I was speaking with a fellow yogi this week about our favourite poses and it got me thinking. If I could do only one pose, what would it be? It’s actually not a complicated pose, but quite simply mountain pose. It makes feel as though I’ve arrived, become centred, stretching limbs to tips, opening up my body. Gradually increasing the depth of breathing makes me feel ready for the poses that lie ahead.
How about you?
Definitely tree pose for me.
I like it because it has so many ‘opposites’ in it: grounding down, reaching up, leg and foot pressing into each other, but also knee is reaching outwards. Stretching and strength building. It feels quite solid but it’s also a balance so there’s movement too.
I’m an anxious a jittery person, but I feel like I can really be in the moment in tree pose.
I love the description. Balance poses are often tricky to do but when you feel centred and feel the space as you open up, it’s the best feeling. I find it calming for the mind too… thanks for the reply!
Hmm, its a tough one. There are lots of favourites but probably my favourite would be pigeon. I think any hip opening and any forward folding poses feel particularly good for me. Pigeon is opening and calming at the time and makes you feel like you’ve had a good stretch!
There are so many to choose from! I find the ones that both challenge me and create the most fulfilling release are my faves. Right now it’s dhanurasana (bow pose). When I’m in the pose, I like how the only part of my body that is touching the floor is the area that needs to be the strongest, to protect the back and lengthen the spine. It creates great sensory feedback and allows me to move deeper, safely.
My hip flexors are also crazy tight so any backbends feel really good.
Great question! I don’t know if I can articulate why, but I’ve always had the greatest joy in dancers pose. Even on the days I fall out of it. Something about feeling so graceful and strong and flexible. I’d love to be able to hold the foot with both hands someday, but I’m not sure I’ll ever achieve that kind of shoulder/back flexability. I’d have to say tree pose on the right side comes in at a close second though.
Love this! My favorite pose has to be Ardha Uttanasana (halfway lift) – the freedom and length I feel in my spine every time I enter the pose helps me to carry onward. Fortunately, we do that pose all the time in vinyasa practice, so it’s a welcome refrain 
Hi everyone!
I have been meditating on this question for a couple of days. Like many of you, I love so many poses and I felt myself wanting to make a long list of my favs. 
Today, I will share that I love Utkatasana (chair pose)! Like Fiji has said, it brings me to an, “…internal wisdom of the mind and body.” I feel strong and centered in my core in Utkatasana. It seems as though every bit of my body is engaged; I feel grounded and long. My heart and diaphragm feel stimulated which helps my breathing. Yes, I love Utkatasana 
I love warrior 2. It’s expansive, there is plenty to concentrate on and it is simple and stable enough that I can hold it for longer periods of time and give it real attention. I feel like I can get really focussed in this position. Whenever an instructor takes a big step back that could be heading for warrior 1 or 2, I’m thinking ‘please be warrior 2!’ and it feels like a treat.
Great topic! As I have recently identified my dosha (pitta), I have found any yin pose to be exremely theraputic. Spending long, still moments in a pose. Looking inward and confronting myself. I have never felt more ‘on the path’ than since I’ve started a yin practice and started journaling. Pick a single pose: yin butterfly. It gets my hips evenly, both sides and I can spend 5 min there and call it a day, if need be. Thanks for asking
me too love warrior 2.
What a wonderful way to describe the pose. I have to agree that it’s a great pose. At my studio class today, we transitioned from forward fold to sitting pose with legs at 90 degree angles, then chair before moving into standing pose. It was such an engaging / energising sequence.
I’ll think of your description when I’m next practicing the pose
My favorite pose has always been Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani). My feet sing for joy every time I allow myself to relax into this pose. It is also my favorite meditation posture.
I’m so pleased to see so many suggestions. I guess for me, what I’ve come to realise since starting this topic is that it depends how I feel on the day, when on the mat what is my favourite pose at that time. I may feel particularly energised or not, tight in parts of my body where I really feel the benefit.
at the moment, I would say it’s a pose that I don’t know the name of. Maybe one of you can help. I tried it with my work colleagues today at our lunch class and they loved it. It’s where you start in a seated child’s pose, with the forearms on the mat, before pushing through past your hands with your chin close to the mat into an up dog and then back around again to seated child’s pose and repeat. It feels to me like a great way of warming up the body, especially across the shoulders to do Chaturanga. It’s a great flowing move that is good fun.
My favorite is - Touching my head on the floor in Full butterfly asana. I do not know what it is called and I could not find picture on google.
I am as stiff as a plank (my forward fold is more like a half way lift). I can’t balance if my life depended on it and yet my body allows me one pose and that is snail. It therefore is my favourite.
My favorite, as mentioned by someone earlier, probably changes on a daily basis. Balances are challenging for me so I don’t they think they are ever my fav, since I get too frustrated. Downward dog feels soooooo good when i’m feeling tight, like first thing in the morning. Such a great full body stretch! Also, who doesn’t love child’s pose?? Right?
As you’ve mentioned, at different times I like different poses and get challenged by others. For example, I’ve always found Downward Facing Dog challenging and not restful at all! I could never forego Savasana, it’s probably my ultimate fave, but at the moment I am loving the variations of Trikonasana. I love that feeling of “knitting in” the ribs and rolling the chest up and outwards, expanding the heart. My brain always does a flip when I look up in this pose, like it doesn’t quite know its up from down, and yet I stay in balance. The contra-forces and strength required from the legs in this pose I love too.
Half moon. It is a pose that requires strength, balance and patience. It is also visually beautiful. I feel so powerful in this pose!
Just found this topic! Love this question!
I love half-moon! It always makes me feel stretched out, strong, and taking up space, which I love. The one I absolutely use every single day is the forward fold. It’s such a great way to counteract stress and relax my spine and center.