It can be intimidating when you first look into yoga and see slim, sexy, beautiful people doing the most ridiculous body-bending poses all with a serene relaxed expression on their face.
You too can do many of these poses with some practice but for now, it is important for people new to yoga to perform beginner poses and start slowly.
After speaking to some of the best yoga instructors, we have selected (and tried) the following poses that we felt were ideal for people like us who are only starting on their yoga journey.
Each pose is easy to perform with some simple steps to follow that we have outlined below.
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Tadasana is great for relieving stress, toning the belly and even reducing sciatica pain.
How to Do It
Stand tall with arms by your side with palms open. Bring your feet hip-width apart. Stretch and lift your toes becoming consciously aware of your feet. Place your toes back down and be aware of your posture and where you carry your weight (when you lift your toes do you lean backwards or forwards?). Loop the shoulders back and draw the navel in. Head over the heart, heart over the pelvis, aware of your posture, your breath and your whole body.
Benefits
- Relieves stress and tension
- Reduces sciatica pain
- Tones the belly
- Improves posture
Downward Facing Dog
The Downward Facing Dog is one of the most popular beginners poses as it is highly beneficial and very easy to perform. You will find this pose in EVERY beginner class.
How to Do It
Begin on all fours (hands and knees) with your palms of your hands flat to the ground. Have your wrists directly underneath your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Begin by pushing yourself away from the ground which pushes your back upwards. Then using your hands and feet push your hips high up to the sky and your face downwards.
Benefits
- Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches and hands.
- Helps relieve stress and depression
- Tones the core and waist
- Strengthens the arms and shoulders
- Allows blood to flow to the brain
- Stretches the spine while strengthening the back.
BhujangAsana (Cobra pose)
The BhujangAsana is a backward bend, chest opening pose known as the Cobra pose.
How to Do It
Lie face down on the floor with arms by your side. Slowly lift your chin and place your hands by your side with palms facing down. Draw your elbows into your body. Press your shoulders down your back, gently into each other and using your hands push yourself slowly upwards. Your body will tell you how slowly to go and over time will stretch more and more.
Benefits
- Stretches muscles in the chest, shoulders and abdomen
- Strengthens arms and shoulders
- Increases flexibility
- Opens the chest and lungs improving breathing
- Improve blood circulation
Plank Pose
This is an ideal pose to enter directly from Downward Facing Dog or simply to start from. It is brilliant for toning your core and improving your posture.
How to Do It
Begin on all fours (knees and hands) with wrists underneath the shoulders and knees under hips. Press up and out of the palms with your back lifting. Then with your toes stretch and straighten your legs lifting your hips upwards. This is the initial pose which can be adjusted and altered as you progress.
Benefits
- Tones abdomen chest and lower back
- Reduces back pain
- Increases muscle definition
- Improves posture
- Boosts mood and relieves stress
- Improves balance
Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
If you want to look in the mirror and really feel like you are doing yoga than the Tree pose is the way to go. This is a balancing posture that is great for mind and body, in particular, your legs. It is also a great pose to enter after the Mountain Pose.
How to Do It
Stand tall with your feet side by side and draw your palms together at the heart. Slowly lift your right leg up and hold your right knee with your hands. Hold here for a moment and breath as your left leg balances your body. Then lower your leg back to standing pose with your palms together at your heart once more. The next time lift your right leg slowly but this time placing your right foot on your left thigh and hold there. After 20 seconds release back into mountain pose. Relax. And begin the process again.
Benefits
- Stretches thighs, groins, torso, and shoulders
- Greatly improves balance
- Breathe more deeply
- Improve mood
