Yoga for All

Tadasana

This easy standing pose allows you to focus on deep, rhythmic breathing—an essential element of healthy skin.Yogis and yoginis believe that drawing oxygen into, through, and out of the body releases harmful toxins and keeps vital systems running optimally.

Uttanasana

This one is difficult if your hamstrings are especially tight (hence the importance of warming up first), but luckily, you don’t have to touch the ground or keep your legs pin-straight to get the pose’s skin benefits. “Even if you just bend over at the waist, close your eyes, and let your head hang … you’re clearing everything out and your blood is switching directions,” says Mary Fanto, an instructor at U Studio Yoga. She suggests trying that for one minute a day and working up to five.

Bharadvaja’s Twist

Both Fanto and Paskel say that twisting positions are great for digestive health, which is important for moving toxic properties out of the organs. “Anytime you’re clearing your body of waste, it’s better for your skin,” Fanto says. However, simply twisting isn’t enough—deep, cleansing breaths are a necessary component to the pose. “If you don’t follow up with really good breath and water, then the toxins get released, but then they get trapped,” Paskel points out.

Utkatasana (Chair Pose)

Challenging poses like Chair make the heart beat faster, increasing the circulation of blood flow throughout the body and prompting the skin to sweat out impurities. Chair pose lengthens and strengthens the thigh muscles. Warrior I and Half Moon Pose are more advanced poses that also work the legs.