Yoga, unlike other forms of exercise, is not a complex one, but simpler once you try it. There are several yoga poses for beginners which do not require much physical fitness but just focus. Initially, you might feel confused and odd with the number of yoga poses and their names but with regular practice and patience, you can soon master them.
When you begin with yogic practices, you will feel relatable to many poses as most of them are just about bending the body in a specific notion that we experience in our daily routine life. One must remember that yoga is not for a particular period but is a lifelong pursuit. It is advised that a yoga routine for beginners must be followed to make your body mechanism competent for yogic poses.
You will begin well if things are kept simpler in the beginning, this article mentions below the 18 best yoga poses for beginners, which do not require any expertise but sheer determination. You don't need to try out all the poses written here but you can surely give it a try whichever you feel comfortable with.
Basic Types of Yoga Poses for Beginners?
There are several yoga poses for beginners with each of them serving a different purpose in your well-being. Here’s a list of the types of yoga poses:
● Standing poses: These are often done during the initial days to warm up your body. In this, the body is supposed to stand with legs and hands strung in a specific position for a longer duration.
● Balancing poses: These are necessary to strengthen your core power. To many, these might seem as difficult during the initial phase but with regular practice, you will soon enough become a pioneer in these.
● Backbends: This form of yoga ensures goodness for spinal health and longevity. When you begin with yoga poses for beginners, you might not be able to bend much but with time, that will be extended with ease.
● Seated poses: Done at the conclusion of a yoga class after the body has warmed up, these are seating stretches for hips and hamstrings.
● Resting poses: These are lighter versions of seated poses with an extension of bending, twisting, and inversion. This particularly affects hips and hamstrings.
Yoga Poses for Beginners
With a string of yogic practices, it can be a little difficult for a newbie to start. Adding to your help, here are the 18 easy yoga poses for beginners, which you must try out and step into the charming world of yoga.
1. Mountain Pose - Tadasana:
One of the most simple yoga poses for beginners, this lets you ease with the proper alignment and balance. You just need to stand with your feet together and arms at your side. Keep your legs straight and as you inhale, elongate your arms up and bring them back to the waist slowly when you exhale.
2. Child’s Pose - Balasana:
This pose helps in relaxing the nervous system and gives a sort of moment to rest. Begin by kneeling with your toes tucked under. Lower your hips to your feet while stretching your upper body forward and down with your arms outstretched. Your stomach should be resting comfortably on your thighs, and your forehead should be touching the mat.
3. Cat/Cow Pose - Marjaryasana to Bitilasana:
A part of stress relieving yoga poses for beginners, this helps in relaxing your back and other bones. Begin on your hands and knees on the floor, with your spine neutral and your abs engaged. Inhale deeply, then exhale by rounding your spine up towards the ceiling and tucking your chin into your chest, relaxing your neck. Arch your back and relax your abs on the following breath. Then, lift your head and tailbone.
4. Warrior 1 - Virabhadrasana 1:
Strengthen your arms, back, and legs at once by accomplishing this pose. Begin with your hips facing forward and your left leg going ahead till it stands with the weight of the knee on it. Then, finally, extend your arms up straight and stick them to the palms.
5. Extended side angle - Utthita Parsvakonasana:
This pose helps in alignment and balancing. Stand straight with your feet significantly apart from each other. Begin with maintaining a firm and straight extended leg. Pull your shoulders back and away from your ears. Extend the side body on the inhale. Exhale by rotating your torso and reaching your heart toward the up. Check that your knee is not bent past your ankle. Ground down with your rear foot's outside edge.
6. Tree Pose - Vrikshasana:
It is an easy yoga pose for beginners which helps you in stimulating the balance and toning of the leg muscles. To begin with, keep your feet a few inches apart, then steady yourself by gazing at a point. Now, put your entire weight on one foot and place the other one on the knee or inner calf of the first foot. Inhale and stretch your arms up in the air and join while relaxing your hips. Exhale by lowering your hands and releasing the legs.
7. Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana:
A simple yoga pose, helping in mobility and improving spinal flexibility while strengthening the shoulder and chest. Begin with extending your toes towards the rear of your space, lifting one leg and reaching your toes back, then planting it, followed by the other, so that your lower back is open and free of compression. Keep your spine long. Tuck your chin into your chest. Allow your heart to reach next to your shoulders and arms as you peel it towards the front.
8. Easy Pose - Sukhasana:
As the name suggests, this is an easy yoga pose for beginners which calms the brain and helps in removing mental and physical stress. Start with sitting on the floor with legs crossed inward, ensuring to keep space between foot and pelvis. Now, put your hands on your respective knees and close your eyes and focus.
9. Scale Pose - Tolasana:
The last of the yoga poses for beginners, the scale pose, enhances the arms and wrist while teaching balance. Begin by crossing your legs inward. Bend your knees and squeeze your ankles against your thighs. Place both palms on the floor, near your hips. Exhale and firmly press down on the palms of your hands. Lift the buttocks and legs off the floor by using the abdominal muscles. For 10 to 15 seconds, hold the Scale position. Then, gradually lower yourself onto the mat. Repeat on the other side of your leg crossing.
10. Downward-facing dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana:
This simple yoga pose helps in stretching up the back, shoulders, arms, hamstrings and many other parts of the body. You need to straighten your legs, extend your hip higher, and make your arms touch the floor across your shoulders. Ensure that the feet are hip-width apart.
11. Corpse Pose - Savasana:
This yoga pose helps in reducing stress and inducing relief. You need to lie down on your back and relax your legs by keeping them apart, then fetch your arms near the torso and let them relax. The ideal pose for lying down and relaxing.
12. Standing forward bend - Uttanasana:
Nourish your brain with blood, and strengthen your legs and back. Place your feet on the mat. Lift the kneecaps to engage the front of the thighs and generate knee joint stability. Relax the neck and allow the head to hang heavily toward the toes. Feel your chest expand and your spine stretch with each inhalation. Deepen the posture with each exhalation by engaging your core and moving forward even further.
13. Garland Pose - Malasana:
Helps in digestive organs and metabolism and strengthens abdominals while stretching inner thighs and low calf muscles. Maintain a long upper and lower spine. To add resistance and deepen the position, press your palms together. Lengthen through the top of your head and lower your tailbone to the floor. Feel your chest widen and your spine stretch with each inhalation. Feel your hips descend further with each exhalation.
14. Pyramid Pose - Parsvottanasana:
This pose helps in improving balance and strengthens the spines and quadriceps. Keep the upper and lower spines stretched, and only round the upper spine if you want to. Maintain an even, side-by-side stack of hips while pushing the front of the thighs. Hinge at the hips first, then drag the abdominals up and in toward the spine. Feel your chest widen and your spine stretch with each inhalation. Relax the rear of the front thigh and fade forward with each exhalation.
15. Plank Pose:
This pose helps in strengthening the hips, hamstrings, arms, wrists, and legs, and increasing focus and toning of the core. To begin with, flex both of your feet, pressing against the outside border of your bottom foot. Continue to elevate the hips away from the ground. Ground with the bottom hand while reaching up with the upper hand. Extend your chest. Easily one of the most harmonious yoga poses for beginners.
16. Bridge Pose - Setu Bandha Sarvangasana:
The pose is beneficial for women as it helps in toning the female reproductive organs, stimulating the thyroid, and gives relief to the spine. For this, maintain parallel legs. Align your knees and ankles. Raise your hips in an upward motion while maintaining your legs on the floor.
17. Staff Pose - Dandasana:
Strengthens back and thigh muscles while teaching how to sit. Begin with placing your legs together and spread them in front of you on the floor. Extend your toes. Put your hands on the floor, fingers pointing forward, next to your hips. To stretch your spine, gently push your palms onto the floor. Raise your head's crown towards the upper direction.
18. Seated forward bend pose - Paschimottanasana:
Helps in relieving stress and lengthening the spine. To begin with, sit on the floor with your legs extended on the front, and place your hands on the mat beside the hips. Inhale and extend your torso with your chest aligning to the thighs and your fingers touching the toes. While exhaling, come forth to the original position.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Which yoga pose is best for beginners?
Plenty of yoga poses for beginners are available which they can perform with ease. Try out with the “easy pose” or “scale pose”.
2. Does yoga reduce belly fat?
Yes, yoga reduces belly fat and makes your body feel relaxed. To do so, begin with the cobra pose or warrior pose.
3. Is 30 minutes of yoga in a day enough?
This much yoga is enough for general fitness and common issues. However, to tackle advanced disease and body issues, it is recommended to increase the period.