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Jul 10, 2022
5
MIN READ
15 Basic Yoga Poses/ Asanas for Beginners to get started
New to yoga? Check this list of 15 best yoga poses for beginners recommended by Yoga instructors. Know the procedure & benefits of yoga asanas for beginners!
Read through the simplest and most effective Yoga asanas for beginners to try for maintaining proper health conditions. Details you will learn include their benefits, how to handle, and so much more!
Introduction:
Yoga has been an essential part of our lives since ancient times. However, modern work-life pressure, poor eating and sleep routine, and increasing stress have made practicing yoga a mandatory part of everyone's life.
According to the ancient scriptures and records, more than 84 yoga asanas benefit the human body in distinct ways. Dieticians recommend many yoga asanas for beginners to maintain balance in the body and practice healthy well-being.
Further in this article, we will discuss the beneficial yoga poses for beginners with stepwise descriptions to practice them easily:
Coach's Tips
For each of the suggested poses, we recommend that you only hold them for a few seconds, without forcing yourself, to avoid causing any pain or strain. Try to concentrate and visualise your breathing. During yoga, you should try to breathe only through your nose.
These poses have been designed as a series of poses that you can repeat, although each posture can also be carried out separately.
1. Standing Forward Fold Pose:
This is one most commonly used level 1 yoga poses that many people try out as a beginner due to the simple steps.
Sanskrit:
Uttanasana
How To Do It:
Stand straight with your feet apart at hip-width level. Put your weight on your feet soles completely.
Keep stomach and glutes firm, back straight, and hips relaxed.
Relax shoulders and loosen your arms at the sides and keep palms facing outwards.
Raise arms over the head.
Leave a breath out and bend from your waist forward. Stretch as must as possible with your fingertips outwards and do not bend arms.
Benefits:
People experience stronger respiratory system after continuous practise.
Your digestion would improve highly.
Breathing.
This is one of the best Yoga poses for beginners where you have to breathe naturally and continuously through your stomach.
Beginner's Tips:
As someone completely new to yoga or non-flexible body, it is okay to bend from the knees a little bit instead of stretching fully straight from the legs. Make sure to keep back completely straight and bend from the waist though.
2. Half-Moon Pose (Anjaneyasana)
How to do it:
Breathe in deeply, then as you breathe out, stretch one leg out behind you in a lunge position, ensuring the top of your foot is flat to the ground.
Try to push your rear heel back as far as possible.
Bend your front knee. Breathe in, then out as you raise your arms towards the ceiling.
In this pose, try to tilt your hips forwards and downwards. Engage your arms and lower your shoulders.
Breathing:
smooth, continuous and natural, through the stomach.
Instructions:
keep your hips in a neutral position without turning them.
3. Triangle Pose (Anjaneyasana)
Execution of the pose:
Stand upright with your legs wider apart than your hips.
The legs remain tensioned during this pose. Turn your right foot at 90° towards the outside.
Breathe in, and raise your stretched arms above your head.
Breathe out and lower your arms out the sides of your body, parallel to the ground.
Breathe in and turn from the waist, stretching back toward your rear foot as far as you can without relaxing your waist, keeping straight as if held up by a string.
Breathe out and bend your body to touch your foot, with the other hand stretching up towards the ceiling.
Breathing: smooth, continuous and natural, through the stomach.
Instructions: the shoulders should be lowered, the body relaxed and the hips facing forwards.
4. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Execution of the pose:
Lie down with your stomach on the ground.
Place your hands flat on the ground, just beneath your shoulders.
Breathe in and breathe out as you extend your arms.
Open up the chest and raise your hips so that your weight shifts slightly forward to the palms of your hands.
Your weight should rest on your hands, which should be in line with your shoulders.
Breathing: smooth, continuous and natural, through the stomach.
Instructions: try to keep your shoulders lowered and your head tilted backwards.
5. Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukh Svanasana)
Execution of the pose:
Starting from the final position of the previous pose, breathe in and then breathe out, gripping the ground with your toes.
Using the strength of your arms and abs, push your hips upwards, stretching the arms and legs.
Tilt your head towards the ground, forming a triangle shape with your body.
Make sure your hands stay flat and parallel, in line with your shoulders.
Your feet should be hip-width apart, aligned with your hands. You should try to stretch your back as much as you can.
Breathing: smooth, continuous and natural, through the stomach.
Optional: The legs should be stretched during this pose, but for beginners or those lacking in flexibility at the back of the thighs, you can bend your knees slightly, keeping your back straight and stretched.
6. Child's Resting Pose with Arms Extended
How to do it
Kneel down on the ground, resting back on your heels.
Breathe in, breathe out, and then bend forwards from the waist, pushing with your heels, keeping your arms stretched out near your ears.
You should feel your torso come into contact with your thighs. Stretch out your neck and back by pushing your tailbone toward the ground.
Breathing: smooth, continuous and natural, through the stomach
7. Warrior Pose:
This is the best and most comfortable and basicyoga postures for beginners, with simple and beneficial body movements. According to the studies, this pose is beneficial to the human body in a distinct manner. Therefore, this is one of the most beneficial and simpleyoga poses for beginners.
How To Do It:
Bring your left foot back in a lunge position. In this position, your right ankle must be over the right knee.
Lift your arm upwards to the position where your ears are covered with your biceps. Place your left foot in the 90-degree position facing the left side wall.
Adjust the alignment of the left heel with the right heel in a perpendicular position during these beginner yoga poses.
Enlarge the chest and pull your shoulder backward. Next, lower your body towards the floor while lifting your arms upwards. Keeps your hips in the square position in the front.
Benefits:
These beginner yoga poses to build the strength of the legs and hips, while also improving flexibility.
This pose is also beneficial for backache and neck pain.
Breathing: Simple exhaling and inhaling while moving.
Beginner's Tips: Balance your body according to flexibility and stretch your legs slowly during this type among the top yoga poses for beginners.
8. Easy Pose:
Easy pose is the best yoga asanas for beginners to move forward from the Level 1 yoga poses. This asana relaxes the mind and body to start yoga.
How To Do It:
Sit straight, folding your legs in a cross position.
Place your hand on your legs and open your palm to face the sky.
Join your thumb and middle two fingers to take the accurate position.
Ensure that your spine is in a straight position.
Benefits:
This version of easy yoga poses or sukhasana relaxes your mind and body, filling you with extraordinary energy.
The specialist suggests this version of level 1 yoga poses at the yoga session's beginning and end.
Breathing: You must slowly inhale and exhale in this position. Try to fill your lungs with air and slowly exhale it.
Beginner's Tips: You can try this pose at any time. Sit straight and try to relax your mind.
9. Mountain Pose:
The Mountain pose is one of the best basic yoga poses to start the yoga journey. It is a simple yet very beneficial pose that can be done anywhere.
How To Do It:
Stand while placing both feet together, pressing the ground with all four corners.
Stand straight while tucking your thighs and tailbone together.
Lift your arms upward and inhale, elongating the torso.
Release the shoulder and lift your arms backward, moving your waist.
Benefits:
This pose builds up the shoulder, waist, and leg strength.
In addition, it also builds up balance in your body.
Breathing: Inhale while lifting the arms upwards and exhale while moving the arms backward with your waist support.
Beginner's Tips: Move your arms slowly and as much as you can balance easily while trying this type of basic yoga poses.
10. Cobbler Pose:
For beginners, this is one of various types of easy yoga poses to try. This suggests trying to strengthen the inner thighs and waist area. It is an easy and comfortable pose for beginners.
How to do it:
For this position, sit straight, joining your feet together and stretching them as much as possible.
Keep your spine straight, and hold your feet with your hand.
Try to move your knee downward to stretch the legs at your convenience.
Benefits:
This yoga pose relaxes the thigh and leg muscles, increasing flexibility and strength.
It helps stimulate the organs in the abdomen region, like prostate glands and ovaries.
Breathing: Keep your breathing normal while doing this pose.
Beginner's Tips: You can get support from a wall or cushion while doing this pose and trying to get the long stretch.
11. Head To Knee Pose:
This simple seated pose is one of the most common versions of a easy yoga poses to learn for beginners. It helps them increase their flexibility. In addition, this yoga pose prepares the body for advance level yoga poses.
Sanskrit:
Janu Sirsasana
How To Do It:
In the yoga pose for beginners, you must sit straight and place your left leg straight in front of you.
The right leg must be folded under the inner thighs in a closed position.
Now, move forward with your waist to hold your feet. Keep your spine and shoulders straight, and do not fold your left knee.
Repeat this with your right leg.
Benefits:
This yoga asanas for beginners is quite healthy for people dealing with cervical, and neck pain, backache, and digestion issues.
It also strengthens the leg muscles and relaxes them.
Breathing: You must inhale while bending your body and exhale while moving upwards.
Beginner's Tips: At the beginning touching and holding the feet might be difficult. Do it as much as you can.
12. Seated Forward Bend
It is considered one of the best yoga poses for beginners. It stretches the muscles of the complete body in a single movement.
How To Do It:
For this yoga pose, sit straight and place your legs in front of you.
Move forwards from your waist and hold both feet together.
Do not fold your knees or bend your shoulder.
Instead, move downward in this position and touch your knees with your nose.
Benefits:
This is the king of all basicyoga postures for beginners. All the muscles of the body are stretched in one single pose.
It is beneficial for improving metabolism, back pain, cervical, etc.
Breathing:
inhale the air while touching the feet and exhale it while coming back to the straight position.
Beginner's Tips:
In the beginning, you cannot touch your feet and knees. Hence try to hold the body as much as you can stretch comfortably.
13. Seated Wide Angle Straddle:
It is one of the easiest and most comfortable yoga asanas for beginners. It is quite beneficial to maintain flexibility in the body. In addition, it also relaxes the leg and thigh muscles.
How To Do It:
Sit straight in the yoga pose.
Place your legs in front of you.
Open your legs at a wide angle and stretch them outwards.
Open wide as much as you can.
Move forward from your waist, keeping your shoulders, spine, and neck straight.
Move your hand forward, stretching your body frontwards.
Benefits:
It improves flexibility and blood circulation in the body.
In addition, it also helps with back pain.
Breathing: Exhale your breath while moving forward and inhale during inward movement.
Beginner's Tips: Stretch your legs comfortably while trying out this pose. Please do not force it.
14. Supine Spinal Twist:
This yoga pose for beginners is easy and works effectively in any health condition. It benefits the flexibility of the body and relaxes the locked muscles.
Sanskrit: Supta Matsyendrasana
How To Do It:
Lie down in a straight position, placing the legs near each other.
Then, fold your legs from the knees and move them in the opposite direction.
Place your hands forward in the direction of the leg movement.
Make sure you do not move your shoulder and maintain the position of your shoulders touching the ground.
Repeat this on the opposite side.
Benefits:
This passive twist unlocks the locked muscles and ligaments, eventually improving blood circulation.
Women experience less back pain or menstrual pain after doing this asana.
Breathing: Inhale your breath while twisting and exhale while returning to the straight position.
Beginner's Tips: you can place the cushion at your waist to take support while twisting.
15. Tree Pose:
It is one of the best basic yoga postures for beginners to try out as it enables the body to find the alignment to balance it according to its weight and comfort.
Sanskrit:
Vrakshasana
How To Do It:
Stand straight to start this yoga asana and join your hand in a prayer position.
Lift your hands over the head.
Move your left leg and place it on the inner thighs of your right leg.
Maintain your balance on your right leg by pressing the four corners and fingertips to the ground.
Benefits:
These basic yoga postures for beginners help increase the stretchability and balance of the body.
Moreover, holding it for a longer period heals leg pain and headaches.
Breathing. You can exhale and inhale slowly during this type of beginner yoga poses.
Beginner's Tips: Try this yoga posefor a short interval in the beginning. Increase the time frame slowly.
Glance At The 10 Easy Yoga Poses For Beginners To Try
As mentioned, there are multiple yoga poses for beginners to try that benefit their health and body composition heavily without excess straining. The following are some other basic yoga poses that you can get started with. Details about what these simple yoga poses help with are also mentioned.
Sr.no.
Yoga poses
Best for
1
Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana)
Back pain and digestion
2
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
Spinal mobility, balance, and flexibility
3
Staff Pose (Dandasana)
Back pain and muscle relaxation
4
Garland Pose (Malasana)
Flexibility and back pain
5
Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana)
Backache, cervical, and balance
6
Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)
Maintaing the waist shape and back pain
7
Legs-up-the-Wall Pose — Viparita Karani
Digestion, back pain, and balance
8
Corpse Pose (Shavasana)
Relaxing mind and body
9
Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
Digestion and body balance
10
Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
Strengthening thigh muscles, back and shoulder pain
Conclusion
These are some of the best yoga poses for beginners, which strengthen the body for advanced-level yoga asanas, including yoga in the routine, benefits healthy wellbeing, and balances many internal body disorders. Regular practise of these simple yoga poses will help build strong muscles, increase flexibility, and balance blood circulation. Yoga is one of the best elements to maintain a healthy mind, body, and soul.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which pose is best for beginners in yoga?
The mountain pose, also referred to as Tadasana, is one of the best yoga asanas for beginners as it helps increase flexibility and balance. In addition, it is easy to perform anywhere without any extra support.
2. Which is the easiest yoga for beginners?
The easiest yoga for beginners is easy to pose, i.e., sukhasana. This pose is to sit with a straight spine folding the legs in a cross position and relaxing the mind and body by placing the hands-on thighs.
3. How often should you do yoga as a beginner?
Beginners to yoga workouts should plan to do two or three yoga sessions per week to start. If you can only do 20 minutes per session, that's fine too.
4. Which is better: yoga for beginners or Pilates?
Yoga is a better choice than Pilates for beginners because it relaxes the body by tiring the muscles and body. On the other hand, Pilates is a heavy exercise that can cause severe tiredness and fatigue for the beginner.
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