April 10, 2014
Top 10 Yoga Poses For Beginners
I’ve been doing yoga for about 6 years now and I absolutely love it. I am such a proponent for doing yoga, both hot and regular, and I even got my mom hooked on yoga as well. Even though it’s been 6 years, I can still remember how frustrating some of the harder poses were when I was just starting out. So, if you’ve just started getting into yoga, or you just want a refresher, I’ve compiled a list of my personal favourite yoga poses for beginners, to help you get started:
1. Shavasana or Corpse Pose
This is actually well known to be the most important pose in yoga. Done at the end of a class, it grounds you and helps your body to absorb all of the good stuff that you did in practice. It’s also important because in this fast-paced world of ours we often don’t take time to just be still and breathe – a lot of people sometimes find this the hardest pose mentally, even though it is incredibly easy physically.
Lay on your back with your feet relaxed and dropped to either side. Let your arms lay at your sides with palms facing the ceiling. Close your eyes, and breathe.
2. Mountain Pose/Tadasana
This is a bit like the standing version of corpse pose. Stand with your feet hip distance apart, with a straight spine, and your hands by your side facing forward. Breathe. I like to try lifting my toes up in this pose and trying to put each toe down separately – it really helps you find the four corners of your feet.
3. Butterfly Pose/Badhakanosana
Sit with a straight spine, legs out in front of you. Bring the soles of your feet to touch, as you bend your knees bringing your feet closer to your pelvis. You can keep your hands in prayer pose, clasp your feet, or begin to fold forward over your legs keeping your back flat.
You can do this pose either sitting, or do a reclined butterfly pose, following the same steps but laying on your back. A reclined butterfly pose is a great alternative in Shavasana, especially for anyone with low back problems.
4. Happy Baby
This is by far my favourite yoga pose, you really do just feel happy when you get to hang out rocking back and forth like a baby. Lay on your back, and with your legs up in the air bend your knees and grab the outside edge of each foot. Rock gently from side to side.
5. Child’s Pose
This is a resting pose that most teachers will encourage you to go into if you find one of the poses in class too challenging, or if you just need a rest.
Kneel on the floor with your knees wide and toes touching. Sit your bottom down on your heels and lay your body on top of your thighs with arms stretched out in front of you, forehead resting on the ground.
6. Tree
This pose is great because there are so many different options for the level of your practice. Balancing on one leg, place the foot of your other leg in a kickstand position, on your calf, or on your knee – just be sure to avoid your knee joint. Place hands at heart centre in prayer, or lift above your head, extending your tree.
7. Thread the Needle
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Take one ankle across the opposite knee, and draw that leg into your chest, keeping your shoulders flat on the ground.
8. Reclining Twist
This pose gives such a good stretch, and is very simple. Lay on your back, and keeping both shoulders on the ground, lift your legs up in the air at a 90 degree angle, then let them fall to one side, shifting your gaze over the opposite arm.
9. Cat-Cow
For this nice easy stretch, start in tabletop position, on your hands and knees, hands directly under your shoulders, knees under your hips. Arch your back fully, curving your spine upwards for cat. Exhale and curve your spine downwards into cow. Breathe and repeat.
10. Bridge
Lay flat on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the ground. Bring your feet as close in to your bum as possible. Lift your hips up off the ground. Roll your shoulder blades on to your back and lift your hips even higher. This is the starting pose if you want to continue into wheel.
BONUS MOVE: Wheel for beginners
Check out my tutorial here:
Lay on your back with your feet relaxed and dropped to either side. Let your arms lay at your sides with palms facing the ceiling. Close your eyes, and breathe.
2. Mountain Pose/Tadasana
This is a bit like the standing version of corpse pose. Stand with your feet hip distance apart, with a straight spine, and your hands by your side facing forward. Breathe. I like to try lifting my toes up in this pose and trying to put each toe down separately – it really helps you find the four corners of your feet.
3. Butterfly Pose/Badhakanosana
Sit with a straight spine, legs out in front of you. Bring the soles of your feet to touch, as you bend your knees bringing your feet closer to your pelvis. You can keep your hands in prayer pose, clasp your feet, or begin to fold forward over your legs keeping your back flat.
You can do this pose either sitting, or do a reclined butterfly pose, following the same steps but laying on your back. A reclined butterfly pose is a great alternative in Shavasana, especially for anyone with low back problems.
4. Happy Baby
This is by far my favourite yoga pose, you really do just feel happy when you get to hang out rocking back and forth like a baby. Lay on your back, and with your legs up in the air bend your knees and grab the outside edge of each foot. Rock gently from side to side.
5. Child’s Pose
This is a resting pose that most teachers will encourage you to go into if you find one of the poses in class too challenging, or if you just need a rest.
Kneel on the floor with your knees wide and toes touching. Sit your bottom down on your heels and lay your body on top of your thighs with arms stretched out in front of you, forehead resting on the ground.
6. Tree
This pose is great because there are so many different options for the level of your practice. Balancing on one leg, place the foot of your other leg in a kickstand position, on your calf, or on your knee – just be sure to avoid your knee joint. Place hands at heart centre in prayer, or lift above your head, extending your tree.
7. Thread the Needle
Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Take one ankle across the opposite knee, and draw that leg into your chest, keeping your shoulders flat on the ground.
8. Reclining Twist
This pose gives such a good stretch, and is very simple. Lay on your back, and keeping both shoulders on the ground, lift your legs up in the air at a 90 degree angle, then let them fall to one side, shifting your gaze over the opposite arm.
9. Cat-Cow
For this nice easy stretch, start in tabletop position, on your hands and knees, hands directly under your shoulders, knees under your hips. Arch your back fully, curving your spine upwards for cat. Exhale and curve your spine downwards into cow. Breathe and repeat.
10. Bridge
Lay flat on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the ground. Bring your feet as close in to your bum as possible. Lift your hips up off the ground. Roll your shoulder blades on to your back and lift your hips even higher. This is the starting pose if you want to continue into wheel.
BONUS MOVE: Wheel for beginners
Check out my tutorial here: