Beginner Yoga: Top 8 Beginner Yoga Poses

Beginning any new form of exercise or physical routine can be intimating.  With beginner yoga, however, you will find that it can provide the peace and tranquility that your life desires.  Whether you are a child, adult, an athlete, or pregnant; yoga is a great way to enhance your exercise routine by providing you with both physical and mental benefits for body and mind.
Even if you have some yoga experience or a few yoga classes already under your belt, these 8 basic yoga poses will help you gain the strength and flexibility that you need to get you started with yoga.

Pose 1: Mountain Pose

1. Stand with your feet together.  Keep your shoulders relaxed and make sure that your weight is distributed eventually throughout the soles of your feet.  Keep your arms at your side.
2. With your arms at your side, take a deep breath and raise your hands complete overhead.

Take a deep breath and raise your hands overhead, palms facing each other with arms straight. Reach up toward the sky with your fingertips.

Pose 2: Downward Dog

1. Get down on all fours onto a mat.
2. Keep your hands stretched out directly under your shoulders.  Make sure that your knees are directly under your hips.
3. Keep your hands forward spread a few inches wide and press your palms into the mat you are on.
4. Curl your toes under your feet and press your hips upwards towards the ceiling.
5. Bring your body back into an inverted “V” shape while pressing your shoulders into your ear.  Keep your feet hip-width apart with your knees slightly bent.
6. Hold this position for 3 breaths.

Pose 3:  Warrior Pose

1. On a mat, stand with your legs 3 to 4 feet apart.
2. Turn your right foot inwards at a 90 degree angle, and turn your left foot in slight.
3. Put your hands on your hips and carefully relax your shoulders.  Keep your arms extended out to the sides with your palms facing downwards.
4. Bend your right knee in 90 degrees keeping your knee directly over your ankle.  In this position, look outwards over your right hand.  Keep this form for about 1 minute.
5. Once you finish on one side, switch sides and repeat the exercise.

Pose 4:  Tree Pose

1. Stand on a mat with your arms at your sides.
2. Shift your weight onto your left leg and position your right foot inside of your left thigh.  Keep your hips facing forward.
3. Maintaining your balance, bring both of your hands up in front of you at chest level in prayer position with your palms clasped together.
4. Inhale slowly, and extend your arms up over your shoulders.  Keep your palms separated and facing one another.  Hold this position for about 30 seconds.
5. Lower your leg and repeat on the opposite side.

To make this pose easier, bring your right foot inside your left ankle while keeping both your toes on the floor to ensure balance.  Overtime as you get stronger, move your foot to the inside of your left calf.

Pose 5: Bridge Pose

1. Place a mat down on the floor and lie down with your knees bent directly over your heels.
2. With both of your arms at your sides, exhale and press your feet into the floor while lifting up your hips.  Keep your palms facing downwards on the floor.
3. Clasp your hands together under your lower back and press your arms down.  Lift your hips up until your thighs become parallel to the floor.
4. Bring your chest up inwards towards your chin.  Hold this position for 1 minute

To make this pose easier, you can place a pillow or some type of support under your tailbone.

Pose 6:  Triangle Pose

1. While standing on a mat, extend your arms out over your sides and bent your right leg.
2. Stand with your feet about 3 feet apart.  Keep the toes on your right foot turned outwards at a 90 degree angle, and keep your left foot at a 4 degree angle.
3. Let your right hand touch the floor or rest on your right leg, either below or above your knee.  Keeping this position, extend your fingertips on your left hand upwards towards the ceiling.
4. Turn your gaze to the ceiling and hold this position for 5 breaths.
5. Repeat this on the opposite side.

Pose 7:  Seated Twist

1. Sit down on the floor on a mat with your legs extended out in front of you.
2. Cross our right foot over your left thigh and bend your left knee.  Keep your right knee pointed upwards towards the ceiling.
3. Take your left elbow and position it on the outside of your right knee with your right hand holding your position on the floor beside you.
4. Twist to the right as far as you can go.  Move your abdomen but keep both sides of your bottom firmly planted into the floor.  Hold this pose for about 1 minute.
5. Switch sides and repeat.

To make this pose easier, keep your bottom leg straight and place both your hands on a raised knee.  Sit on a folded blanket to keep your lower back forward.

Pose 8:  Cobra

1. Get a mat and lie face down on the floor with your thumbs directly under your shoulders.  Keep your legs extended directly out behind you with the tops of your feet placed on the floor.
2. Tighten your pelvic muscles and tuck your hips downwards while squeezing your glutes.
3. Press your shoulders down away from your ears.
4. Keep your weight on your thumbs and index fingers and raise your chest upwards towards the wall in front of you.
5. Take a few seconds to relax, and repeat this move.

Begin Your Yoga Journey, Today

Yoga is a great form of exercise that will help keep your body flexible, your muscles strong, and your mind positive.  Beginner yoga is a great place to start to activate your life and energy.  

Source