several feet in front of you, at a comfortable position. Focusing on one spot will help your body to center itself. The more you glance around the room, shifting your gaze, the harder it will be to balance. Another tip is to place a finger from one hand on your bellybutton. This also will give you the focus you need to stay calm, still and centered. If you're having trouble with the Tree Pose due to balance issues, try these tips as you practice.

First of all, start in standing position. Take a deep breath, anchor your left foot solidly on the ground, and lift your right foot with your hands. Slowly guide your right foot to rest on the inside of your left leg, as far up to your groin as is comfortable. Let the sole of your foot relax as it rests on your left leg. Relax your pelvis so that it is centered and neutral.

When you are ready, release your hand from your foot and anchor yourself deeper into the pose. Raise your hands above your head, if possible, and take a deep breath. Remain in the Tree Pose for about 30 seconds, if you're able, and then taking a deep breath, let your foot down slowly. Take several breaths in standing position, and when you're ready, repeat the process on the other side.

This exercise can be difficult when wearing socks, so consider taking your socks off for this one-- bare feet provide more traction for the Tree Pose, which can make it easier for beginners. Likewise, the exercise can be easier when done in shorts. Give these shorts a try if you're slipping.

The Chair Pose, or Utkatasana, is a very intense and demanding yoga pose. While you may have tried similar versions of this pose, the yoga version is quite different and difficult in a different way. It is called the chair pose because it challenges practitioners to sit in a sort of quasi floating-chair, without the support we're used to receiving from underneath. This pose works our quad and glute muscles particularly hard, with our backs and shoulders getting quite a workout as well.

To begin this pose, start in a standing position. Then take a deep breath and bend your knees in the way you would do if you were to sit in a chair. Bring your butt as parallel to the ground as possible without straining your back too much. Lift your hands above your head for balance, and keep your back straight. Make sure that your knees do not extend much beyond the tip of your toes, for this will put too much strain on your knees.

As you sit your knees should form approximately a 90 degree angle. While you may not achieve this perfect angle your first try, it is something you should work toward. Hold the pose for about 30 seconds and release, straightening up into a standing position. Because the pose is very demanding on the body, be sure to take it easy at first. Between poses you can stretch out your quads and back slightly, using whichever stretches you prefer. When you are ready, enter the pose again, remembering to breath consistently throughout the entire pose.

As you continue to practice yoga and gather various personal prop items, you may find yourself in need of a good travel bag. This Patagonia bag is great for packing up yoga items, like a bolster, a strap or two, and a block.

Triangle pose is one of the quintessential yoga poses -- it's always being featured on yoga magazines and DVD covers. It really is a wonderful pose because of its flexibility. Beginner and expert yoga practitioners still get something out of it each time. The triangle pose never becomes an easy pose; it always pushes you to practice harder, but it also remains flexible enough so that beginners can also succeed. The pose is called triangle pose because when you practice it, your body takes the form of a triangle. Your leg and torso become one side of the triangle, while your arm and the floor become the other two sides.

To begin with, you will want to keep a block close to you if you are a beginner -- many beginners use blocks while in triangle pose to help with achieving a balance. You'll want to start with your feet spread about four feet apart. Stretch your shoulders out as you reach your arms out beside you, parallel to the floor. Next you'll turn your right foot outwards so that your toes point away (parallel) from your body, while your left foot should remain square to your body.

Start to bend with your hips towards your right foot, but be careful not to arch with your waist or shoulders -- keep your torso straight, but your hips bent. Facing forward, not downward, you will place your right hand down either on your right foot, on the floor (if it reaches comfortably), or on the block, which should be situated at the right of your foot. Let your left arm fly upwards, above your head, and fasten your gaze at that floating arm.

At this point, you are in triangle pose. There are several things to watch out for, however. First, make sure your feet are both on the same line, across from each other. Secondly, make sure that your back is not arching as you do this pose. Thirdly, your shoulders should remain relaxed, and not shrugged. Remain in triangle pose for several deep breaths or until you're ready to leave. Then attempt it on the other side.

The head-to-knee forward bend is a great stretch for those with tight hamstrings and calves. It's also a great pose for loosening the tension in your lower back and shoulders, when done correctly.

First you will want to sit on the floor with both of your legs stretched out in front of you. Depending on your flexibility, you will likely want to put a blanket or bolster underneath your butt. At first, err on the side of caution and use the bolster before trying this pose without one.

After you have reached a comfortable sitting position with your legs extended and your feet in a flexed position, you will pull in your right foot close to your center so that the sole of your foot rests comfortably against your left inner thigh. Adjust your position so that you leg feels comfortable and is not strained. Then slowly you will reach your body towards your outstretched foot. As you do this, concentrate on reaching your chest-bone towards your foot without collapsing your lower back into an arch. You will want to support your back the entire pose so as not to stress it.

Stretch as far as you are able comfortably to do, and let your hands and forearms rest on either side of your left foot. Relax your body forwards as you attempt to connect your forehead to your left knee. Of course, you may not be able to reach this far at first, and that is fine, but that should be your goal to work towards.

As you relax in this position, take deep breaths throughout. After about 30-45 seconds, you can unravel yourself and stretch both of your feet forwards just like you started. Take several breaths here as you relax and recuperate. When you are ready, you can switch sides by bringing your left foot into your center and stretching your body over your right stretched foot.

In the realm of yoga poses, there are some that many of us have been doing our whole lives before being introduced to the practice of yoga. Many of the poses come completely natural to us while others are very uncomfortable at first. Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose is one of those poses that you probably did as a kid without realizing it was a yoga pose.

Attempting the Legs-Up-the-Wall pose now as an adult may be a bit more difficult on your spine than you remembered. So like all yoga poses, warm up your body before you begin the pose and ease into it. Start with a blanket or bolster about 5 inches from the wall and experiment with this distance to find out what works best for your body as it will vary depending on height and flexibility. Then sit on the blanket or bolster and swing your legs up onto the wall. As you situate yourself, your legs should be straight up against the wall, your back on the bolster and your shoulders and head on the ground.

As you work yourself into the pose, let your neck, shoulders and head really fall into the ground underneath you, letting go of your tension. Reach your feet up the wall, straightening and strengthening your legs, until they rest at a comfortable position on the wall. Take several deep breaths in this position, and then slowly come down. To come down, drop your legs and feet, turn so that your side is resting on the bolster or blanket, and then unravel yourself to the floor.

If you feel confident and ready to try the pose again, give it another go. This time concentrate on really letting the tension out of your pelvis, hips, shoulders and neck.