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Hannah Cole

Hannah Cole writes and looks after the yoga.com pose library - the guides that walk through each posture step by step, what it asks of the body, and how to make it kinder. She came to yoga the way a lot of people do, through a body that complained: years of desk work and running left her hips and shoulders asking for something slower. More than a decade of steady practice later, the poses are still her favorite teachers. Her rule for the column has not changed. Every claim about what a pose does for the body has to trace back to a named source at the end of the piece, and where the research is thin, the piece says so. Most weeks you will find her on the mat, testing a modification before she recommends it, or back in the library re-checking an old guide against newer research.

Hannah Cole

By Hannah Cole

Easy Plow Pose (Halāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Easy Plow Pose (Halāsana)
Easy Plow Pose offers spinal length and a gentle inversion with the back supported by the hands - accessible for beginners, effective near t...
Hannah ColeDecember 12, 20254 min read
Standing Lord of Dance Pose with Right Foot Near the Head (Naṭarājāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Standing Lord of Dance Pose with Right Foot Near the Head (Naṭarājāsana)
An advanced standing backbend and balance: right foot drawn to the head, deep spinal extension, and single-leg stability all meet in Naṭarāj...
Hannah ColeDecember 11, 20254 min read
Seated Forward Bend (Paścimottānāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Seated Forward Bend (Paścimottānāsana)
Seated Forward Bend (Paścimottānāsana) stretches the entire back of the body - hamstrings to spine - and is a cornerstone of nearly every yo...
Hannah ColeDecember 10, 20254 min read
Rotation Pose with Legs to the Right (Jāṭhara Parivartanāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Rotation Pose with Legs to the Right (Jāṭhara Parivartanāsana)
A supine spinal twist with both knees dropping right - beginner-friendly and ideal at the end of practice to rotate the spine and stretch th...
Hannah ColeDecember 9, 20254 min read
Revolved Triangle Pose with Right Arm Behind Left Foot (Parivṛtta Trikoṇāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Revolved Triangle Pose with Right Arm Behind Left Foot (Parivṛtta Trikoṇāsana)
Right hand planted outside the left foot, top arm stretching toward the ceiling - this standing twist combines deep thoracic rotation with h...
Hannah ColeDecember 9, 20254 min read
Knees, Chest and Chin Pose (Aṣṭāṅga Namaskāra) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Knees, Chest and Chin Pose (Aṣṭāṅga Namaskāra)
Knees, Chest and Chin Pose (Aṣṭāṅga Namaskāra) places eight body points on the mat, opening the chest and introducing gentle thoracic extens...
Hannah ColeDecember 7, 20254 min read
Hero Pose with Hands on Thighs (Vīrāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Hero Pose with Hands on Thighs (Vīrāsana)
Kneeling with shins flat and hands resting on thighs, Virasana (Hero Pose) stretches the quadriceps and trains an upright spine, making it a...
Hannah ColeDecember 5, 20254 min read
Camel Pose with Palms Set Against Feet (Uṣṭrāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Camel Pose with Palms Set Against Feet (Uṣṭrāsana)
Camel Pose with Palms Set Against Feet is a kneeling backbend that opens the full front body - from thighs to chest - with both palms ground...
Hannah ColeDecember 3, 20254 min read
Half Cobra Pose (Ardha Bhujaṅgāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Half Cobra Pose (Ardha Bhujaṅgāsana)
Half Cobra (Ardha Bhujaṅgāsana) is a gentle prone backbend with forearms grounded - ideal for beginners building spinal strength and thoraci...
Hannah ColeDecember 2, 20254 min read
Diamond Pose (Vajrāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Diamond Pose (Vajrāsana)
Diamond Pose (Vajrāsana) is an upright kneeling seat that stretches the quads and ankles while building the spinal alignment needed for medi...
Hannah ColeDecember 2, 20254 min read