Excellent Basic Yoga Poses for Beginners

Yoga is a commonly known generic term for the physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India with a view to attain a state of permanent peace. There are many great reasons to add yoga to your exercise routine. Yoga improves muscle tone, flexibility and balance, and it helps you relax and reduce stress. Some studies have even found that yoga can reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic pain better than traditional therapy alone.

stering these basic yoga poses will help you strengthen and stretch your muscles, improve your posture, and prevent workout injuries.

Try these basic yoga poses to get stronger and more flexible.

Child’s Pose

The child’s pose is a forward bend as well as a resting or restorative pose. The Sanskrit name for the pose is balasana. You can perform the child’s pose to stretch out your lower back between back bends or as a place to recover during a vigorous practice.

Sit up comfortably on your heels.
Roll your torso forward, bringing your forehead to rest on the bed in front of you.
Lower your chest as close to your knees as you comfortably can, extending your arms in front of you.
Hold the pose and breathe.

Crow Pose

Crow pose is super fun, builds lots of strength, focus, balance, and body awareness. Here are a few tips to get into crow with ease. Deep breaths and have fun!

Get into downward dog position (palms pressed into mat, feet hip-width apart) and walk feet forward until knees touch your arms.
Bend your elbows, lift heels off floor, and rest knees against the outside of your upper arms. Keep toes on floor, abs engaged and legs pressed against arms.
Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.

Pigeon Pose

Pigeon Pose, or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, is a pose that energizes the body and is for therapeutic for infertility. Begin in a full push-up position, palms aligned under shoulders.

Place left knee on the floor near shoulder with left heel by right hip.
Lower down to forearms and bring right leg down with the top of the foot on the floor (not shown).
Keep chest lifted to the wall in front of you, gazing down.
If you’re more flexible, bring chest down to floor and extend arms in front of you.
Pull navel in toward spine and tighten your pelvic-floor muscles; contract right side of glutes.
Curl right toes under while pressing ball of foot into the floor, pushing through your heel.
Bend knee to floor and release; do 5 reps total, then switch sides and repeat.

Cobra pose

The cobra pose, or bhujangasana, is a back bend that stretches muscles on the front of the torso and strengthens your arms and shoulders. The cobra also warms up the torso and you perform the cobra pose as part of the sun salutation sequence at the beginning of a yoga routine.

Lie facedown on the floor with thumbs directly under shoulders, legs extended with the tops of your feet on the floor.
Tighten your pelvic floor, and tuck hips downward as you squeeze your glutes.
Press shoulders down and away from ears.
Push through your thumbs and index fingers as you raise your chest toward the wall in front of you.
Relax and repeat.

Seated Twist

Stretches shoulders, hips, and back; increases circulation; tones abdomen; strengthens obliques.

Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
Cross right foot over outside of left thigh; bend left knee. Keep right knee pointed toward ceiling.
Place left elbow to the outside of right knee and right hand on the floor behind you.
Twist right as far as you can, moving from your abdomen; keep both sides of your butt on the floor. Stay for 1 minute.
Switch sides and repeat.
Make it easier: Keep bottom leg straight and place both hands on raised knee. If your lower back rounds forward, sit on a folded blanket.

Triangle Pose

The Triangle Pose, or Trikonasana, is a pose aimed at mobilizing the hips and stretching the torso. It should also open your chest to allow you to breathe deeply.

Extend arms out to sides, then bend over your right leg.
Stand with feet about 3 feet apart, toes on your right foot turned out to 90 degrees, left foot to 45 degrees.
Allow your right hand to touch the floor or rest on your right leg below or above the knee, and extend the fingertips of your left hand toward the ceiling.
Turn your gaze toward the ceiling, and hold for 5 breaths.
Stand and repeat on opposite side.

Bridge Pose

The Bridge Pose, or Setu Bandhasana is a simple pose aimed to open your chest and hips and energize the body.

Stretches chest and thighs; extends spine.
Lie on floor with knees bent and directly over heels.
Place arms at sides, palms down. Exhale, then press feet into floor as you lift hips.
Clasp hands under lower back and press arms down, lifting hips until thighs are parallel to floor, bringing chest toward chin. Hold for 1 minute.
Make it easier: Place a stack of pillows underneath your tailbone.

Warrior Pose

Warrior Pose I, or Virabhadrasana I, is a focusing and strengthening pose, meant to build a connection, grounding you with the Earth’s energy.

Stand with legs 3 to 4 feet apart, turning right foot out 90 degrees and left foot in slightly.
Bring your hands to your hips and relax your shoulders, then extend arms out to the sides, palms down.
Bend right knee 90 degrees, keeping knee over ankle; gaze out over right hand. Stay for 1 minute.
Switch sides and repeat.

The Butterfly Pose

The posture is named Badhakonasana because of the way it is carried out – both the feet tucked close to the groin, clasped tightly with the hands as though tied or bound together in a particular angle. It is also popularly known as the Butterfly Pose because of the movement of the legs during the posture, giving the appearance of a butterfly flapping its wings. The posture is also sometimes known as the Cobbler Pose as it resembles the sitting position of a cobbler at work.

Downward Dog

One of the most widely recognized yoga poses is downward facing dog”, or “adho mukha svanasana”. How to Perform this pose?

Start on all fours with hands directly under shoulders, knees under hips.
Walk hands a few inches forward and spread fingers wide, pressing palms into mat.
Curl toes under and slowly press hips toward ceiling, bringing your body into an inverted V, pressing shoulders away from ears. Feet should be hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.
Hold for 3 full breaths.