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Parivrtta means revolved or turned around; parsva means side; kona is an angle. Revolved Side Angle Pose is a twisting posture that squeezes the abdominal organs, aiding in digestion, and requires a high degree of flexibility in the hips, legs and spine.

This is a more difficult variation on Crow Pose, and surprisingly very different. The elbows are bent deep enough to provide a shelf for the stacked knees, and the hips are in a fairly deep twist. This pose is great for shoulder and chest strength and a challenging arm balance.

Parivrtta means revolved; trikona is a triangle. This pose is a counter pose to Utthita Trikonasana and is a fantastic opening for the hips, hamstrings, lower back, spine and shoulders.

This is a great pose to challenge your balance, strength and focus. Try to keep your gaze fixed and your mind quiet, feeling all of the subtle shifts that happen in the body.

Mayura means peacock in Sanskrit. This is a very challenging arm balance that effectively tones the abdominals, improves digestion and strengthens the arms, wrists and hands and back.

Trikona means triangle (tri is three; kona is angle). It both stretches and strengthens the legs, while also stretching the torso and shoulders. It is important to keep the back of the front leg active to avoid knee hyperextension.

A great way to try shoulderstand pose, if you are new to it, is to use a wall. It is much safer and will allow you to have more confidence when you first support your entire body weight in your hands.

Sarva means all, whole or complete; Anga is the limbs or the body. It translates into a pose that benefits the entire body. Sarvangasana has a soothing effect on the nerves and brings back energy and vitality. It is quite obvious that you need to be careful with the neck, and that you require a lot of core strength to feel stable.

This fantastic pose encourages the upper back into extension and gives a great stretch to the chest and the fronts of the shoulders. Many of us sit slouched in front of the computer for hours on a daily basis and I cant imagine anything better to counteract this habitual posture.

Adho Mukha means having the face downwards; Svana is a dog. This pose resembles a dog having a good stretch. It stretches the spine, hamstrings and shoulders, while strengthening the shoulders and encouraging blood flow to the head.

In Sanskrit supra means lying down and padangustha is big toe. This is a series of poses that stretch the legs at different angles and include the hamstrings, piriformis, calves and groin muscles.

This pose is dedicated to the Sage Marichi, son of Brahma, the creator. It is a fantastic stretch for the shoulder, since it creates a traction in the shoulder joint. You can either fold forward or twist back to deepen the shoulder opening.

Baddha means bound; ardha is half, matsya is fish and indra is ruler. This deep twist with a bind is a fantastic stretch for the spine, hips, legs and shoulders. Ensure that your pelvis acts as an anchor so that your spine can lift and lengthen to its fullest capacity. Breathe deeply and avoid stiffening the body.

Baka in Sanskrit translates into crane, even though this pose is most commonly referred to as Crow Pose. The name refers to the resemblance to a crane wading in a pool of water. Crow Pose strengthens the hands, arms, shoulders, inner thighs and abdominal muscles.

Ardha means half; Chandra is the moon. This beautiful pose is challenging due to its demand on the strength and flexibility of the legs, as well as on you ability to balance and stay focused.