Seated yoga poses may look easy, but many are far from it. Offering a range of challenges, you can embrace the effort or back off by giving your body the support it needs with the help of well-placed props. In this category you’ll find breakdowns of beginning postures, like fire log pose(agnistambhasana), all the way to advanced poses, like cow face pose (gomukhasana). Many of the benefits of these seated postures include toning your belly, massaging your vital organs, and learning how to relieve lower back pain and discomfort.

Many yoga classes begin and end with seated yoga poses because of their versatility. A great place to initiate twists and other movements of the spine, seated postures also provide access to other types of yoga practices, including meditation and pranayama. You’ll also find that many seated poses provide an opportunity to work on the flexibility of the hips and legs. If you find a specific seated position to be too challenging, remember you can use the help of different props to make it more accessible. For example, sitting on a folded blanket can provide you with more space and comfort in the lower back. Using a strap to help reach the foot is another way to find room to practice some of the more challenging seated postures, such as head-to-knee forward bend (janu sirsasana) and seated forward bend (paschimottanasana).

Overall, you’ll find that seated postures in yoga help you develop more strength in your core, both in the abdomen and the back. In order to enjoy all of the benefits, be sure to practice a wide range of seated postures, including twists, hip openers, and forward folds.