Artistic Yoga Photographic Prints and Posters

Gosia Janik, photographer and yoga practitioner, has created a number of artistic yoga asana images that are available as posters and photographic prints.

I love finding beautiful, artistic yoga images and photographs.

I teach and practice yoga, and I am inspired by beautiful images of others doing well-executed yoga poses.

These artistic photographic prints by photographer and yoga practitioner, Gosia Janik, are among my favorite artistic yoga images. They're quirky and edgy, and delightful to look at.

Are you familiar with these yoga poses? Which art image is your favorite?

Yoga Art Prints by Gosia Janik

"Edgy and Artsy" Yoga Posters and Prints

I discovered Gosia Janik's Yoga Art Prints on AllPosters when I was looking for images to illustrate (and monetize...) my yoga studio blog. I had been teaching the pose Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana to my more experienced yoga students, and I had made some comments about it on my blog.

Ardha Baddha PadmottanasanaAllPosters

Imagine my delight when I came across this yoga art print of the same pose! And she's doing it in high heels!

(The high heels part brings to mind the quote about dancer Ginger Rogers doing everything that Fred Astaire did....but backwards and in high heels.)

Since then I've found a few more yoga pose photographic art prints by Janik, all available from AllPosters (click on images or titles for ordering information).

To me these yoga art images have an almost surreal, fantasy-like quality to them that make them much more interesting than any of the other yoga pose posters that I've found.

Who is Gosia Janik?

Photographer and Yoga Practitioner

Photographer Gosia Janik was born in Poland, but she now lives in Madrid, Spain. In an "interview" on Thelonelywalkers' blog, Janik says she is a quiet, introverted person.

Janik says she uses photography as a way to express herself. Also she says, "All I want to achieve is to capture the essence of the moment, the real nature. I am tired of fake smiles and stunning beauty which doesn’t come out from the inside." Her photos show the body as a beautiful form.

Of course Janik photographs more than yoga poses. But it was the yoga images that I found first. You can see a number of her yoga photos on Flickr. As far as I know, only a few of these are currently available as art prints for sale through sites such as AllPosters.

Her motto, adapted from Ashtanga Yoga founder Sri K Pattabhi Jois, is "Practice, practice, all is coming". This is a fitting motto for what we do in life, not just in our yoga practice.

HalasanaAllPosters

What Are These Yoga Poses?

Yoga Asanas Featured in These Posters and Prints

If you've been practicing yoga poses for awhile, you may be familiar with many of the yoga asanas featured in Janik's yoga photographic art prints.

Here's a review of the poses in these yoga images:

Ardha baddha padmottanasana - Half bound lotus standing forward bend:This is the first image, of the woman in high heels (maybe the image is of Janik? I don't know). An easier version of this pose is to take both hands to the floor, or to blocks or to a chair (this is how I introduce the pose to my students).

Halasana - Plow pose: Shown in the section above. This is often done from Sarvangasana (shoulder balance). In the style of yoga I practice and teach, Iyengar Yoga, we usually do these two poses with two or three folded yoga blankets under the shoulders to protect the neck. We're taught not to turn the head to the side, since this could injure the neck, although I like the effect in this yoga art print (it's one of my favorites, especially with the cat).

GarudasanaAllPosters

Yoga Nada / Paschima NamaskarasanaAllPosters

Garudasana -- Eagle Pose: I've been taught (and I teach) this pose a little differently than in this photographic yoga print. (See Garudasana | Yoga Journal), but Janik's image looks more like a perching bird of prey. I love the birds in the image background.

Paschima Namaskarasana -- Reverse Prayer Pose (hands at the back): This refers to the arm position in the art print title Joga Naga. It's an excellent position for creating more flexibility in the shoulders.

With BasiaAllPosters NatarajasanaAllPosters

Utthita Parsva Hasta Padangusthasana (or Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana variation) - Standing leg to the side stretch: This pose is one of the two in the art print With Basia. It's a standing balance pose with one leg stretched to the side. Another version is stretching the lifted leg forward. If it's difficult to keep the lifted leg straight, we use a strap across that foot. In Iyengar yoga, there's a strong emphasis on learning to straighten the legs, rather than letting them bend in these types of poses. Since this is not possible for many people in its final form, we use a strap to let us approximate the full pose with better alignment and integrity.

Astavakrasana - Eight angle pose: This is the second pose in With Basia, a difficult arm balance. Good core strength and body awareness are both needed to be able to do this pose.

Natarajasana - Lord of the Dance pose: This graceful backbending pose requires great shoulder and upper back flexibility. Also done with both arms reaching back for the foot (er...but I'm glad she didn't do it in this image since I want this page to be family-friendly).

Urdhva dhanurasana - Upward Bow Pose (or Wheel Pose): Another graceful backbending pose. I love the use of the table as a platform to showcase this pose.

Ekapada Raja Kapotasana - One legged King Pigeon Pose: Looks like a pigeon with its chest puffed out. Can also hold the foot with both hands reaching back.

Urdhva DhanurasanaAllPosters