If you’re used to a class, doing yoga on your own can be daunting—which poses should you choose? Or if you’re following along with a flow you found online, how can you modify or replace something that’s not quite at the right level for you?
In the same vein as their “periodic tables” for stretching, kettlebell exercises, and suspension trainer exercises, the chart groups yoga poses into columns according to what type of move they are (hip openers, inversions, balances) and rows according to difficulty.
So if wheel pose is too much of a backbend for you, you can scroll up on the backbends/chest openers column of the chart and decide that, say, fish pose is more appropriate. Or if you love twists, you can pick a few of your favorites off the list and work them into your practice. (Click the poses for video demonstrations, which often include a few more variations to choose from.)
The chart is just a reference, not a full-on yoga instruction, so it’s still up to you to know your limitations and take control of your practice. But if you often find yourself wondering what asana to do next, this can spark some ideas.