Yoga Poses for Beginners

Power comes to those who have the courage to start. Now, that you have decided on starting this journey of fitness, here are 10 most important Yoga poses for beginners in 2019 to help you begin.

Yoga Poses for Beginners

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana) | Yoga Poses for Beginners

Level- Beginner

How to do?

  • Stand straight with your feet close together.
  • Hands are to the side of the torso, little bent at the elbow and palms facing downwards.
  • Engage your quadriceps muscles and raise them up, making the kneecaps to rise.
  • The core should be tucked in and the spine should be comfortably straight.
  • Take 4-5 deep breaths when you reach in this position and then relax.
  • The weight of your body should be distributed evenly between each foot.

Advantages

Mountain pose is the foundation pose of all standing poses.

  • Improves posture.
  • Tones thigh muscles
  • Improves body balance.
  • Strengthens abdomen and glutes.
  • Makes spine flexible
  • Maintains the health of the digestive, respiratory and nervous system.

Disadvantages

  • Tadasana can prove to be harmful in people suffering from any of the following:
  • Insomnia or sleeplessness.
  • Low blood pressure
  • Severe headaches or migraines.

How many times to do?

  • 10 times with 10-20 seconds per stretch.

2. Raised arms pose ( urdhva hastansna) | Yoga Poses for Beginners

How to do?

  • Stand in Tadasana
  • Raise your hands above your head, you can either clasp your hands into each other or let the palms face each other at a shoulder distance.
  • The shoulders should not touch your eyes and shoulder blades should be tucked in.
  • Engage your quadriceps in a way that raises your knees.
  • Now take a deep breath and hold this position, exhale and release.
  • You can also bend a few inches backward with your hands raised above your head, to provide a good stretch to your spine. (as a variation)

Advantages

  • It provides a good stretch to the belly.
  • Improves digestion.
  • Improves balance.
  • Lessens stress and anxiety
  • Increases the capacity of lungs
  • Regulates a good flow of blood in the body
  • Keeps spinal muscles intact
  • Increases flexibility.

Disadvantages

  • When done wrong or with a jerk can strain the back muscles.
  • People with prior back injuries should avoid this pose.
  • How many times to do?
  • For one long deep breath. No repetitions required as such.

3. Standing forward bend (uttanasana) | Yoga Poses for Beginners

How to do?

  • Stand straight on the mat.
  • Take a deep breath and gently bend forward by softening your knees and your hips should be pulled back.
  • Balance your body’s weight equally on both legs.
  • Let your hands touch the ground, if not able to at first give your body the time to open up.
  • Your second and middle toes must point forward while your feet are parallel to each other.
  • Head should be closer to the legs (as close as possible), in order to feel that stretch from your hip bone.
  • To release the pose, engage your abdomen and core. Place your hands on your hips and gently raise your torso.

Advantages

  • The pose gives a good stretch to your back, hips, hamstrings, and core.
  • It relieves you from anxiety, stress, and insomnia.
  • Cures high blood pressure, asthma, sinusitis, and infertility.

Disadvantages

  • Avoid this pose if you suffer from any of the following:
  • Any back injuries
  • Glaucoma
  • Sciatic neuritis
  • How many times to do?
  • 15-20 seconds, no repetitions required.

4. Lunge Pose (anjaneyasana) | Yoga Poses for Beginners

How to do?

  • Stand in Tadasana.
  • Then bend in a shoelace tying position, with right knee bent forward and left knee touching the mat backward.
  • Inhale and stretch your arms over your head, palms should be facing each other and shoulders should be straight and not close to the ears.
  • Engage your core muscles and lengthen your lower back.
  • Lift your chest and stay in this position for a few seconds, then exhale and release.

Advantages

  • Strengthens quadriceps and glutes
  • Expands your lungs
  • Increases stamina and endurance capacity of the body
  • It improves balance, focus, and concentration.
  • Tones the abdomen muscles
  • It helps in calming the mind and relieving anxiety.

Disadvantages

Consult an expert before doing this pose if you face any of the following problems:

  • High blood pressure
  • Injuries in knee or back
  • Shoulder problems

How many times to do?

8-12 times.

Yoga Poses for Beginners

5. Tree Pose (vrikshasana) | Yoga Poses for Beginners

How to do?

  • Stand in Tadasana.
  • Now shift your body weight on the left foot and bend the right foot at the knee to place its sole on the inner thigh.
  • If you are not able to stay balanced, try focusing on a pint in front of you.
  • The right foot should be pressing into the inner thigh with toes pointing on the floor.
  • Press your hands in a namaste position in front of your chest.
  • Hold the position for 10-20 seconds and then release it.

Advantages

  • It stretches thighs, groins, torso, and shoulders.
  • It strengthens ankles and calf muscles.
  • Remedy for flat feet
  • Provides relief for sciatica

Disadvantages

People with the following should avoid exercise:

  • Headache
  • Insomnia
  • Low blood pressure

(Do not take your hands above your head if you suffer from high blood pressure)

How many times to do?

10-20 seconds either side, no repetitions required.

6. Warrior pose 1 (virbhadrasana 1) | Yoga Poses for Beginners

How to do?

  • Stand in a position where your one leg is perpendicular to the floor with toes facing forward. The other at the back inclined at an angle of 45 degrees to the mat with toes facing forward as well.
  • Stretch the hands over your head with palms facing each other.
  • Inhale and bend your head upwards to provide a good stretch to your back, exhale and come back to the initial position.
  • Hold the stance for half to one minute and then interchange the legs.

Advantages

  • Stretches chest and lungs
  • Strengthens back and arm muscles
  • Strengthens calves, thighs, and ankles.

Disadvantages

People with high blood pressure and heart issues should avoid doing this pose.

How many times to do?

One rep of half to one minute.

7. Warrior pose 2 (virbhadrasana 2) | Yoga Poses for Beginners

How to do?

  • This pose is a variation to warrior pose 1.
  • The difference is that one hand is raised forward and the other backward, both being parallel to the ground.

Advantages

  • Stretches legs and ankles
  • Strengthens the lungs, chest, and shoulders.
  • Increases stamina and muscle coordination.
  • Relieves backaches.
  • Has a therapeutic effect for people with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Disadvantages

  • Diarrhea
  • High blood pressure
  • Neck problems.

How many times to do?

One rep of half to one minute.

8. Downward dog | Yoga Poses for Beginners

How to do?

  • Come in a position that looks like a tabletop, with bodyweight divided on all four limbs.
  • Push your body weight on your hands, while you straighten your legs and incline them at an acute angle from the mat.
  • Use your toes to push your legs straight.
  • Head should be tucked in your chest and shoulders straight.
  • Hold for a few seconds and then release.

Advantages

  • Tones core and waist
  • Strengthens arms and shoulders
  • Provides stretch to the spine muscles
  • Brings a good flow of blood to the brain
  • Stretches hamstrings and calves

Disadvantages

Avoid if you have any back injuries or glaucoma.

How many times to do?

1 rep of 15-20 seconds

9. Shavasana | Yoga Poses for Beginners

How to do?

  • Lie straight on your back.
  • Hands should be on the side, a few inches away from the body with palms facing upwards.
  • Legs should be completely relaxed with toes facing sidewards, hip-width apart.
  • Now take a deep inhale as if breathing for every single part of your body from head to toe.
  • Then exhale. Yoga Poses for Beginners
  • Repeat this for as many times as you like.

Advantages

  • Relaxes and calms body and mind
  • Reduces anxiety
  • Maintains healthy blood pressure.
  • Improves memory
  • Increases concentration

Disadvantages

None

How many times to do?

This is a meditative exercise and can be done for as long as you like. The 10 most important Yoga/exercise poses for beginners Yoga Poses for Beginners

10. Triangle pose | Yoga Poses for Beginners

How to do?

  • Stand in Tadasana.
  • Now open your legs wider than hip-width distance.
  • Bend your torso to the side with hands stretched straight to either side.
  • One hand should be raised straight in the air, while the other touches toes below.
  • Palms of the hands should be facing forward. Yoga Poses for Beginners

Advantages

  • Improves digestion
  • Relieves back pain
  • Reduces stress
  • It provides stretch to glutes and hamstrings.

Disadvantages

Avoid this pose if you suffer from back or neck injuries, low or high blood pressure, headaches, and digestive issues.

How many times to do?

1 rep 10-20 seconds either side.

What is the best time to perform these Yoga/exercise poses?

It is early in the morning, right when you roll out of bed.

If you are not able to do them early in the morning, you can do them later in the evening. Just remember to keep a gap of at least 30 minutes in a meal and exercise. Yoga Poses for Beginners

A good morning’s exercise regime gives a nice stretch and a wake-up call to a sluggish body.

So, do these Yoga exercises and you will be surely a pro in no time.

We understand that yoga is not everyone’s cup of tea, so for them we have these Top Winter Foods, Low Carb Diet Plans and Healthy Breakfast Ideas that will result in weight loss and ultimately transform your body.

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