Are you new to Yoga? Unsure of what the Yoga poses (asanas) are? Want to know which poses help the body inside and out?
Relax, I can help…
I have been there myself when I first started practicing Yoga, as a beginner to Yoga you may feel overwhelmed by the number of poses and their odd sounding Sanskrit names along with trying to have an understanding of what each pose can do for your body and mind.
The more you practise Yoga the more you will build an amazing bond with your awareness to your body and your yoga practice. The most important thing I always say to everyone who starts Yoga is to stick with it…
Like everything the more you do Yoga and implement it into your daily life the more of a connection you will have with it and an understanding.
The more you do the more you will gain confidence and notice results. You will also gain confidence in adding more poses into your practice and try different styles.
STAY CONSISTENT, STAY PATIENT, LET GO and HAVE FUN!
So have a read below of my top ten Yoga poses (Asanas) for beginners and the ones I feel you will gain the most benefit from, even though all Yoga poses (Asanas) are amazing these are just to get you started…
Yoga Pose 1
Childs Pose – Balasna
For me Child Pose known as Balasna, is suitable for everyone and is so gentle. It also known in Yoga as a resting pose. This pose helps calm the mind, relieving stress and tension.
I normally start most of my Yoga classes with Childs Pose as it really helps you let go of anxieties and gives you chance to connect with your body and breath.
The benefits are:
Releases tension in the back, shoulders and chest
Helps alleviate stress and anxiety
Flexes the body’s internal organs and keeps them supple
It lengthens and stretches the spine
Relieves neck and lower back pain when performed with the head and torso supported
It gently stretches the hips, thighs and ankles
Normalises circulation throughout the body
It stretches muscles, tendons and ligaments in the knee
Encourages strong and steady breathing
TIP FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THE POSE:
Place a blanket under the hips, knees and/or head. Do not perform Childs Pose if you have had a knee injury or are pregnant – there are alternative postures which can be offered if so…
Yoga Pose 2
Cat Pose — Marjaryasana
Cow Pose — Bitilasana
For me personal, Cat Cow Pose is one of the most amazing poses for beginners to Yoga. There should be no pain and very little discomfort (if any) when performed. It's also a great way to understand your Ujjayi breathing - Pranayama Yoga Breath.
Coordinating this movement with your breathing relieves stress and calms the mind. Cat Cow can be performed anywhere its great to help realign the spine and supports the spine.
The benefits are:
· Stimulates the kidneys and adrenal glands
· Brings flexibly to the spine
· Warms the body using gentle movements
· Relieves stress and calms the mind
· Stimulates and strengthens the abdominal organs
· Stretches the back torso and neck
TIP FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THE POSE:
Bringing movement and flexibility to your spine helps your body to become more coordinated. Try a few slow rounds of Cat-Cow when you wake in the morning, or after sitting for a long period. It's great for modifying also using your forearms instead of your wrists if you suffer from wrist pain and using blankets or rolling your mat in the centre for a little cushion for your knees.
Yoga Pose 3
Warrior 2 – Virabhadrasana II
Warrior 2 pose is a fantastic strength building pose and one of the most popular taught yoga poses especially in beginner’s yoga. A powerful stretch for the legs, groins, and chest, which also increases stamina. It helps to relieve back aches and stimulates a healthy digestion.
For me personally I’m always a beginner when it comes to Warrior 2. Always learning, always accepting my body feels different each time I do this pose.
The benefits are:
Strengthens and stretches your legs, ankles and feet
Stretches your hips, groins and shoulders
Opens your chest and lungs
Builds stamina and concentration
Energizes tired limbs
Stimulates your abdominal organs
Helps relieve backaches
Develops balance and stability
Improves circulation and respiration
Therapeutic for flat fleet, sciatica, osteoporosis, carpal tunnel and infertility
TIP FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THIS POSE:
Do not practice Warrior II if you have a recent hip, knee, or shoulder injury. Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. Relax in the pose and try not to fight it, it can be a very challenging pose both mentally and physically but connect with your breath and gradually understand your body’s alignments in the pose along with being patient with yourself.
Yoga Pose 4
Cobra Pose – Bhujangasana
I love Cobra pose; it feels amazing for both my Chest and Shoulders. The more I do Cobra pose the more it helps strengthen my spine and opens my upper body.
This pose has helped my spine and back in so many ways and it’s one I teach in each of my beginners’ classes. It’s a great build on to Upward facing dog so it allows you to gradually build strength.
The benefits are:
Strengthens the spine
Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen
Firms the buttocks
Stimulates abdominal organs
Helps relieve stress and fatigue
Opens the heart and lungs
Soothes sciatica
Therapeutic for asthma
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THIS POSE:
Don’t overdo the backbend. To find the height at which you can work comfortably and avoid straining your back, take your hands off the floor for a moment, so that the height you find will be through extension.
Yoga Pose 5
Tree Pose - Vrksasana
I have a strong believe in building a good balance in your practice especially when your new to yoga. Tree pose is amazing for that and with modifications you can easy build on your balance. Practicing balancing poses in yoga, such as Tree Pose, will help you gain both physical and mental steadiness and poise.
It's also amazing to calm the mind and connect to your breath. It teaches the benefits of a meditative state of mind and is a gentle reminder that you can bring calm focus and clear-headedness to all situations, not just when you are practicing a seated meditation.
The benefits are:
Improves balance and stability in the legs
Strengthens the ligaments and tendon of the feet
Strengthens and tones the entire standing leg, up to the buttocks
Assists the body in establishing pelvic stability
Strengthen the bones of the hips and legs due to the weight-bearing nature of the pose
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THE POSE
Due to the balancing nature of the posture, do not practice Tree Pose if you are currently experiencing headaches, insomnia, low blood pressure, or if you are lightheaded and/or dizzy. Those with high blood pressure should not raise their arms overhead in the pose.
Yoga Pose 6
Plank Pose
For me personally I love plank pose, it's where I truly believe you start to build upper body strength and engagement from. I bring this into my beginner’s classes as, you can also modify by dropping your knees to the floor and gradually building your strength in to your wrists, arms and shoulders as well as your core/abdomen area.
The benefits are:
Tones all of the core muscles of the body, including the abdomen, chest, and lower back.
Strengthens the arms, wrists, and shoulders
Strengthens the muscles surrounding the spine, which improves posture.
Builds endurance and stamina, while toning the nervous system.
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THIS POSE:
To help strengthen the arms in this pose, loop and secure a strap around your upper arms, just above the elbows. Push the inner arms out against this strap. I also recommend starting on your knees and building strength gradually.
Yoga Pose 7
Bridge pose - Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
One of my favourite back bend poses, bridge pose is great for everyone of all levels. I have chosen this pose in my top ten as I love how it opens my whole back and chest and how is makes me feel full on energy and rejuvenated. For me this pose also helps my anxiety, I know it sounds odd but I could stay in it for ages connecting to my breath and allowing my mind to relax and steady.
The benefits are:
Stretches the chest, neck, and spine
Calms the brain and helps alleviate stress and mild depression
Stimulates abdominal organs, lungs, and thyroid
Rejuvenates tired legs
Improves digestion
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
Relieves menstrual discomfort when done supported
Reduces anxiety, fatigue, backache, headache, and insomnia
Therapeutic for asthma, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and sinusitis
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THIS POSE:
Once the shoulders are rolled under, be sure not to pull them forcefully away from your ears, which tends to overstretch the neck. Lift the tops off the shoulders slightly toward the ears and push the inner shoulder blades away from the spine. Use a block if needed to help under your tail bone to support your back and hips.
Yoga Pose 8
Downward Dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana
The most popular of yoga poses which everyone knows about - Downward dog. It's used so much in yoga and especially beginner’s yoga. For me this pose is a resting pose a place to reconnect to your breath and re-set your body when needed. It may not seem that when you start practicing it, as new yogis it can bring pain and discomfort especially to the wrists and arms if not used to building strength in those areas.
But in time and patience it will bring you so many benefits and noticeable changes in your body.
The benefits are:
Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
Energizes the body
Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands
Strengthens the arms and legs
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
Relieves menstrual discomfort when done with head supported
Helps prevent osteoporosis
Improves digestion
Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue
Therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica, sinusitis
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THE POSE:
If you have difficulty releasing and opening your shoulders in this pose, raise your hands off the floor on a pair of blocks or the seat of a metal folding chair. Be mindful of your wrists when you start this pose, if you feel pain let the knees relax to the mat in a tabletop position or even child’s pose.
Yoga Pose 9
Forward seated fold – Paschimottanasana
This never used to be a pose I loved doing, I used to really struggle with tight hamstrings and tight hips so this I always felt challenging for my body. Over time with practice and patience my body has allowed me to realise even more in this pose and I now I love it. It’s my ultimate hamstring stretch after any yoga class I teach and even in my own practice I will always use it to help release any tension after a good cardio session or power yoga class.
The benefits are:
Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
Stretches the spine, shoulders, hamstrings
Stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries, and uterus
Improves digestion
Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause and menstrual discomfort
Soothes headache and anxiety and reduces fatigue
Therapeutic for high blood pressure, infertility, insomnia, and sinusitis
Traditional texts say that Paschimottanasana increases appetite, reduces obesity, and cures diseases.
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THIS POSE:
Never force yourself into a forward bend, especially when sitting on the floor. Coming forward, as soon as you feel the space between your pubis and navel shortening, stop, lift up slightly, and lengthen again. Often, because of tightness in the backs of the legs, a beginner's forward bend doesn't go very far forward and might look more like sitting up straight.
Yoga Pose 10
Corpse Pose – Savasana
The most challenging of yoga poses which you will ever do… Why?
Because you don’t do anything… and that’s why it's so challenging to be able to lie still and still the mind and body for 5 – 10mins is so challenging and so not normally for us to do.
I struggled with this the first few sessions of yoga and really didn’t understand it. But now after so many years experiencing it I feel it's the most important part of your yoga practice, it is the Yoga practice.
It seals your practice and helps you let go of a racing mind, it's especially amazing for anxiety and stress and so many people look forward to this pose at the end of a class. I love it when I hear people say after a class "I love yoga, but my favourite time is Savasana as I really needed that today".
The benefits are:
Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
Relaxes the body
Reduces headache, fatigue, and insomnia
Helps to lower blood pressure
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS NEW TO THIS POSE
Often it's difficult to release the heads of the thigh bones and soften the groins in this pose. This creates tension throughout the body and restricts the breath. Often, the mind wants to stay active even when the body is relaxed. Your mind might have been calm during your sequence, but now you need to develop that same calmness when at rest.
There is also so many modifications you can do to help your body rest in this pose.
SUMMARY:
Remember we are always beginners no matter how long you have been practicing Yoga for. If it's your first time or 1,000th time. Always step on your mat as a beginner, each day we learn from our bodies and each day is different.
Don’t be afraid of trying something new. Yoga is amazing for you, it has changed my life in so many ways and like I always say “it's magic”.
If you’re a beginner to Yoga and thinking I will never benefit from this or thinking I need to be flexible, I’m too old, Yoga isn’t for me…. All these things STOP! Don’t judge to soon give it a go I think you will be very surprised at how much you will love Yoga and the amazing benefits it can bring you.
Written by
Emma Blunston - Be You Be Yoga Teacher / Manager
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