10 Weird-Looking Yoga Poses

Yoga and its practice is all sorts of wonderful, but we have to admit that there are some poses that if you didn’t understand or practice yoga, would look either painful, funny, or just plain weird. It’s not all intimidating though! Far from it. If you want to build up your strength, so you can start practicing some more challenging poses, the free 30 Day Yoga Challenge is a great place to start. Start at the beginning and work your way up from there! 

Here are some weird-looking yoga poses that get our vote.Eight Angle Pose (a.k.a. Astavakrasana)

While we think this is one of the most fantastic arm balances you can do, you have to admit it also looks like an evil push-up that your fitness instructor would come up with just to make your life harder.

Happy Baby Pose (a.k.a. Ananda Balasana)

Source: i-will-not-stop.tumblr.com

We don’t have to say much on this because it’s pretty clear even just from “Happy Baby” why this pose looks funny. If you ask us though, it really does look happy and just plain relaxing.

Ear Pressure Pose (a.k.a Karnapidasana)

It’s the delicious back stretch with your butt in the air that (almost) always gets voted as a funny-looking yoga pose. Why? Because if not for yoga, why would anyone even get in this position?!

Goddess Pose (a.k.a. Utkata Konasana)

Source: yoganerdmd.tumblr.com

A great hip opener that can easily be made theatrical by adding jazz hands.

Embryo Pose (a.k.a. Pindasana)

Personally, I find this pose relaxing because it forces me to focus on my breathing. However, I also remember my sister walking in on me holding this pose and the only thing she said was: "what the f*ck are you doing?!" So....I guess it DOES look weird?

Bound Lotus (a.k.a Baddha Padmasana)

Don’t you hate it when you’re meditating in Lotus and your big toes start itching like crazy? Better get into Baddha Padmasana and scratch ‘em – said no one ever.

Shoulder Pressing Pose (a.k.a. Bhujapidasana)

Another arm balancing pose that without the yoga perspective, kind of makes us look like frogs suspended in mid-air.

Firefly Pose (a.k.a. Tittibhasana)

Source: YogaTrail.com

Okay, first of all, we recognize that this takes mad skills to practice and perform (as with most of the other poses on this list, really). That said, it's not that hard to imagine if everyone held Firefly and walked with their hands. Maybe a step up from crab walk?

Legs Behind the Head Pose (a.k.a. Dwi Pada Sirsasana)

Source: Matt Champoux on Tumblr

Because it's perfectly normal and commonplace to put your legs behind your head while you eat a cupcake.

Yogic Sleep/Sleeping Yogi Pose (a.k.a. Yoga Nidrasana)

Source: Krista Shirley (The Yoga Shala) on Flickr

Yogi Krista looks so serene in this picture that we almost forget she's folded her body into a size that would fit into a luggage. Okay maybe this one doesn't count as funny or weird, but it's definitely jaw-dropping and way out of the ordinary.

Now yoga is obviously not about being able to transform into gravity-defying human pretzels...but man, these poses sure make us want to reach that level of practice—no matter how funny or weird we'll look to everyone else.