So you want to start yoga but you don’t know how and where to start, not all yoga poses are difficult, you just have to ease into it, so don’t feel intimidated when you see other people pulling off poses you can only attempt in your dreams. It only takes time and perseverance and you’ll get there too.
Yoga is a holistic practice that benefits both the body and mind. For those new to yoga, starting with basic poses can be a great way to build strength, flexibility, and balance. Here's a breakdown of 25 fundamental yoga poses, along with their benefits and how to perform them.
1. Mountain pose – Tadasana
This pose is very simple. It helps improves posture, focus and awareness, balance, and breathing exercise. To do, simply stand on your two feet, hip-width apart, weight spread evenly with your arms at your side. Ground your feet into the floor, engage your core, and lengthen your spine. Breathe slowly at an even pace, keeping your body aligned. For the extended version, you can reach your arms up towards the sky as you focus, bringing your palms to face each other.
2. Downward Facing dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana
Downward facing dog is one of the most popular yoga poses. It is a great way to warm up, stretch out the body and work on flexibility. It helps full body circulation, encourages flexibility in the shoulders, arms, back, hamstrings.
Simply start by placing both hands and feet on the floor, feet apart from the hands like you are trying to make a triangle or an inverted V with your body and breath gently.
3. Warrior I – Virabhadrasana I
This pose is focused on building strength and balance in the body. These are powerful poses hence they are required for early yoga practice. It helps strengthen the legs, arms, and core and improves balance and focus. How to: Step into a high lunge, one leg bent forward, knee above the foot, and the other leg stretched back on your mat at a 45-degree angle, toes and heels pressed firmly on the mat, Square the hips to face forward and raise your arms overhead, palms facing each other.
4. Warrior II – Virabhadrasana
Warrior II pose strengthens legs, hips, and chest; improves balance and stability
How to: In Warrior II position, unlike the warrior one, hips face the side of the mat, with front foot facing forward and back foot perpendicular to the front foot. Hips and shoulders open to the side, arms stretched out on both sides parallel to the ground.
5. Warrior III – Virabhadrasana III
This pose focuses mainly on balance. It helps improve strength, flexibility and challenges core stability.
How to: Keep your gaze steady and try not to lose your gaze point. Lift one leg as high as it feels comfortable balancing other leg on your mat to build core stability and strength in the ankles. Aim to make arms and leg stretched out of you parallel to the ground.
6. Upward Facing Dog – Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
This pose stretches and strengthens the spine, arms, wrists and shoulders.
How to: Lie facedown on the floor with your palms on the mat, under shoulders, legs hip width apart, extended with the tops of your feet on the floor. Press into your hands to lift your chest off the ground, keeping your hips grounded, hold and breath.
7. Child’s Pose – Balasana
Child’s pose is very important in yoga practice. It is necessary for breaks during a yoga session. It helps you relax when you feel light headed or fatigued or out of breath while stretching the hips, thighs and ankles. While in this pose, relax. It relieves back and neck pain. How to: The pose is very easy to do. Simply get on your knees, sit back on your heels, and fold forward, resting your forehead on the ground. You can add variations to this pose, extending your hands forward on the floor, or letting both hands fall by your sides.
8. Cat-Cow pose – Marjaryasana-Bitilasana
Cat and cow stretches are greate for improving spinal flexibility and mobility.
How to: Get on your mat on all fours with your hands directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips. Distribute your weight equally between your hands and spread your fingers wide. As you inhale, lower your back down all the way to a scoop shape as you lift your head, and tilt it back. Exhale and round your back, arching it up as you lower your chin towards your chest; feel the stretch from your neck to your tailbone, like a cat. “Repeat a few times to loosen your spine and open your chest.
9. Tree pose – Vrksasana
This pose helps to stretch the body long, from the heels to the tips of your fingers. It Improves balance, concentration, and stability.
How to: Start by standing straight for this pose. Bring your hands together in the prayer position and lift them over your head. Balance on your right leg. Bend your left knee out to the left side and press your left foot to the inner thigh of your right leg. Hold for a few breaths. Switch legs and repeat.
10. Chaturanga dandasana- Four limbed staff pose
Also known as low plank is a yoga asana in which a straight body parallel to the ground is supported by the palms and the toes, with elbows at a right angle. This is an arm / core-strengthening move and is great for beginners. Strengthens core, arms, and legs; improves balance and posture.
How to: Start on your hands and knees. Extend your legs back, coming into a strong plank position. Ensure your hands are directly under your shoulders, and your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Inhale and engage your core. Exhale and begin to lower your body towards the ground. Keep your elbows close to your body and lower your body in a straight line as far as you can without touching the ground. Avoid sagging in the middle or raising your hips.
It can be done with the knees on the ground, or off the ground for those who are more advanced.
11. Standing Forward fold – Uttanasana
This pose is good for stretching out the hamstrings, lower back, and spine; calms the mind.
How to: First take the mountain pose, reaching your hands up to the sky and gently reach downwards towards the floor or your toes folding forward from the hips and allowing yourself to drop forward until you can’t reach any further. Then rest there, taking deep calming breaths.
12. Boat pose – Navasana
One of the most well-known yoga poses for core strength, boat pose tones the abdominal muscles while strengthening the low back and legs.
How to: First sit on the floor or your mat, pressing both legs together gently lift both legs up and stretch out your hands on either side of your legs tightening your core and lifting your gaze straight ahead. There are two variations: Half Boat Pose — Ardha Navasana and Full Boat Pose.
13. Camel pose – Ustrasana
Camel Pose is a back bending yoga posture that opens the entire front side of the body. Helps improve back flexibility and aids in digestion. How to: Kneel on the yoga mat and place your hands on the hips. Now slowly arch your back and slide your palms over your feet till the arms are straight. Hold this pose for a couple of breaths then release. If your hands don’t comfortably reach your heels use blocks on the side of each foot or place your hands on your hips instead.
14. Crescent moon pose – Chandrasana
Crescent Moon pose deeply stretches and opens the sides of the body and improves core body strength, balance and concentration. Half moon strengthens the ankles and knees, improves circulation and energizes the entire body.
How to: From Mountain pose, interlace the fingers, pointing the index finger up over the head, press the feet together, into the floor and gently lean towards the side, hold for a couple of breaths then gently release and repeat on the other side.
15. Reverse warrior – Viparita Virabhadrasana
Reverse Warrior is standing, back-bending yoga pose that energizes the whole body. Reverse warrior works the legs and spine as you take warrior II into a back- bending position. It strengthens the hips, quads, arms and neck.
How to: Reverse Warrior starts from Warrior II. Reach your top hand towards the sky, and lower the other hand to your back leg. Open your chest and gaze upwards towards the lifted hand. Feel the stretch in your side body!
16. Extended pigeon pose- Eka pada rajakapotasana
This pose boosts hip flexibility and also releases the glutes and low back.
How to: From all fours, move your right knee forward between your hands and slowly straighten your left leg behind you, keeping the knee and top of the foot on the floor. Now rotate the right knee toward the right wrist and bring it down to the floor with your right calf flat on the floor and your right foot resting under your left groin. Option to hold it up here or lower your upper body over the bent leg, either all the way to the floor or resting on your elbows.
17. Cobra pose – Bhujangasana
The Cobra Pose is a back-bending yoga pose that helps to open the chest and lungs. It helps in alleviating stress and anxiety. How to: Lie prone on the floor. Stretch your legs back, tops of the feet on the floor. Spread your hands on the floor under your shoulders. Hug the elbows back into your body. Open the heart and roll the shoulders down to promote flexibility.
18. Kneeling hamps – Utthita trikonasana
The low lunge is a yoga pose that stretches the legs and creates balance. This pose stretches the thighs, the hamstrings, arms, hips, opens up the chest and shoulders. It helps to relieve stress and back pain as it stretches and lengthens every part of the body. How to: From downward facing dog, step your right foot forward, aligning your right knee with your right ankle. Lower your left knee to the floor, extending your left leg behind you. Ground your hands firmly, and engage your core. To deepen the stretch, you can reach your arms overhead or rest them on your front thigh. Remember to keep your hips squared and avoid collapsing your front knee inward. Breathe deeply and hold the pose for a few breaths before switching sides.
19. Gatepose – Parighasana
This pose helps stretch out the sides, strengthens the side of your torso, opens your shoulders, and helps to reduce neck and shoulder tension. It also helps improve breathing capacity. How to: First kneel on your mat, stretch out the right leg, gently rest your arm on your right leg or the floor, (which is a variation) and reach out your other arm upwards, opening up the chest and shoulders. Take deep breaths, and repeat on the other side.
20. Bird dog pose – Dandayamana Bharmanasana
This pose warms up the core and legs while working on balance, improving core strength, and balance. How to: Starting from the table top position, inhale and extend your right arm forward and left leg backwards stretching it all the way then exhale squeeze the elbow of the outstretched arm to the knee of the extended leg under the chest, rounding the back.
21. Dolphin pose – Ardha pincha mayurasana
Dolphin pose strengthens the core, arms, and legs, while also nicely opening the shoulders. This pose is done on the forearms, which relieves wrist pressure while providing all of the benefits of Downward Dog.
How to: Start on your hands and knees. Place your forearms flat on the mat, parallel to each other, with your hands clasped together or planted firmly on the mat. Lift your knees away from the mat, pressing your forearms and hands firmly into the floor. Keep your back flat and your hips lifted. If needed, bend your knees slightly for added support.
22. Easy pose – Sukhasana
Easy pose is a comfortable seated position for meditation. It promotes relaxation and meditation while stretching the ankles and hips.
How to: Come to sit cross-legged on the floor, with your spine straight and shoulders relaxed.
23. Hero pose – Virasana
Hero pose is a great pose for meditation. It stretches your quads,hips, ankles and improves posture. How to: Start on your hands and knees. Bring your knees together and widen your feet. Sit back between your feet, with your shins on the floor. If this is uncomfortable, use a folded blanket for support. Sit up tall, with your back straight..
24. Head to knee pose – Janu Sirsasana
This pose stretches out the groin, vertebral column, shoulders and hamstrings. How to: Sit with legs extended. Bend one knee, placing foot against inner thigh of straight leg. Inhale, lift arms overhead. Exhale, fold forward, reaching for foot or ankle. Keep spine long. There are various modifications to this pose.
25. Table top pose – Goasana
Strengthens wrists, arms and shoulders. Stretches and loosens backbone, spinal muscles, the chest, hips and abdomen.
How to: Start on your hands and knees. Position your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Spread your fingers wide and ground your palms. Keep your back flat, like a table. Engage your core by drawing your navel inward.
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