Need a power boost? Try these 4 yoga poses.

Yoga  provides power and strength to the body, yeah. But did you know that power transmits to not only your body, but your breath and your mind? Let me explain. 

Prior to writing this blog, I looked up the definition of power. 

“The ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality.” 

Let’s focus on the beginning, the ability to do something or act in a particular way. This is a strength you build and fine tune within your yoga practice. 

Power does not mean you’re the strongest person in class.
Power does not mean you have the strongest practice in the room.
Power does not mean you push your limits every single time you’re practicing. 

Power goes down deeper than that. Power is a full, confident, and clear connection with one's body and one's mind. You have the ability to control your response to certain reactions. You have the ability to bring your stress level from a 10 to a 1.

It all starts when you say yes. Yes to the yoga class, yes to the 10 minutes you carved out to move today, and yes to the 10 minutes you carved out to find stillness and meditation. 

Most importantly you train the mind and the body to act in a particular way when you find routine and when you find purpose within your practice. Purpose to do better and be better. 

Looking for a place to start? Check out these 4 yoga poses that are designed to make you feel POWERFUL. Some of the asana choices might even surprise you.

That is power, change, and true transformation.

April leads us through a Vinyasa flow during our Joshua Tree retreat in June 2024.

Boat Pose; Paripurna Navasana

Really, this pose speaks for itself. Am I right? 

A real doozy of a core builder but also really really important for power, building a strong core which leads to better posture, and giving you a boost of energy! This pose reminds us that yes, we can do the hard things even when our mind says we can’t.

You truly don’t know what you’re capable of until you put yourself out there and try. So, if boat pose seems intimidating, remember there are variations to this asana. You can keep your knees bent, and your hands at heart center. 

Ready to build your power? Check out our FREE July challenge

Warrior 2; Virabhadrasana II

The wisdom of warrior 2 resonates deeply with me, as it’s one of my favorite asanas. Did you know Warrior 2, or SANskr is the name of a fierce warrior, an incarnation of Shiva, described as having a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet, wielding a thousand clubs and wearing a tiger’s skin?The story is wild really. Full of love, attachment, pride, shame, vengeance, violence, sadness, and compassion. 

Virabhadrasana II represents strength, balance, and unwavering focus as the student starts to embody the essence of a warrior. I always tell students in class your front hand represents your future, as your back hand represents your past. Think of your heart space as your present. 

When we enter this pose, and truly enter this pose both mind, breath, and body we can start to feel the steady pull both our back and front hand has. We trust the center we start to feel as the shoulders stack in line with hips. We then start to breathe into the heartspace, the present space. 

“Warrior 2 is one of those poses that is as strengthening and grounding as it is opening and lengthening—a rare combination. When you stay in the pose for any length of time, you strengthen your resolve and focus. It helps you learn to stay  internally focused on your physical and mental sensations.

Pigeon Pose; Kapotasana

Pigeon pose provides us with the opportunity to slow down, build patience, and soften into the support of our body. I’m sure you’ve heard the term “we hold emotions in our hips” in a yoga class or two. It’s true! 

Pigeon pose is a powerful hip opener that can unlock stored emotional tension and promote self-acceptance. Think about stored emotions and tension you’ve built up for years. Being in this pose and accepting the state at which you find yourself (i.e crying, sad, emotional) is a powerful step into self-acceptance. 

When you start to love and accept who you truly are, no guilt or shame, you then call more of that same energy to you.

Oftentimes during a Rooted Retreat, we will often visit hip openers such as pigeon especially in our yin classes. We believe having yin each evening, and combining it with poses that give you permission to let go helps each and every person leave a little lighter, and a little more in love with the person they are. 

Try to find 2-5 minutes a day to visit pigeon pose on both your left and right side. See if you start to notice any shifts, mentally or physically!

Gathering in community during our Pagaosa Springs, CO retreat in September 2024.

Goddess Pose; Utkata Konasana

The pose is often associated with Shakti, the sacred feminine energy, and is believed to help awaken and embody this power. It encourages a connection to one's intuition, creativity, and inner wisdom. 

This is the ultimate confidence booster, and  what is more powerful than fully stepping into your trust, your intuition, and your feminine energy? We’re a big fan of this pose here! 

Goddess can be added in a powerful class, and typically helps strengthen the legs, glutes, and core, while also stretching the inner thighs and hips. Sidenote! Oftentimes a lot of us lack strength in the hip flexors, and this is a great asana to use to start building that strength!

be in your power

I hope you’re able to take a few things from this piece, and use this as a reminder power is something you build from within. Power looks different to everyone, but the one thing we have in common? The ability to find a practice of yoga. Of movement. Of curiosity. And through practice, we find the power. 

Join us in Joshua Tree this August 21-24, 2025.