Commencing one’s yoga journey can get a little perplexing at times. This article brings you a list of easy yoga poses for beginners one must practice before stepping into the realm of professional yoga.
Yoga is not just a practice to keep one’s body and mind healthy. But like Amit Ray (Indian author and spiritual master) said, “Yoga is the artwork of awareness on the canvas of body, mind, and soul.” Incorporating yoga in one’s life can be life-changing but, in most cases, often leaves wondering where to begin. One doesn’t have to pay for expensive sessions or a yoga instructor to learn the art. This article brings you some simple and easy poses, specifically for people who recently joined the yoga fan club.
Important note – do not stress on doing the pose with utmost precision, listen to your body’s needs, and remember to maintain a steady breath. Start, pose, hold for a few minutes or less, relax, breathe, and move to the next pose.
Mountain Pose
While the pose may seem like a simple standing position, it is not. The pose’s intensity and sensation of your feet touching the ground below is the foundation of all the other standing poses in yoga.
How to do it?
- Stand up as you usually do. Now balance your weight on both feet equally as you adjust your feet such that they are slightly apart.
- Take a deep breath, raise your arms, interlocking fingers(palms facing the ceiling). Stretch, so the shoulders touch the ears and go on exhaling.
- Slowly put your arms down, rolling the shoulder back. Also, ensure that your chest is open and your posture perfectly straight.
- Relax every part of your body, including your tongue, face, etc., as you maintain the posture.
- Find a spot to focus on and maintain a steady gaze. Hold for 30-60 seconds and relax.
Benefits
- It helps in improving the overall posture of the body.
- Reduces flat feet, helping maintain proper body weight distribution and balance.
- Relieves issues like sciatica, strengthening body parts like buttocks, thighs, ankles, knees, etc.
Precautions
- Pregnant women must avoid the pose.
- People with insomnia, low blood pressure, varicose vein, and dizziness must skip the pose.
- Do not keep the pose for too long if you have a headache.
- Bend your knees if suffering from any knee pain. Further, avoid access stretching and go slow.
Downward Facing Dog
One of the most important and efficient yoga poses with multiple physical and mental health benefits.
How to do it?
- Take a deep breath. Now, starting on all your fours, incline wrists with shoulders, and tuck the toes.
- Push your hips up in a backward slanting figure keeping your legs straight as you release the breath.
- Firmly press the palms and rotating inner elbows such that they face each other.
- Engage both your arms and legs and stretch appropriately. Hold 30 seconds and relax.
Benefits
- The pose increases blood circulation, bone density, digestion, energy, and more.
- It strengthens and stretches the complete body, including arms, legs, arms, calves, etc.
- It tones the muscles and also relieves neck and back pain efficiently.
- Mental benefits include reduced stress and anxiety.
- Boosts mood and improves focus by carrying more oxygen to the brain.
Precautions
- Avoid the pose during pregnancy and in case you have acute leg or heel pain.
- People with a head injury and other susceptible injuries whatsoever.
Warrior II
This fierce warrior pose boosts stamina, opens up the lower body, and much more.
How to do it?
- Stand in the mountain pose. Now, increase the distance between your feet (one leg-length apart).
- Keep your left foot steady at the back (45 degrees) and your right foot forward ( 90 degrees).
- Bend the right knee aligning it with the ankle, and balancing the body weight.
- Stretch both of your arms out parallel to the floor, focusing on the right arm before you.
- Hold the pose for 30-45 seconds or more, depending on the strength and ease.
- Relax and repeat the same with the left foot forward.
Benefits
- The pose stretches the shoulders, groin, legs, ankle, lungs, chest, etc.
- Increases stamina, strengthening the legs and ankles.
- It relieves back pain and is beneficial in cases of infertility, sciatica, and even flat feet.
Precautions
- Make sure that your back’s straight while holding the position.
- Avoid the pose in case of diarrhea and high blood pressure.
- Don’t stress the neck and corporeal potential.
Bridge Pose
It is an excellent pose for beginners to stretch both their lower and upper bodies.
How to do it?
- You can Begin by lying flat on the floor and placing your feet hip-width apart.
- Bend your knees and firmly press your feet, lifting your hips off the yoga mat.
- Place your hands in the created gap and interlock the fingers. Stretch the chest, opening it even more.
- To engage the hamstrings, pull your feet towards the shoulders.
- Hold the pose for a minute. Relax. And pose again.
Benefits
- Since the pose stretches the back, massaging the neck muscles, the bridge pose is known to be used in thyroid treatment.
- The spine is also benefited by the pose, increasing the body’s coordination by keeping the nervous system in good health.
- It relieves several pains, including back and neck, additionally strengthening both body and mind.
Precautions
- People with neck, shoulder, or head injuries must avoid the pose.
- In the case of knee pain, the pose directly increases the risk of enhanced pain.
- One must not turn their heads left or right while holding the pose.
Corpse Pose
What’s a better way to end your yoga class than with a corpse pose. But staying still is not as easy as it looks.
How to do it?
- Lie down as you would in a normal sleeping position, with your back straight on the ground.
- Keep your feet hip-width apart and relax your toes and legs.
- Also, relax your entire body, including the arms on either side with palms facing upwards.
- Start deep breathing and focus on your breath, disregarding any other thoughts, relaxing not only each bit of your body but also your mind.
- Stay in the pose as long as you like or until you calm down with your breath back to normal.
Benefits
- It is like a break from your yoga practice and any other thing, calming the entire body.
- Relieves stress and balances the overall functioning of the body and mind.
- It fills you up for other activities and provides adrenal support.
Precautions
- Try not to make any movement during the pose.
- Do not practice the pose in noise or disturbances.
Other Yoga Poses To Try
- Child’s pose
- Tree pose
- Warrior I
- Plank pose
- Cobra pose
- Seated half-spinal twist pose
- Triangle pose
Conclusion
Becoming a yogi or yogini is not the purpose of learning yoga. Yoga brings back the connection one loses with the body, mind, and spirit while indulging in today’s hectic lifestyle. There are multiple other ways to learn yoga apart from joining yoga classes, like online sessions, YouTube videos, or the internet. Although the whole process may seem a little intimidating at first, there is no way you can not learn yoga with regular practice. So, roll out your yoga mat, try all these different poses and feel the change within. Happy scrolling!
