5 of 7

Illustrated by: Paola Delucca

Downward-Facing Dog

"This posture is considered foundational to the yoga practice," Ahrens says. "It might feel challenging, as it has many components that are complicated and require integration," she admits, but again, keep in mind that it's not about making it look perfect.

As a beginner, your heels may not reach all the way to the floor, but as long as they're reaching toward the floor, you're doing it right.

How-to: Starting from the cobra's pose, tuck or curl your toes under and use the strength of the arms to push the hips up and back.

Strengthen through the arms, pressing the hands into the ground and pushing the forearms forward.

Spread the fingers generously but keep some softness about the webbing. Press down through all parts of the palm, especially the index finger knuckle and thumb, to protect the wrists. Be sure the wrist creases are parallel to the front edge of the mat space — make that your focus, rather than trying to direct any particular finger to point forward.