“Ahhhh.” —You, as you practice your favorite pose.
Medium wide shot of smiling woman in seated spinal twist pose during class in yoga studio (Photo: Thomas Barwick | Getty)
Published September 25, 2025 05:36AM
The first sip of coffee in the morning. The sun peeking through the clouds on a cold day. The good kind of bellyache you get from laughing harder than you have in a long time. What these things have in common is they just land, delivering comfort, inspiration, or relief when you least expect it—and often when you most need it.
The same thing happens on the yoga mat.
Maybe it’s that exhalation you take as you rise into Downward-Facing Dog or the soothing sensation of sinking into Savasana. Think of the poses as portals that transport you into that indulgent, invigorating, or completely relaxing feeling best described as ahhhhhh.
At Yoga Journal, we know we aren’t the only ones who are all about these seemingly ordinary yet completely magical moments that happen on the mat. So we asked our community to share their favorites. They didn’t disappoint.
Your Top 10 Favorite Yoga Poses That Always Deliver
Some of the poses chosen by our Instagram community and YJ editors are welcome challenges, whereas others are permission slips to do nothing. Whichever we choose, they all deliver exactly what we need when we need it. Every. Single. Time.
1. Chair Pose
This one might be controversial, but I really love Chair Pose. Yes, it’s a challenge, but one that my body actually wants to take on.
2. Happy Baby Pose
I’m always disappointed when Happy Baby is excluded from practice. It’s a welcome reset and the best back massage ever. Well, the best free one, anyway.
3. Fetal Pose
There’s something about rolling out of Savasana and snuggling here that really does make me feel like I’m being reborn.
4. Cat Pulling Its Tail
Just…wow. It’s a twist. It’s a quad stretch. It’s a chest opener. It releases your hamstrings. And it challenges you to breathe and release despite intensity. It can be tricky to get into but well worth the effort.
5. Warrior 2
The name says it all. Reaching my arms to the sides and focusing my gaze in Warrior 2 makes me feel like a total badass with an actual bow and arrow in hand.
6. Humble Warrior
Maybe it should be called Humble Warrioress as I always feel a feminine equilibrium of strength and surrender.
7. Restorative Reclining Bound Angle
I still recall the first time a teacher taught me this version, in which you lean back on an inclined bolster (supported by blocks at the far end beneath your head), inch your heels farther away than usual, and place rolled blankets beneath each knee. I felt like a puddle of calm.
8. Child’s Pose
It hits every time for me. Better yet, I add a bolster underneath my chest in Child’s Pose to make a relaxing pose even more relaxing.
9. Downward Dog
After a long day, coming into Down Dog is a way for me to check in with my body, see where I’m holding tension, and actively work through it.
10. Savasana
I get the same feeling in Savasana that I get when I arrive home after being away for a while—it’s like I can leave the world behind and finally cozy up with myself. The best.
