Home · Authors · Hannah Cole
Author

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

Intense Right Stretch Pose (Pārśvottānāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Intense Right Stretch Pose (Pārśvottānāsana)
A standing forward fold over the right leg, Pārśvottānāsana stretches the hamstrings and trains hip-square alignment. Intermediate level.
Hannah ColeMarch 21, 20264 min read
Intense Right Stretch Pose with Hands Behind Back in Namaste (Pārśvottānāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Intense Right Stretch Pose with Hands Behind Back in Namaste (Pārśvottānāsana)
Pārśvottānāsana with hands in reverse namaste folds you deeply over the right leg while the shoulder-opening grip behind your back works the...
Hannah ColeMarch 19, 20265 min read
Intense Side Stretch Pose, Left Leg Forward (Pārśvottānāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Intense Side Stretch Pose, Left Leg Forward (Pārśvottānāsana)
Hamstring length, hip alignment, and shoulder stability converge in this single asymmetrical shape - a standing forward fold over the left l...
Hannah ColeMarch 18, 20265 min read
Hero Pose with Cow-Face Arms, Right Arm Up (Vīrāsana with Gomukhāsana arms) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Hero Pose with Cow-Face Arms, Right Arm Up (Vīrāsana with Gomukhāsana arms)
A kneeling shoulder-and-chest stretch: Hero Pose base with right arm overhead, elbow bent, hands clasped at the center of the back. Intermed...
Hannah ColeMarch 17, 20264 min read
Headstand Preparation Pose II (Śīrṣāsana Siddhi II) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Headstand Preparation Pose II (Śīrṣāsana Siddhi II)
A forearm-and-crown balance drill that teaches correct weight distribution through the arms before any full headstand lift.
Hannah ColeMarch 16, 20265 min read
Hare Pose with Thighs Forward and Arms Alongside Legs (Śaśāṅkāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Hare Pose with Thighs Forward and Arms Alongside Legs (Śaśāṅkāsana)
A grounded kneeling forward fold with thighs upright and arms at the sides - Śaśāṅkāsana lengthens the spine and quiets the breath.
Hannah ColeMarch 15, 20265 min read
Head Down Hero Pose (Adho Mukha Vīrāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Head Down Hero Pose (Adho Mukha Vīrāsana)
Head Down Hero Pose (Adho Mukha Vīrāsana) is a kneeling forward bend that lengthens the spine, stretches the quads and ankles, and grounds t...
Hannah ColeMarch 14, 20264 min read
Half Wheel Pose (Ardha Cakrāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Half Wheel Pose (Ardha Cakrāsana)
Half Wheel Pose (Ardha Cakrāsana) is a beginner standing backbend that stretches the front body and builds spinal extension - no floor requi...
Hannah ColeMarch 13, 20264 min read
Half Side Plank Pose on Right Hand with Legs Crossed (Vasiṣṭhāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Half Side Plank Pose on Right Hand with Legs Crossed (Vasiṣṭhāsana)
Build lateral core and shoulder strength in this intermediate arm balance - a crossed-leg variation of Side Plank anchored on the right hand...
Hannah ColeMarch 12, 20264 min read
Half Side Plank Pose on Right Hand (Vasiṣṭhāsana) - by Hannah Cole
Body, Mobility & Posture Half Side Plank Pose on Right Hand (Vasiṣṭhāsana)
Stacking one hip over the other while your bottom knee stays grounded, Half Side Plank (Vasiṣṭhāsana, half) builds lateral core strength and...
Hannah ColeMarch 11, 20264 min read