Ennaya

There Are Few Yoga Poses For Beginners

As a new yoga student, you might feel overwhelmed by the number of poses and their odd-sounding names. But yoga doesn't have to be complicated. If you got out of bed this morning and stretched your arms over your head, you already did a yoga pose. And remember that your yoga practice is a lifelong pursuit—giving you plenty of time to learn scores of postures.

Downward Facing Dog

Downward Facing Dog goes hand in hand with yoga, but just because you've heard ... of this pose doesn't mean it's easy to do. Beginners often lean too far forward in this posture, making it more like a plank. Instead, remember to keep your weight mostly in your legs and reach your hips high, with your heels stretching toward the floor (they do not need to touch the floor). Bend your knees a little to facilitate the move if you have tight hamstrings. Keep feet parallel.

Mountain Pose

Mountain pose may not be as famous as Downward Facing Dog, but it is equally important... This is an excellent time to talk about alignment, which is how your body parts are ideally arranged in each pose. The alignment in Mountain pose draws a straight line from the crown of your head to your heels, with the shoulders and pelvis stacked along the line. Every person's body is different, so focus on rooting down with your feet and lengthening up with your spine.

Warrior I

The critical thing to remember in Warrier I is that the hips face forward. Think of ... your hip points as headlights—they should be roughly parallel with the front of your mat. This may require you to take a wider stance.

Warrior II

Unlike Warrior I, in Warrior II, the hips face the side of the mat. The hips and shoulders open ...to the side when moving from Warrior I to Warrior II. You'll also rotate your back foot, angling your toes at about 45 degrees. In both Warrior poses, aim to keep your front knee stacked over the ankle. Your front toes face forward.

Extended Side Angle

One modification of Extended Side Angle Pose is to bring your forearm to your thigh instead of... placing your hand on the floor. It should rest lightly on your thigh and not bear much weight. This modification enables you to keep your shoulders open. You can also place your hand on a block. If you reach toward the floor before you're ready, you may compromise the position of the torso, turning your chest toward the floor instead of toward the ceiling.

Standing Forward Bend

To do Standing Forward, Bend, exhale, and fold over your legs. If the hamstrings feel a ... little tight at first, bend the knees so that you can release your spine. Let the head hang heavy. Keep the legs gently bent with feet hip-width apart for better stability (you can straighten the legs, but it is unnecessary). You can clasp opposite elbows with opposite hands while swaying gently from side to side.

Pyramid Pose

Standing forward bends like Pyramid pose are an ideal time to break out your yoga blocks to ... make the pose more accessible. Place a block on either side of your front foot to "raise the floor" to a level your hands can comfortably reach. Your hamstrings will still enjoy a nice stretch, and they'll thank you for your consideration.

Tree Pose

Tree pose is an excellent introduction to balancing postures. If you feel yourself beginning ...to topple, you can step out of it easily. Try not to create a counterbalance by jutting your hip to the side of your standing leg. Focus your gaze on a spot on the floor and try varying foot positions to see what works for you. Heel resting low on the ankle, on a block, or above or below the knee.

Downward Facing Dog Split

The introduction of appropriate balancing postures helps build core strength.... In Down Dog Split, it's not about how high you can lift your leg. Instead, focus on rooting into the hands and keeping your weight distributed evenly on both hands.

Plank Pose

It might seem strange to call plank a balancing pose since the risk of falling over is minimal,... but it gets to the heart of what this pose is about—core strength. A strong core is essential for so many yoga poses, including standing balance and arm balance, and plank is an excellent way to work on your stability and stamina. Aim to keep your hips and spine in a neutral position.

Cat-Cow Stretch

It's the best of both worlds: spinal extension followed by spinal flexion. Moving back... and forth awakens and warms the back, improves body awareness, and is a basic introduction to doing a vinyasa sequence by coordinating your movements to your breath. Cat-Cow may be the most important pose you learn when starting yoga, especially if you have back pain. Even if you never make it to more than a few yoga classes, continue doing this stretch on your own.

Bridge Pose

Bridge pose is a gentle way to explore spine extension, also known as a backbend. It's a ... good idea to start incorporating this type of movement because it improves the mobility of your spine and counters the effects of too much sitting. If Bridge seems too intense, try a supported bridge with a block. Remember to root into the feet, which helps you use your leg muscles to support the pose.

Cobbler's Pose

Let gravity work on stretching your inner thighs in Cobbler's pose. If you find this position ...difficult, props can make a big difference. Sitting on a block, cushion, or blanket raises your hips so your knees can open more naturally. If your knees are high, it takes a lot of effort to hold them up, and your legs need to be relaxed to enjoy the benefits of the stretch. The solution is to place a block (or something else supportive) under each knee to give them something to rest upon.

Easy Pose

Sitting cross-legged doesn't have to be a difficult position. As with Cobbler's pose, the judicious ... use of props can transform an uncomfortable position into one of ease so you can begin to reverse the effects of too much chair sitting.

Head To Knee Pose

Forward bends can be tricky for anyone with tight hamstrings (i.e many people).... Janu Sirsasana is more accessible because you only stretch one leg at a time. You can also use a strap around the foot to help extend your reach.

Seated Forward Bend

There are many hamstrings stretches in beginning yoga for a good reason. The hamstrings tend to ...get short and tight in people who sit alot which can contribute to low back pain. Stretching them, as you do during the seated forward bend is helpful. This pose offers a stretch to the entire back of the body. Bend at your hips not your waist and keep your neck aligned with your spine.

Half Lord Of The Fishes Pose

Twists are an essential part of yoga. They help improve spinal mobility and can even get ...things moving along your digestive tract (yes, twists can relieve constipation). It's OK to extend your bottom leg in this pose if it's uncomfortable to have it bent behind you. You can also modify it by sitting on a blanket. Placing the bent leg inside the extended leg is great for easing shoulder, hip, and spine rotation.

Happy Baby Pose

Happy baby is a wonderful way to finish a yoga session. It's also an excellent example ...of the vital interplay between effort and ease in yoga. You want to exert a little pressure on your feet to draw them toward your armpits, but not so much that your tailbone lifts off the floor. You don't want to go to the extreme but find the middle ground.

Supine Spinal Twist

A passive twist is a classic way to end a yoga session, although there's no rule against doing this ... pose at the beginning of your practice. The position of the legs is up to you. You can bend them both; you can straighten the top leg and hold onto your foot if you have the flexibility, or you can twist the legs around one another (as in Eagle pose) to stretch the outer hips. Keep knees in line with the waist.

Child Pose

Child pose is essential because it's the position you assume whenever you need a break during ... a yoga class. Just move into Child pose and re-join the class when you're ready. It provides a gentle stretch for the back, hips, thighs, and ankles, but does not challenge strength or balance. Taking Child pose is up to your discretion, which happens to introduce one of yoga's best lessons: being attuned to the signals your body is giving and respecting them above any external directions.

Corpse Pose

Most yoga sessions end lying flat on your back in Corpse pose. It's a critical transition between ... the end of your yoga practice and the rest of your day. Bringing the body to stillness challenges the mind to maintain its calm. You may find this difficult at first, but it gets easier with practice.