Yoga has been a part of India for ages. This physical and mental practice is primarily known for the spirituality it brings. Yoga creates a union between the body, mind and soul. However, different people practice yoga for different reasons. The popularity that this form of exercise has received since the 20th century is huge. You very often don’t find people who do yoga to practice spiritually. Most of them do yoga for its physical benefits. Therefore, the practice of yoga has become more to do with poses or asanas. You will find plenty of people looking for “yoga poses for beginners.”
People have tried to deny claims of yoga’s connection with any health benefits. However, these benefits can be felt by anyone who practices yoga daily. All the postures have a way of improving the body’s flexibility and balance. In addition, the breathing exercises have shown immense results in keeping away cold. You will often find people with back issues trying yoga. Most importantly, yoga’s help with stress and mental health problems is undeniable. Yoga is definitely about poses and postures. However, it is also about breathing and audio exercises like chants.
Although, when looking at yoga from the physical health aspect, poses hold the most importance. In today’s article, we share 11 Yoga Poses for Beginners to start their practice with.
Types of Yoga Poses For Beginners
If you have ever done yoga, you may know how difficult it is to remember the names of all the poses. There are a lot of different types of yoga poses for beginners. Some of them are:
- Yoga Backbends: Backbends are those sets of poses which help you increase your flexibility. They work on your spine and shoulders. They also work on your chest and hips. In addition, they help improve posture. Backbends may be tough for some. However, beginners can usually begin with gentle bends and then work their way up.
- Standing poses: If you have ever been to a yoga class, you know they begin with these. Again, these poses really help build your posture. In addition, standing poses mostly work on building your muscle strength. They stretch almost all the muscles in our legs.
- Seated yoga poses: Sitting poses in yoga include both cross-legged and straight-legged poses. They help improve your flexibility. They focus on stretching your hamstrings and hips. However, sitting straight on the floor while doing these poses is not comfortable or correct. Therefore, always use a yoga mat while practising these postures.
- Balancing poses: They help you improve your body’s balance and lower body strength. In addition, they require focus and steadiness. This is why they help improve your focus and are good stress relievers. As a beginner, you will tend to feel frustrated. However, it gets easier with practice.
- Resting poses: These are bound to be the favourites of yoga beginners. After a long yoga session, these poses help relax your body. You genuinely hear your heart rate slow down. They calm your nervous system and work on your mood. Therefore, these are great for people with anxiety issues.
Top 11 Yoga Poses For Beginners
- Lotus/Padmasana: This is a cross-legged pose that calms the mind. However, if you find the overlapping of legs difficult, you can do half-lotus.
- Cobbler’s Pose/Baddha Konasana: This is a very common pose. It helps open your hips and groin. Here, you have to stretch your inner thighs. This is good for people with a desk job.
- Hero/Virasana: This pose is good stretching for your quadriceps. It is a very easy pose and helps align your spine. It helps make your sitting posture better.
- Upward Bow/Urdhva Dhanurasana: This pose opens up your entire body. This pose can be slightly difficult. You can ease into achieving the best posture. They help stretch your upper body and lower body.
- Triangle/Trikonasana: This is a standing pose which helps strengthen your groin and hamstrings. It stretches the spine and opens the shoulders. In addition, This pose helps release tension.
- Happy Baby/Ananda Balasana: This is a supine yoga pose. It is a calming exercise that is simple and easy. Therefore, it is good for relaxing and stretching.
- Half Lord of the Fishes/Ardha Matsyendrasana: This pose improves the mobility of your spine. It helps stretch the side body. It helps you with tiredness and backache.
- Tree/Vrikasana: This is a balancing pose. Therefore, it provides enough body balance and helps strengthen your core.
- Warrior I/Virabhadrasana: This particular pose is good for core strength. It works on your upper legs and arms. A lot of muscles in your body are stretched while doing this.
- Cobra/Bhujangasana: This posture is very good for lower back pain. It also improves the circulation of blood and corrects your posture.
- Melting Heart/Anhatasana: This pose is very useful in stress relief. In addition, it also improves spine flexibility and shoulder mobility.
FAQs:
Which Pose Is Best For Beginners In Yoga?
Plenty of people find yoga very complicated. They usually think yoga is all about doing tough poses and twisting your arms and legs around. However, yoga isn’t that. In fact, there are a lot of simple yoga poses for beginners. For instance, the mountain pose/Tadasana. This particular pose is literally just about standing and working with your shoulders and feet. You’ve just got to ensure breathing right.
There are a lot of simple stretches that could be easy for beginners too. For instance, the Uttanasana/forward fold and the downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana). All the exercises listed above are also good yoga poses for beginners.
What Should A Beginner Of Yoga Learn First?
A beginner of yoga should first and foremost understand that yoga is not just about poses. It is a lot more. You must be able to work on yourself mentally along with your physical body. That’s the core of learning yoga. Another important thing to keep in mind is breathing. Almost all poses require you to inhale and exhale. There are a lot of breathing exercises that take place in yoga classes too. Once you start taking note of your breathing, you will tend to see the difference in your lifestyle. Don’t start with complicated poses at all. Always ease into the process. Yoga is a practice after all.
Does Yoga Reduce Belly Fat?
Yoga is a low-impact form of exercise. You cannot be going for yoga two weeks a month and expect results. Yoga doesn’t work that way. You need to be consistent with your practice. There is a popular notion about how stress also causes weight gain and fat. Well, yoga has the power to work on your stress along with your body. So, yes people do use yoga to reduce their belly fat. However, it is a long and steady process. Yoga has a huge impact on your lifestyle and core strength. All this together has a positive effect on your body.
What Yoga Pose Should I Do Everyday?
All yoga poses work on different strengths and muscles in your body. Therefore, there is not one particular pose you should follow every day. However, Surya Namaskar is a set of poses which must be a part of your life. This yoga pose is also called the sun salutation. It has 8 poses along with 12 steps for each side (left and right body). Surya namaskar is beneficial for your mind as well as your body. It helps with weight loss and also strengthens your body. It is fairly easy compared to all the tough poses. The Surya Namaskar can easily be learnt and practised daily.
Which Yoga Exercise Is Best For Weight Loss?
Yoga is not a preferred form of exercise for weight loss. People prefer intensive cardio workouts to yoga. However, yoga poses can help you shed weight along with improving your body balance. It is a well-rounded form of exercise. Poses like Utkatasana/Chair pose and Virabhadrasana/Warrior pose are highly suggested. Even the Trikonasana/Triangle pose is famous for weight loss. The movement in this pose helps burn your belly fat. In addition, it helps improve your thigh muscles. The Surya Namaskar is also recommended for weight loss. You don’t need to find new poses every day. You can just repeat the same set.
In Conclusion
When we talk about exercising, almost all of us expect only one thing out of it: weight loss. There is no other purpose. However, yoga is an entire package. It is not meant for people who want to do intensive workouts. It is for those who want to connect with their mind, body and soul.
Yoga is a relaxing and refreshing form of exercise. Once you make it a part of your life, you will not stop doing it. However, don’t expect immediate results. This is a practice which must go on. Therefore, keep improving your flexibility pose by pose and you shall get there!
Do you like doing Yoga? Which are your favourite Asanas? Tell us in the comments section below!
This infographic visually represents 11 Yoga Poses for Beginners.
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Paridhi Maheshwari is a content writer at F and B Recipes and Snazzy Women. She’s an aspiring journalist aiming to cover human interest stories through the power of her words.