Yoga for Beginners: Poses, Sequences, and Tips

By Vivek Roy

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

Hey newbies,

Glad to have you here.

Since you guys are new to yoga, below-given poses sequences and tips are crucial in order to prevent any injury. Make sure you’re warmed up before you start your yoga training.

There are hundreds of yoga poses that cannot be done at the beginning itself. We have shortlisted a few easy yet extremely beneficial yoga poses to initiate you into the practice.

Hold every pose for at least 5 to 10 breaths.

Mountain Pose

It might look like a standing pose, however, there is a lot going on, on the inside. It strengthens your legs – knees, ankles, and thighs. It promotes digestion and blood circulation in the entire body and can also be counted as a light cardiovascular workout. Body movements become free and flexible.

This Mountain pose involves spiritual benefits too like Pranayama – these are controlled breathing techniques. These techniques promote purification which is when breathing in the controlled pattern, the supply of oxygen to all the body parts increases.

Mountain Pose helps to control the breath and reduce anxiety and stress. It increases awareness of the mind and body connection. This post is ideal to foster motivation and gratitude. It helps in opening up the mind that enables us to make sound decisions and judgments.

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

As a beginner, this should be one of the most important poses you should learn.

It is the one pose that stretches and tones all the muscles in the body. The downward bend promotes blood circulation to the brain. Achieving the correct pose is necessary to be able to reap the maximum benefits. This pose is said to stretch, lengthen, strengthen and energize all the bones and muscles of the body.

As you hold the bend, it engages the sides, and the abdomen muscles, thereby, stretching and toning it. You will simultaneously feel a good stretch in your legs muscles. This pose lengthens the leg muscles – the hamstring, and the calves. You don’t have to worry about being stiff and tight for even if you bend your knees, you’ll feel the muscles at the back of your thighs stretching.

Unlike the other inversions, this is the simplest of them all and can easily be done by beginners. These inversions are great and help in circulating blood to the brain. It increases focus by relieving any stress or anxiety. Recharge!

Downward facing dog elongates and strengthens the spine and the back muscles by stretching it. This brings in an increased amount of oxygen to the spine, thus increased levels of oxygen supply to all the other parts of the body.

Plank Pose

This pose has multiple benefits. It strengthens the hands, wrist and triceps as you push the hands against the floor and away from the shoulders. This pose does wonder for the spine and the neck muscles. There are around 18 muscles in the neck – the cervical spine – that are responsible for different actions.

Plank requires you to keep your spine absolutely straight thereby strengthening and lengthening the spine. By this, it is also correcting your posture. People these days are suffering from something called a “Text neck” which is developed due to long hours of texting and working on the laptop. Maybe not instantly, however, a few seconds into the plank, you’ll feel a nice stretch in the leg muscles – thighs as well as the muscles on the backside of the thighs. This is the hips and the buttocks being toned and can also alleviate the lower backache.

The Triangle Pose

Well, it’s not only in love that triangles can be painful. This yoga Triangle pose too is quite strenuous but of course for all the good reasons – No Pain, No Gain.

This Triangle pose stretches the side waist as well as the side hips. Very easily are we able to do front and backbends but the sides are what remain perpetually tight. This can cause discomfort and pain which makes it crucial for you to gently and correctly open up your sides.

This pose also strengthens the core muscles and as you rotate your chest towards the ceiling while bending, it opens up your heart and the sense is so significant that you will literally feel it happening.

The Tree Pose

The Tree Pose is one of those asanas that help you to cool down after a vigorous workout session. It helps you to ground by curbing negative emotions and promoting balance. It helps in reducing anxiety and stress thereby promoting focus in life.

It stretches the sides of the legs thus, opening and toning the leg muscles, and strengthening the ankles and feet.

This Tree pose gently corrects the posture, promotes internal balance and increases self-esteem. Being able to stand on one leg, with a good posture and the shoulders ad heart open to the universe, this pose certainly does boost positivity and a sense of pride for self.

The Tree pose encourages you to breathe correctly and deeply. This is relaxing and is beneficial for reducing anxiety and tension.

Warrior Pose

These warrior poses are some of the most important poses in yoga.

Warrior Pose 1 focuses on stretching and strengthening the abs and the muscles of the legs – the calf muscles, hamstring, and the gluteus. This also facilitates the inward rotation of the leg.

The pose performed energetically will result in opening up the heart and increasing body awareness and confidence. Thereby, increasing the body and mind connection. This pose requires you to stand with one leg at the back and the other in the front and the chest protruding out to the universe – thus, helping you to develop courage and inner courage and allowing you to easily open up to the others.

Warrior Pose 2 focuses on the arms, chest, and abdomen, besides the legs. This pose performed correctly, works on literally all the existing muscles of the body promoting endurance.

This pose offers stability and peace within the practice. It is said to release tension in the neck and shoulders enabling you to sleep deeper while having your head to rest on your choice of pillow. When in conflict, tension or stress, this can be the go-to yoga pose that can help release all the negative emotions and leave you feeling lighter and happier.

Warrior Pose 3 This third pose is all about stability and tranquility. Standing with your legs wide apart with trying to find balance. Strengthening and lengthening all the muscles of the spine and stretching the hamstring.

It promotes releasing of the mental resistance and the need to constantly exercise control. This warrior pose 3 encourages you to stay stable, strong and focused even while going through a negative phase. It basically promotes emotional stability and increases your emotional quotient.

Recommended articles by Vivek Roy:

• 9 Prenatal Yoga Poses for Pregnant Women
• 10 Things to Know Before Yoga Teacher Training in India
• 5 of the Most Soothing Yoga Poses to Help You Sleep Better
• 6 Yoga Poses to Increase Happiness and Decrease Stress
• Yoga Poses for Office Workers

About the author:

Vivek Roy is an enthusiastic Yoga blogger and Traveller from India. He has done 200 hours yoga teacher training in India. He loves to travel and share the knowledge of yoga around the world. For more information about him visit his website.