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YogaPath

Restorative poses

Supported, low-effort poses held long, where the point is to stop working rather than to work.

Beginner restorative poses 21

Learnable in a first class, with a version that works for most bodies.

Child's Pose Bālāsana Beginner · restorative · 2–5 minutes Corpse Pose Śavāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–15 minutes Constructive Rest Supta Tāḍāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–15 minutes Crocodile Pose Makarāsana Beginner · restorative · 3–8 minutes Flapping Fish Pose Matsya Krīḍāsana Beginner · restorative · 3–6 minutes each side Happy Baby Pose Ānanda Bālāsana Beginner · restorative · 1–3 minutes Hare Pose Śaśāṅkāsana Beginner · restorative · 2–5 minutes Kneeling Rest Pose Praṇāmāsana Beginner · restorative · 2–5 minutes Knees-to-Chest Pose Pavanamuktāsana Beginner · restorative · 1–3 minutes Motionless Reclining Pose Niḥspanda Bhāva Beginner · restorative · 10–20 minutes Reclining Bound Angle Pose Supta Baddha Koṇāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–10 minutes Reclining Easy Pose Supta Sukhāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–10 minutes Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Supta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana Beginner · restorative · 1–3 minutes each side Relaxed Staff Pose Śithila Daṇḍāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–15 minutes Reversed Corpse Pose Advāsana Beginner · restorative · 3–8 minutes Stick Pose Yaṣṭikāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–8 rounds of stretch and release Supine Abdominal Stretch Supta Udarākarṣaṇāsana Beginner · restorative · 2–4 minutes each side Supported Bridge Pose Sālamba Setubandhāsana Beginner · restorative · 3–8 minutes Supported Child's Pose Sālamba Bālāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–10 minutes Supported Fish Pose Sālamba Matsyāsana Beginner · restorative · 5–10 minutes Womb Pose Garbhāsana Beginner · restorative · 3–8 minutes each side

Asked before class

What are restorative poses in yoga?

Supported, low-effort poses held long, where the point is to stop working rather than to work. YogaPath lists 21 of them, from Child's Pose through to Womb Pose.

Which restorative poses should a beginner start with?

The 21 poses in this family marked beginner: Child's Pose, Constructive Rest, Corpse Pose, Crocodile Pose, Flapping Fish Pose and others. Each has a version that works for most bodies, and each page lists who should skip it.

Are restorative poses safe for everyone?

No family of poses is. Each page in this group lists its own contraindications — pregnancy, blood pressure, glaucoma, and neck, knee, shoulder or wrist injury all rule out specific poses. Read the cautions on the individual page, ask your doctor if a condition applies to you, and learn the poses with a qualified teacher.

Asana names are traditional. Every step, benefit and caution on this page is written for YogaPath rather than reproduced from any book, studio or other library — see how this site is written and what it is written from. General information only — not medical advice. Some asanas are unsuitable during pregnancy, injury or specific conditions. Learn from a qualified teacher and stop if anything hurts.

SOURCE·Published asana references·asana names, alignment and cautions as taught·REVIEWED JUL 2026

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