How to Land the Top 5 Impossibly Possible Yoga Poses

No matter where you are in your yoga journey, there will always be poses you are striving to master! Even masters of yoga haven’t mastered everything!

And that’s completely ok. Wonderful, even!

Striving to achieve more advanced poses means you are always growing, learning, and your yoga journey will continue to be interesting and motivating. It also means you are constantly learning more about yourself, becoming more self aware, and improving your mental, emotional, and physical health.

There is also always room for better alignment, more flexibility, and more strength.

With all of that in mind, we understand that there are poses many yogis find “impossible” to achieve.

This is one of the reasons MyYogaTeacher offers 1:1 classes with authentic yoga instructors from the birthplace of yoga, India! Because sometimes, intermediate and advanced yogis need that undivided attention, more feedback about alignment, and a bigger push to make it through those plateaus. So they can land those “impossible” poses!

If you haven’t experienced virtual private yoga classes yet, MyYogaTeacher makes 1:1 classes affordable and accessible! PLUS, with your membership, you get:

• Radiance! More energy, peace of mind, and better health & fitness

• 42+ daily group yoga classes, 100% live!

• Discounted yoga workshops, all live and interactive!

• Making new like-minded friends from around the world

Grab your 2-week free trial and check out your membership options here!

In the meantime, let’s talk about 5 poses that are entirely possible for you to achieve and how to do just that!

1. One-handed tree pose

One of the most important things to remember when attempting difficult poses is to start with the simplest version of the pose and work your way up! 

For instance, you might start learning how to achieve one-handed tree pose by beginning with mastering a normal handstand or by practicing your handstand poses against a wall. Half handstand, bolstered handstand, and split handstands held against a wall for support are all great ways to build up to one-handed tree pose. 

Also, building strength in your arms, shoulders, back, and core are important for achieving this pose. One handed tree pose should only be attempted under the supervision of an experienced yoga instructor.

Hard? Absolutely. Impossible? Definitely not!

2. Destroyer of the Universe Pose

This pose may look like the most difficult of all the poses we’re discussing today, but it’s honestly one of the “easier” ones for advanced yogis to master! 

Destroyer of the Universe also packs many wellness benefits, such as curing indigestion, gas, constipation, relief of sinusitis and breathing difficulties, and, of course, building strength and flexibility in areas of the body that may not get a lot of attention.

Pre-pose mastery of plank, side plank, and side plank with one leg lifted is important before attempting this pose. You will also need a lot of flexibility in your hips and hamstrings. However, the pose itself is quite simple.

From side plank, you will release your bottom leg down, bend your knee and bring that same leg up and behind your head. There are many variations of this pose leading up to the full version, though, so don’t be afraid to work on this pose in baby steps!

3. Scorpion Pose

Scorpion pose, and its many even more difficult versions, is one of the most advanced poses a yogi can practice. But it is entirely doable (yep, even the variation that’s done on your elbows!)

While Scorpion Pose is highly energizing physically and mentally, you should be able to fairly easily do poses such as handstand, headstand, camel pose, and dolphin pose before attempting this one. You’ll need to have excellent back flexibility, super strong arms, shoulders and core, and a high level of mental focus and balance.

The actual steps to completing this pose are fairly simple if you’re already familiar with the prep poses we mentioned above!

We definitely recommend some 1:1 attention from an experienced and expert yoga teacher when attempting this pose for the first time!

4. Yogic Sleep Pose

Yogic Sleep Pose is an advanced pose for sure, but it begins with one of our favorite “easy” poses, Happy Baby! So you’ll want to be very comfortable with the Happy Baby pose before attempting this one.

While Yogic Sleep Pose reduces anxiety, promotes calmness, and can, in fact, prepare your body to sleep, don’t let this pose stress you out before you even get started! You’ll want to have very flexible hips to achieve this pose.

Poses like low lunge, high lunge, butterfly pose, pigeon pose, reclined pigeon pose, side angle stretch, and triangle pose are all great poses to practice before attempting Yogic Sleep pose.

We’re pretty confident this one is safe to do on your own without supervision, but be sure to keep your neck stable and in a neutral position to avoid straining the neck muscles or causing injury.

5. Fallen Angel Pose

This one even looks like a doozy of a pose!

Before we talk about this one, it’s important to note that, despite what it looks like, there should be virtually no weight placed on the neck or side of the neck. The weight bearing will be almost completely in your arms and shoulders.

You should’ve mastered (and continued to practice) poses such as, crow pose, side crow pose, revolved side angle pose, revolved chair pose, and supine twist before attempting Fallen Angel. 

Having a very strong core is also important for this pose as well! 

This pose is very challenging, but definitely doable with the appropriate guidance and attention of an experienced yoga instructor.

As a matter of fact, here at MyYogaTeacher, we believe that one of the main reasons yogis don’t master – or even attempt – some of the most challenging yoga poses is because they are intimidated by and scared of them!

And rightfully so. No one wants to injure themselves attempting a hard yoga pose, right?

This doesn’t mean the poses are impossible. It just means yogis need:

• A plan for how to accomplish the desired poses 

• Guidance in proper strength training 

• Prep pose work 

• Alignment corrections so they can possess excellent alignment.

Good thing MyYogaTeacher has several solution options for that! If you haven’t checked out our affordable 1:1 membership plans, you can sign up for your 2-week free trial and get a look at what’s available to you here!

Join the community of members who are really enjoying the perks of 1:1 instruction at MyYogaTeacher!

“Doing yoga 1:1 I get to practice with one teacher who knows what I need and can track progress.” - Erin, MYT member since October 2019

“Making a correction with 1:1 yoga is way better than any corrections that are ever made in a group class.” - Michael, MYT member since October 2019

“There is more focus on your alignment and you get more personal attention with 1:1. You make progress a lot quicker because the teacher is able to fully focus on you and change the techniques based on your body type and need.” - Kashmira, MYT member since November 2019

Learn more and sign up here!