Written by Joseph Berridge, Founder of Joga Yoga

Updated September 2026

The 10 hardest yoga poses at a glance

The table lists the poses in this guide from least to most demanding. The order is our teaching judgement, not a fixed ranking. A pose that feels impossible to one student can come quickly to another, depending on whether their body leans toward strength or flexibility.

What makes a yoga pose hard?

Hard yoga poses usually ask for several things at once. An arm balance needs wrist and core strength, but also enough hip or hamstring flexibility to get the legs into place. A deep backbend needs open shoulders as well as a flexible spine. Inversions add balance and, for most people, some fear of falling.

That is why the most useful way to work toward an advanced pose is through the poses that build its parts. Each pose below lists what to build from. If you are still learning the basics, start with our beginner yoga guide and our explainer on what asana yoga is.

Crow Pose (Bakasana)

Crow is the usual first arm balance, and it is on this list because it teaches the skill every other arm balance needs: trusting your hands to hold your body weight. The hard part is leaning far enough forward.

Build from: Plank, Chaturanga, Boat Pose (Navasana), Garland Pose (Malasana).

How to do Crow Pose

1. Squat with feet together and knees wide. Place your hands flat, shoulder-width apart, fingers spread.
2. Bend your elbows slightly and place your knees high on the backs of your upper arms.
3. Lean forward until your weight moves into your hands, keeping your gaze a little ahead of your fingers.
4. Lift one foot, then the other. Hold for a few breaths, then lower your feet back to the squat.

Headstand (Salamba Sirsasana)

Headstand is hard because the load has to sit in the forearms and shoulders, not the neck. Most of the work is learning to lift into it slowly and with control rather than kicking up.

Build from: Dolphin Pose, Forearm Plank, Tripod Headstand.

How to do Headstand

1. Kneel and place your forearms on the mat, elbows shoulder-width apart, fingers interlaced.
2. Place the crown of your head on the mat, with the back of your head against your hands.
3. Lift your hips and walk your feet toward your face until your hips stack over your shoulders.
4. Draw one knee, then the other, toward your chest. Extend your legs up only when you feel stable.
5. Come down the same way, one leg at a time, and rest in Child’s Pose.

Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)

Wheel needs open shoulders as much as a flexible back. When the shoulders are tight, the lower back takes the bend instead, which is what makes the pose feel hard and sometimes painful.

Build from: Bridge Pose, Cobra, Camel, shoulder openers against a wall.

How to do Wheel Pose

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands beside your ears, fingers pointing toward your shoulders.
3. Lift your hips into Bridge, then press through your hands to bring the crown of your head to the mat.
4. Straighten your arms to lift your head. Keep your knees in line with your feet.
5. Lower slowly, tucking your chin so the back of your head lands first.

Forearm Balance (Pincha Mayurasana)

Forearm Balance asks for shoulder flexibility and strength at the same time. With tight shoulders, the elbows slide apart and the lower back arches to compensate.

Build from: Dolphin Pose, Forearm Plank, L-shaped holds with your feet on a wall.

How to do Forearm Balance

1. Start in Dolphin Pose with forearms parallel, elbows under shoulders and palms flat.
2. Walk your feet in until your hips are over your shoulders.
3. Lift one leg and hop or float the other up. Use a wall behind you while you learn.
4. Press your forearms down and draw your ribs in so your body stays in one line.
5. Lower one leg at a time back to Dolphin.

Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana)

The hard part of Handstand is not getting up against a wall. It is balancing without one, which takes shoulder strength, straight-arm shoulder mobility and constant small corrections through the fingers.

Build from: Plank, Dolphin, Downward Dog, wall handstands facing toward and away from the wall.

How to do Handstand

1. Warm up your wrists and shoulders, then place your hands shoulder-width apart about a hand’s length from a wall.
2. From Downward Dog, walk your feet in and lift one leg.
3. Hop or kick up with control until your heels touch the wall.
4. Stack your hips over your shoulders, press the floor away and engage your core.
5. Practise taking one foot, then both, off the wall. Come down one leg at a time.

Firefly Pose (Tittibhasana)

Firefly combines an arm balance with a deep hamstring stretch. Strong arms are not enough if the legs cannot straighten while you are lifted.

Build from: Crow Pose, Wide-legged Forward Fold, Boat Pose, Garland Pose.

How to do Firefly Pose

1. Stand with feet a little wider than hips and fold forward.
2. Bend your knees and bring your shoulders behind your knees, hands flat behind your heels.
3. Sit back onto your upper arms as if sitting on a low bench.
4. Lift your feet and straighten your legs forward and out to the sides.
5. Hold for a few breaths, then bend your knees and lower your feet.

Eight-Angle Pose (Astavakrasana)

Eight-Angle Pose looks like a twist balanced on one arm. It needs open hips to get the leg over the shoulder, plus the pressing strength of Chaturanga to hold the body low and level.

Build from: Chaturanga, Crow Pose, Lizard Pose, seated twists.

How to do Eight-Angle Pose

1. Sit with your legs extended. Bend your right knee and lift your right leg over your right shoulder, as high as it will go.
2. Place your hands on the mat beside your hips.
3. Press into your hands and lift your hips, then hook your left ankle over your right ankle.
4. Bend your elbows and lean your chest forward while extending your legs out to the right.
5. Hold for a few breaths, then lower your hips and repeat on the other side.

Flying Crow Pose (Eka Pada Galavasana)

Flying Crow needs open hips, strong wrists and enough control to straighten the back leg without tipping forward.

Build from: Crow Pose, Chair Pose, Pigeon Pose, Figure-Four Chair.

How to do Flying Crow Pose

1. From Chair Pose, cross your right ankle over your left thigh above the knee.
2. Fold forward and place your hands on the mat, shoulder-width apart.
3. Rest your right shin across your upper arms and hook your right foot around your left upper arm.
4. Bend your elbows, lean forward and lift your left foot off the mat.
5. Extend your left leg straight behind you. Hold, then lower and repeat on the other side.

Kapotasana (King Pigeon Pose)

Kapotasana is one of the deepest backbends in common practice. It needs very open hip flexors, thighs, chest and shoulders all at once. It is often confused with One-Legged King Pigeon (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana), a different pose.

Build from: Camel Pose, Wheel Pose, Low Lunge with quad stretch, Pigeon Pose.

How to do Kapotasana

1. Kneel with knees hip-width apart and thighs vertical.
2. Lift your chest and press your hips forward.
3. Bend back and reach your hands toward the floor behind your feet.
4. Walk your hands toward your heels and lower your head toward the floor. Hold your heels if you can reach them.
5. Come up slowly by pressing your hips forward and lifting your chest first.

Scorpion Pose (Vrschikasana)

Scorpion asks for two advanced skills at once: a steady forearm balance and a deep backbend while upside down. That combination is why it usually sits at the top of hardest-pose lists.

Build from: Forearm Balance, Wheel Pose, Camel Pose.

How to do Scorpion Pose

1. Come into Forearm Balance, using a wall if you need it.
2. Keep pressing your forearms down and lift your chest forward.
3. Bend your knees and start to arch your back, bringing your feet toward your head.
4. Hold for a few breaths with steady breathing.
5. Straighten your legs back to Forearm Balance before lowering.

How to train for advanced yoga poses safely

Work on one pose family at a time, such as arm balances or backbends, and practise the build-up poses more often than the peak pose itself. Warm up your wrists, shoulders and hips first. Use a wall for inversions and a blanket or cushion under your face for arm balances while you learn.

Stop if you feel sharp pain, especially in the neck, lower back or wrists. A teacher who can see you from the side will catch alignment problems you cannot feel, which matters most in Headstand, Wheel and Kapotasana. If you are in Bali, our yoga classes in Canggu are one place to get that feedback. Our guide to yoga anatomy explains the joints and muscles involved.

Teachers who want to learn how to teach these poses safely cover progressions, adjustments and anatomy in more depth during a 300-hour yoga teacher training.