Practical Yoga Blog

Yoga Poses For Beginning Yoga Students

Yoga meaning to unite is an exercise in mental cultivation of poses and practices that aim towards harmonizing your body, mind and soul to be one with the universe.

Beginners yoga poses are useful for those who want to start doing yoga, but are inexperienced with any form of exercises. Beginners should avoid doing yoga on their own for the first time, as yoga asanas are best done under the guidance of a yoga master or teacher. After having mastered basic yoga poses for a month or two, it is safe to practice yoga without any help.

Breathing is the most important thing to do in yoga especially when holding one self during the postures. It is important to breathe through the nose into the belly. Dirga and Ujjayi pranayama forms of breathing are used during yoga.

A basic yoga session for beginners goes like:

10 – 15 minutes of warm up exercises prepares the body to stretch, opens your shoulder muscles, spine, hips and lower back.

Standing asanas follow the warm up exercises. They help in alignment of the feet and rest of the body by stretching your legs, hips and giving strength to the back. The standing yoga poses also help in weight loss, improve digestion and increase blood circulation. Easy to do standing asanas:

Cobbler’s Pose – Baddha Konasana

Easy Pose – Sukasana

Half Lord of the Fishes Pose – Ardha Masyendrasana

Head to Knee Pose – Janu Sirsanana

Seated asanas are next. They help to revitalize from a pose by rendering a peaceful feeling all around. They help in shaping the buttocks, legs and add energy and flexibility to the spine. Easy to do seated asanas:

Downward Facing Dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana

Extended Side Angle Pose – Utthita Parsvakonasana

Pyramid Pose – Parsvottonasana

Mountain Pose – Tadasana

Twisted poses help get rid of tension in the spine, ease the backaches and make the shoulders supple. Twisted asanas also improve blood circulation and nutrients in the system.

Supine asanas get rid of the tensions in the abdomen and improve the movement of the spine, giving strength to the back, arms and legs and easing the strain from the hips and groins. Easy supine asanas are:

Child’s Pose – Balasana

Corpse Pose – Shavasana

Goddess Pose – Supta Baddha Konasana

Happy Baby Pose – Ananda Balasana

Inverted and balance asanas cultivate coordination, boost stamina and strength, enhance grace and poise. They also increase the powers of concentration, as it is most important to keep quiet while doing these kinds of asanas. Easy balancing asanas:

Plank Pose

Hands and Knees Balance

Side Plank Variations – Vasisthasana Variations

Tree Pose – Vrksasana

Backbends help the adrenal glands and kidney function better. They help to get rid of the tension in the front body, shoulders and pelvic regions while improving the suppleness of the spine. Easy backbends:

Bridge Pose – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Knees, Chest, and Chin – Ashtanga Namaskara

Cat – Cow Stretch

Cobra Pose – Bhujangasana

Finishing asana is the shavasana or the corpse pose. It is the classic relaxation yoga pose, but quite difficult to perform. This pose requires immense concentration. If done correctly it will stimulate blood circulation, relieve fatigue, asthma, nervousness, constipation, insomnia, indigestion and diabetes. It will also improve one’s mental concentration.