Keeping your balance while holding the pose

If you would like to perform specific yoga postures but find that you are too shaky to hold them, try doing them at the wall first. You can feel your entire body working without having to worry about falling off balance. After experiencing the poses this way, it’s easier to duplicate the same feeling away from the wall.

1 For this twisting triangle, stand 3 to 3 1/2 feet away from a sturdy wall. With your right leg on the floor, bend forward at your hips and place your left foot on the wall at hip level, toes pointing down. Hop the standing leg in or out so that it is below your hip. Place both hands on the floor under your shoulders. On an inhale, lengthen your spine to be parallel to the floor and press your foot firmly against the wall. Keep both legs straight.

2 On an exhale, keep your left hand on the floor and begin to twist at the base of the spine, rotating your torso so your chest faces to the right. Raise your right arm above your shoulder while reaching the fingertips up. Stay in this position for 3 to 4 breaths. Come out of the pose by revolving your torso back to center and repeat on the other side.

-- Karen Voight