What Does Your Favorite Yoga Pose Say About You?

Whether you prefer twists, backbends, or inversions, here’s how your favorite poses can give you valuable insight into your personality.

If you like:

Forward Bends… You prefer to keep your own counsel like a smart ostrich. At those times when life gets overstimulating—too many choices and too much responsibility—forward bends seduce you with the sweet serenity of folding inward and retreating from the world.

Twists… You like to know who and what's going on around and behind you. You don't see things in black or white but are stimulated by multi-dimensional situations and are not afraid of tension. Twists are a natural draw for those who find nourishment and joy from connecting to people and places while staying firmly grounded.

Backbends… You find it refreshing to reverse the typical schlump of desk, car or depression. It feels good to rest your soft, open front on your confident, flexible spine and take in a big breath. Turning yourself inside out is quite extra-ordinary! For shy types this is scary and a true victory. For extroverts, it's a natural as a sensuous morning stretch.

Balancing on One Leg… You are more curious about precision than perfection. For you, nothing is more fun than figuring out how to sway like a tree and still stay upright. You don't even mind falling over because you always get back up and try again, understanding that is truly the heart of practice anyway.

Inversions… You've learned to include fears in the mix of a total experience. Perhaps you've started to blur the distinction between upside down and right side up, allowing for a vibrant sense of nowness wherever or however you are. Creative types who see things from all sides are drawn to inversions and so are those of us who just like to shake things up!