35+ Intermediate Yoga Poses to Level Up Your Practice Skills

Key Takeaways

• What is intermediate yoga? Intermediate yoga is a practice that builds on foundational postures and breathing techniques, incorporating more challenging poses and inversions for a deeper level of training.
• Strengthen your arms and improve your core with Crow Pose, while Lotus Pose helps lower blood pressure and diminishes stress. Follow JoyScore’s guide to perfect your form and amplify your health with 35+ intermediate yoga poses!

35+ Yoga Poses for Intermediate Learners

1. Crow Pose (Bakasana)

Crow Pose. Source: ekhartyoga.com

Crow is a strong arm balance that acts like a tonic of strength for the arms, wrists, and core while improving focus and balance.

Start in a squat, feet hip-distance apart. Place hands on the mat shoulder-distance apart, with fingers spread for stability. Hinge forward and up, allowing hips to lift high as knees jump onto the backs of the upper arms. Shift your weight forward. Lift your feet off the ground. Engage your core and hold for several breaths.

2. Firefly Pose (Tittibhasana)

Fire Pose. Source: yogajournal.com

Firefly Pose both strengthens and stretches your arms while enhancing flexibility and balance.

In a forward bend, widen your legs and place your hands on the floor for support in your hips. Bend forward, loading the weight into your hands before lifting your feet off the floor. Extend your arms out in front of you, stretching your legs out on either side. Engage your core and hold for a few breaths.

3. Side Crow Pose (Parsva Bakasana)

Side Crow Pose. Source: yogataket.com

Side Crow Pose strengthens your upper body, arms, wrists, and shoulders.

Start in a squat, feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on the mat and twist your torso to the right, pressing your left arm against your right thigh. Round forward, lifting your hips and resting your knees onto your upper arms. Shift your weight forward, lifting your feet off the ground. Engage your core and hold for a few breaths, then switch sides.

4. Eight-Angle Pose (Astavakrasana)

Eight-Angle Pose. Source: theyogacollective.com

Eight-Angle Pose strengthens the arms and opens the shoulders while toning the core and back.

Sit with your legs extended in front of you. The right knee is flexed, and the right foot is crossed over the left leg. Hands are beside your hips; lift your hips off of the ground. Cross your right ankle over your left arm, allowing your elbows to fall; lift your left leg. Engage your core, hold for a few breaths, then change sides.

5. Grasshopper Pose (Maksikanagasana)

Grasshopper Pose. Source: smashingbuddha.com

Grasshopper Pose is an intriguing balancing pose. Although it may not be so easy to perform, the stretches and strengthening it pays for the hamstrings, hip flexors, biceps, triceps, glutes, and calf muscles are just well worth it.

Come onto your mat in a squat with the soles of your feet hip-width apart and hands on the ground in front of you. Round forward and bend your elbows to lift your feet off the ground. Cross your right ankle over your left arm, extending your left leg out to the side. Hold for a number of breaths before switching sides.

6. Flying Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Galavasana)

Flying Pigeon Pose. Source: blog.alomoves.com

Flying Pigeon offers strengthening of the flexors of the wrists, abdominals, hips, and legs, and it improves digestion.

Begin in Downward-Facing Dog. Round forward and draw your right knee into your right tricep. Lower down onto your hands as you raise your left leg and extend it behind you. Press your palms into the floor for several breaths to support one leg. Second side.

7. King Pigeon Pose (Raja Kapotasana)

King Pigeon. Source: fitsri.com

King Pigeon Pose is a deep backbend opening the chest, shoulders, and hips.

Begin in a low lunge with your right leg forward. Slide your left knee back and your hips toward the floor. Take your hands back, lift your chest, and arch your back. Take your right hand behind you and reach for your left foot or ankle. Lightly press your foot or ankle into your hand as you pull your chest higher. Hold for several breaths, then repeat on the second side.

8. Fallen Angel Pose (Devaduuta Panna Asana)

Fallen Angel Pose. Source: blog.alomoves.com

Fallen Angel Pose is an arm balance that strengthens your arms, shoulders, core, and wrists while loosening the back.

Start in a Side Plank, with your right hand on the mat and your feet stacked. Bend the left knee and place the left foot on the ground behind the right leg. Reach your left arm under the body and out to the side. Slowly raise your right leg off of the floor and lengthen the right arm. Hold for a few breaths, and then repeat on the second side.

9. Eagle Pose (Garudasana) 

Eagle Pose. Source: theyogacollective.com

Eagle Pose strengthens your calves, ankles, thighs, and hips and helps relieve shoulder tension from sitting at a computer or desk.

Start by balancing against a wall. Instead of crossing your legs over your calf muscles, take the toes onto the ground to support you in a way that will help steady the pose.

10. Awkward Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

Awkward Chair Pose. Source: liforme.com

The Awkward Chair Pose is quite an effective functional exercise because it puts your arms, legs, and even core to work. It relieves back pains and menstrual cramps.

Stand tall and take a number of deep breaths into your belly. With each exhalation, slightly bend your knees, keeping them back as if to sit in a chair. On the inhale, reach your arms overhead. Remember to keep the weight on your thighs and not on your knees.

Hold for a number of breaths. Inhaling, rise gently back to standing. Take a moment to embrace the stillness and set into the pose.

11. Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

Extended Side Angle Pose. Source: gaia.com

Extended Side Angle Pose opens your chest and shoulders while strengthening your legs, hips, and hamstrings.

This pose will also prepare you for bind variations to come, such as Bound Side Angle Pose or Baddha Utthita Parsvakonasana. To take a half bind, bring your raised arms behind your back and reach inside your front thigh. To take a full bind, lift your other hand off of the ground and clasp both hands underneath your front thigh.

12. Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana)

Half Moon Pose. Source: theyogacollective.com

Half Moon Pose strengthens your ankles and thighs, opens your hamstrings, and is a balancing practice that brings flexibility to your spine.

Stand with your legs apart, fold into Triangle Pose, inhale, and lift one leg off the floor as you balance one-legged on one hand. Hold the pose comfortably. Shift sides after a few breaths.

13. King Dancer Pose (Natarajasana)

King Dancer Pose. Source: theyogacollective.com

King Dancer is a profound backbend that opens the shoulders and hip flexors.

Step your right foot forward, coming onto your right foot; then inhale. As you exhale, round your front spine, extending your left foot behind you off the ground. Bend your left knee, holding your ankle with your hands either from the inside or the outside.

14. Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana)

Lizard Pose. Source: mobilephysiotherapyclinic.in

Lizard Pose deepens the hips, creating a stretch through the hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps, releasing lower back pain while increasing flexibility.

Begin in Downward-Facing Dog. Exhale and step your right foot outside your right hand, lowering your left knee to the ground. Keep your right knee over your ankle and sink into your hips. If comfortable, lower onto both forearms with your chin lifted.

Hold for five breaths before returning to Downward-Facing Dog to repeat on the second side.

15. Pyramid Pose (Parsvottanasana) 

Pyramid Pose. Source: yogauonline.com

Similar to another forward bend, Pyramid Pose drops your head below the level of your heart, which improves blood flow to your brain and, at times, can help a foggy brain clear up its mental clarity and concentration.

Stand in the Mountain with your feet hip-width apart. Bring your left foot back 45 degrees as you lift your torso into a slight backbend. Exhaling, fold forward over your right leg and keep the spine long.

Lengthen your spine and inhale, rounding your upper spine and exhaling, and reach your hands toward your toes on the thigh, shin, or the floor. Hold for 5-10 breaths, inhaling back into Mountain Pose, releasing your arms.

16. Reverse Warrior Pose (Viparita Virabhadrasana)

Reverse Warrior Pose. Source: theyogacollective.com

Reverse Warrior stretches the intercostal muscles between the ribs, which improves mobility in the spine and increases flexibility in the front and back thighs, hips, and groin.

Begin in Warrior II: step one foot forward and extend your other leg back. Inhale deeply and allow the front arm to lift upward and to the side, aligning with your ear. Softly hinge backward, back bending, and look up at your front hand. Hold for 10-20 breaths.

Come onto your inhalation and reach your arm forward as you lengthen the front leg and step your feet together. Release your arm and step to the second side, completing the practice.

17. Revolved Side Angle Pose (Parivrtta Parsvakonasana)

Revolved Side Angle Pose. Source: fitsri.com

Revolved Side Angle lengthens the legs, groins, and hamstrings; opens the chest and shoulders, improves circulation, and enhances range of motion.

Start in Crescent with your right leg forward. Exhale and twist the torso to the right, placing the left armpit outside the right knee and left fingertips on the floor. Deeply inhale and stretch your right arm overhead; exhale and lower your arm down along your right ear as you look up. Stay for several deep breaths. To release, untwist on an exhalation and return to Crescent, then repeat to the second side.

18. Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana)

Revolved Triangle Pose. Source: yogawitholivia.co.uk

The balance is challenged in the Revolved Triangle, it is an asana that is strengthening and lengthening for the legs; it opens the chest for better breathing.

Stand at the front of your mat with your back and step your right foot forward. Take one hand back to your extended leg while raising the opposite arm overhead. Take a deep inhale, then exhale as you fold forward, placing your palms beside your feet. Twist your torso and lift your right arm toward the sky, gazing up at your palm. Hold for about 30 seconds.

19. Sugarcane Pose (Ardha Chandra Chapasana)

Sugarcane Pose. Source: fitsri.com

Sugarcane strengthens the legs and opens the hips. This pose will also be the best asana to stretch your shoulders, chest, and quadriceps.

Begin by standing in Mountain Pose with the feet touching. Exhaling, step your right foot forward about 3 feet to open the hips. Hinge the torso forward, placing your right palm next to your right foot while simultaneously lifting your left leg parallel to the ground. Lift your left arm to align with your right, bending your left knee to hold it.

Balance on the right leg and right hand, and extend the left leg and left arm to the side, gazing at the left palm. Stay for 3-4 breaths. Back to Tadasana, repeat the second side.

20. Warrior III Pose (Virabhadrasana III)

Warrior 3 Pose. Source: jacquinoelyoga.com

Warrior III Pose balances and builds stability in your core, quadriceps, and ankles while it stretches the hamstrings and glutes of the balancing leg.

Start in a high lunge with the right foot forward. Engage your core and transfer your weight to your right leg, lifting your left leg behind you. The torso should be parallel to the floor and hips level, focusing on a point for balance. Hold for five breaths, then bend your front leg and come back into the high lunge.

21. Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana)

Cow Face Pose. Source: styleoga.it

The Cow Face Pose: An opening-to-the-hip posture increases the flexibility of the hips, groins, knees, and ankles, with simultaneous stretching of shoulders, arms, and chest.

Sit with one leg crossed over the other at the knees, with both sitting bones grounded. If the right knee is on top, take the left arm overhead and bend it behind your back. From underneath, reach your right arm and clasp your hands, or use a strap. Lengthen your spine and hold for 2 minutes, then switch sides.

22. Boat Pose (Navasana)

Boat Pose. Source: theyogacollective.com

Boat Pose strengthens your core and activates the hip flexors, often weakened by prolonged sitting, while improving balance.

Lie on your back and bring the soles of your feet to touch the floor. Take your arms to your sides. Take another inhale, breathing out; lift chest and legs off the floor, stretch arms toward the feet, and align eyes, fingers, and toes to engage the core strongly. Breathe smoothly, holding the pose. Release by exhaling. Take your time lowering down onto your back on the floor, releasing completely.

23. Hero Pose (Virasana)

Hero Pose. Source: fitsri.com

Hero Pose deeply stretches the knees, quadriceps, ankles, and hips while aligning the spine to relieve back pains resulting from long-hour sitting.

On all fours, bring the knees together but keep the feet a little wider than hip-width apart. Press the tops of the feet down and release the hips down to sit between the heels on the mat or a prop. Tuck the calves in and engage your core, lengthening the spine. Hold here for 5-10 breaths. Then, lift the hips and return to all fours.

24. Knee to Ankle Pose (Agnistambhasana)

Knee to Angle is also known as Fire Log or Double Pigeon. Source: theyogacollective.com

Knee to Ankle lengthens the hips, stretches the groin, and is beneficial for low back pain and sciatica. If the pose is difficult, place a rolled blanket or pillow for support.

Sit on the floor. Then, extend your legs straight in front of you. Take your right ankle over your left knee and let your left ankle release down towards your right knee, keeping your shins parallel to the ground as it feels comfortable.

For a deeper stretch in your hips, inch your hands forward on the ground in front of you as you release forward into the pose. Inhale here for five to ten breaths, then repeat on the second side.

25. Lotus Pose (Padmasana)

Lotus Pose. Source: saturn.health

Lotus Pose deeply stretches the knees and ankles while offering a variety of benefits for cardiovascular health. This pose, in addition, reduces stress and lowers blood pressure.

Sit on the floor. Then, extend your legs. Bend your right knee, placing your foot on your left thigh, and likewise, bend your left knee, placing the foot on your right thigh. Place your hands on the knees, extend your spine, and close your eyes. Be conscious of your respiration and maintain this pose for 10 minutes, balancing all parts of the body.

26. Camel Pose (Ustrasana)

Camel Pose. Source: vinyasayogaashram.com

Camel Pose is principally an asana that effectively stretches the abdomen, chest, and quadriceps while creating a deep spinal stretch.

Kneel onto the front of your mat and leave your knees hip-width apart with the tops of your feet flat on the mat. Place your hands on the lower back with the fingers pointing down. Inhale to lift your chest, lean back, and look up. Exhale, reach for your heels, press your hips forward, and engage your thighs.

Hold, breathing deeply, then take your hands down to your lower back and lift. Balance this stretch out by ending in Child Pose. 

27. Fish Pose (Matsyasana)

Fish Pose. Source: yogateket.com

Fish Pose allows a deep stretch to the front of the body for the abs, chest, hip flexors, and neck, which enhances flexibility and opens the upper body.

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and flatten your feet with your arms resting by your sides. Lift your hips and support your lower back with your hands. Inhale into it, pressing into your elbows and shoulders to lift the chest, dropping the back of your head to the floor. If stable, extend your legs one at a time, engaging your heels.

Hold for five breaths, and lower your head and spine back onto the mat.

28. Upward Facing Dog Pose (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)

Upward Facing Dog Pose. Source: fitsri.com

The Upward Facing Dog opens your chest and abdomen while strengthening your shoulders, triceps, forearms, and lower back.

Lie on your stomach and let your legs hip-width apart. Curve your elbows and place your forearms on the floor parallel to each other while keeping them close to your torso. Inhaling, press palms into the floor, roll your shoulders back, and lift your chest.

Hold for 1-3 breaths before lowering down or using an exhalation to move into Downward-Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana.

29. Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)

Four-Limbed Staff Pose. Source: fitsri.com

The Four-Limbed Staff is great for strengthening the arms and shoulders. However, this can be contraindicated for those people with some problems in the wrist, shoulder, or lower back.

Assume a plank position where you put your hands directly under your shoulders and your heels in line right over your toes. Then, with an engaged core, bend the elbows to lower the chest towards the floor without letting the elbows leave the side of the rib cage for the duration. Keep the torso parallel to the ground, not permitting your lower back to sag or hips to lift at any given time. Hold for at least 10 seconds.

30. Scale Pose (Tolasana)

Scale Pose. Source: missyogafit.com

Scale Pose requires the strength of the core to be able to lift the feet from the floor. This asana basically strengthens your arms, abs, and spine.

Start in Lotus Pose or Padmasana on the floor with your arms at your hips. Push into your arms to lift your body using your abdominals. The legs and your buttocks should be off of the floor and held for 10-15 seconds. Exhale, cross your legs the opposite way, and repeat.

31. Side Plank Pose (Vasisthasana)

Side Plank Pose. Source: theyogacollective.com

Side Plank is one of the most effective asanas that actively engages your oblique abdominal muscles, hence helping with trunk stability.

Begin in Plank Pose, or Dandasana, then shift onto your right arm and foot, stacking your left foot on top and resting your left arm on your hip. Place your right hand slightly under the front of your shoulder. Inhale and reach your left arm up perpendicular to the floor, looking at your fingertips. Exhale and lower your arm back to your hip, then back into Plank and repeat on the second side.

32. Sleeping Vishnu Pose (Anantasana)

Sleeping Vishnu Pose. Source: yogahomemadrid.com

Sleeping Vishnu uses your core strength for balance while giving a good stretch to your hamstrings, the inner part of your thighs, and your calves.

Lie on your back and extend your right arm back. Roll onto your right side, bringing your head to rest on your upper arm, and cup it with your right hand. Bend your feet and align your body from elbow to heels.

Now, bend your left knee and use your left hand to hold your big toe in a yogi toe lock. Extend your leg toward the ceiling and hold for one minute. Gently release and repeat on the other side.

33. Headstand Pose (Salamba Sirsasana)

Headstand Pose. Source: yogabody.com

The Headstand is one of the yoga peak poses for intermediate practitioners. This pose will help in strengthening the shoulders, upper back, and core while improving blood flow to the neck and into the brain.

Begin in tabletop position: elbows underneath your shoulders, hands clasped together, knuckles up toward the wall. Lightly kick in by letting the crown of the head touch the mat. Inhale, lift your knees off the mat, and walk your toes toward your elbows, back against the wall, hips over your shoulders, and core on.

Press into your forearms and round your upper arms in. Then, lift your right leg towards your chest with a bent knee, followed by exhaling and lifting your left leg in the same manner. Continue until balanced, with support from the wall and shoulders lifting to minimize the burden of the weight of your head.

34. Plow Pose (Halasana)

Plow Pose. Source: liforme.com

Plow Pose stretches the shoulders, neck, hamstrings, and calves. In return, this will reduce stiffness and discomfort in the fort.

Lie on your back with arms at your sides. Inhale, lift your legs and buttocks at a 90-degree angle, continuing to lower your legs over your head while touching your toes to the floor and supporting your hips with your hands. Keep the back perpendicularly to the floor with a steady breath. On an exhalation, roll your spine down and lower your legs to the floor.

35. Shoulderstand Pose (Salamba Sarvangasana)

Yoga poses intermediate level - Shoulderstand Pose. Source: yogateket.com

The Shoulderstand Pose stretches the neck and shoulder area, sending blood flow into the brain.

Lie on your back with arms extended down, palms facing the floor. Inhale and allow your legs to rise to 90 degrees, keeping your lower back and neck on the ground. Move your hands under your lower back for support; elbows to the ground as the pelvis is elevated above the shoulders, while the torso remains perpendicular to the floor. Hold until desired; exhalation as feet are lowered.