Pose Modifications

Ever have days when you get to class and one pose or another just isn’t working for you? The great thing about your yoga practice is that it’s just that - IT’S YOURS! That means that you should listen to your body, and feel empowered to modify your practice to best fit your needs. 

A common misconception is that modifications are only offered to make poses easier or harder, when in fact your teacher is offering modifications so that you can find what works best for you personally. So next time you’re in class don’t be afraid to try on the modifications they offer!

In the meantime, check out these ways to easily modify a few common yoga poses: 

Camel Pose

Camel Pose is a strong heart opening pose. While this posture strengthens muscles and improves breath, it can be a challenging pose. 

Try this modification: Place a block between your thighs to stabilize the lower half of your body, allowing the front line of your body to lengthen. 

Bridge Pose

Bridge is a great posture for strengthening back line muscles and cultivating energy. That said, it can also be a very restorative pose.

Try this modification: If your body needs a restorative moment in bridge pose, lift your hips halfway and place a block under your sacrum, the base of your spine.

Prayer Twist

Prayer twists support healthy spine mobility and hydration. While twisting is a key part of this pose, sometimes we can lose the integrity of the pose by trying to twist too far. 

Try this modification: In order to keep your back straight and your knees in line, widen your stance and twist only halfway.

Boat Pose

Boat may be a seated posture, but it is still an active pose that trains your stabilizing muscles (inner/outer hips, paraspinals) to help you stay upright. To continue to build those muscles, you can deepen the pose. 

Try this modification: If you’re looking to challenge yourself a bit more in boat pose, put a block between your thighs and lift your feet off the ground.

Runners Lunge

Runners lunge opens the hip flexors and encourages mobility on the front line of your body. This pose also relaxes the mind and nervous system. If runners lunge is ever feeling too extreme, you can back out of the posture a bit. 

Try this modification: Start by bringing your back knee to the floor. You can also raise up to your hands from your forearms.

Chair Pose

Chair pose is a heavy hitting posture that builds core, leg and glute strength. If you’re ever feeling chair pose too much in your shoulders or upper back, you may want to try modifying the posture. 

Try this modification: Widening your stance and bringing your hands to heart center in chair pose can help to take the strain off of your shoulders and/or upper back.

Half Pigeon

Half Pigeon pose does a great job of lengthening the hip flexors. When your torso is vertical in half pigeon, this posture also strengthens the back line of your body. Sometimes this pose can put too much strain on the hip flexors, in this case, try modifying. 

Try this modification: Transition into lying on your back and move into supine figure 4.

Seated Forward Fold

This posture lengthens and relaxes the muscles on the back line of your body. Even if you can’t touch your toes comfortably, there are great benefits in doing seated forward fold. 

Try this modification: Take a strap and put it around your feet at the arches. From there, move your hands up the strap as far as feels right for your body.