These beginners yoga poses provide a good foundation from which to develop a yoga practice while still being challenging enough to stretch your abilities.
These poses provide a balanced beginners yoga routine that can be practiced in just a few minutes a day to see extraordinary results.
Mountain pose
This pose is a great beginners yoga pose as it provides the basis of all standing poses. It seems very simple but it will ensure correct alignment and help you to feel grounded.
1. From a standing position, bring the feet together or hip width apart. Feel your weight evenly balanced through the bottom of each foot, not leaning forward or back.
2. Pull up the knee caps, squeeze the thighs and tuck the tailbone slightly under. Feel the hips aligned directly over the ankles. The legs are straight, but the knees are not locked back.
3. Inhale and stretch upwards pressing the crown of the head up towards the ceiling, feeling the spine long and straight.
4. Exhale and drop the shoulders down and back as you reach the fingertips towards the floor.
5. Continuing to reach out through the fingers, inhale the arms up, turning the palms shoulder height, bringing the arms into an H position.
6. Exhale relax the shoulders down from the ears while still reaching the crown and fingers up.
7. Breathe and hold for 4-8 breaths.
8. Exhale the arms down to your sides.
Tree pose
This beginners yoga pose is particularly good for developing balance.
1. Stand in Mountain Pose for as long as it takes to gain a sense of balance. Find a place to focus your gaze upon, to help you balance. Keep your focus and breath steady as you continue.
2. Shift your weight onto the left leg. Slowly bend your right leg, and place the sole of the foot onto the inner side of the standing leg. You can place the foot on the inside of the ankle, calf or thigh. The important aspect of this pose is to be balanced rather than where your foot rests. To reach the inner thigh, guide your foot upward with your hand. Press the foot into the thigh to keep from slipping.
3. Press through the foot of the standing leg, and as you breath to lengthen your torso up. Bring your hands together in front of your chest into a prayer position. Allow the breath to flow naturally.
4. Hold for as long as you feel comfortable. When you are ready to release, bring your foot back down to the ground in a smooth flowing movement.
5. Repeat with the other leg
Triangle Pose
This beginners yoga pose strengthens the muscles in the thighs, hips, and back while toning the knees and ankles. It also stimulates the organs of the torso, improving metabolism.
1. Stand with your legs about three feet apart
2. Turn your left foot to the left so that it is at right angles to your right foot and aligned with the instep of your right foot.
3. Inhale and raise your right arm alongside your right ear
4. Exhale and bend your trunk to the left. Bend your left leg and place your left hand on your left foot.Look up towards your right ear.
5. Hold for up to one minutes and then repeat on the other side
Downward facing dog
This beginners yoga pose strengthens the upper body, arms, shoulders, chest and legs. It also energizes the whole body and stimulates circulation.
1. From all fours (on your hands and knees) bring your hands slightly forward of your shoulders.
2. Firm your hands down, pressing the outer edges of the palm and the fingertips to the floor.
3. Keep your upper arms and shoulders rotated outwards while your forearms rotate in.
4. Tuck your toes under.
5. On an exhalation, engage your lower belly drawing the navel back to the spine. Press the floor away from you, lift your hips back and up to push yourself back into an upside-down V pose.
6. Keep your knees initially bent to lengthen the spine, taking the hips up and away from you. Then if possible straighten the legs, while maintaining the length in the spine. Taking the top of the thighs and knees back.
7. Press upper arms towards each other, shoulder blades down along the spine, but keeping the space across the tops of the shoulders.
Warrior pose
This is a lovely strong beginners yoga pose that strengthens the legs, opens the hips and chest and stretches the arms and legs. It also aids concentration, balance and groundedness.
1.Stand in Mountain Pose.
2. With an exhale, step or lightly jump your feet 31/2 to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms perpendicular to the floor.
3. Turn your left foot in 45 to 60 degrees to the right and your right foot out 90 degrees to the right. Align the right heel with the left heel. Exhale and rotate your torso to the right, squaring the front of your pelvis as much as possible with the front edge of your mat.
4. With your left heel firmly anchored to the floor, exhale and bend your right knee over the right ankle so the shin is perpendicular to the floor.
5. Keep your head in a neutral position, gazing forward, or tilt it back and look up at your thumbs.
6. Stay in the pose for up to a minute. To release the pose, inhale, press the back heel firmly into the floor and reach up through the arms, straightening the right knee. Turn the feet forward and release the arms with an exhalation, or keep them extended upward for more challenge. Take a few breaths, then turn the feet to the left and repeat for the same length. When you’re finished return to Tadasana.
7. To release, inhale, press the back heel firmly into the floor and reach up through the arms, straightening the right knee. Turn the feet forward and release the arms with an exhalation, or keep them extended upward for more challenge. Take a few breaths, then turn the feet to the left and repeat for the same length.
8. Repeat on the other side
Child’s pose
Child’s pose is a lovely relaxing beginners pose that also stretches out the ankles, thighs, hips and knees and releases tension in the back and neck.
1. Sit on your heels and lean forwards resting your forehead on the floor. Extend your arms alongside your legs and rest your hands beside your feet with your palms facing upwards
2. Breathe deeply and rhythmically for at least 8 breaths.
These beginners yoga poses will set a good foundation for the development of your practice into the future.
We’d love to hear your experience of these beginners yoga poses. Please let us know in the comments section
