Yoga is an incredible mind-body exercise practiced by people around the world for centuries. It focuses on the overall wellbeing and growth, making you feel better in a way that you have never imagined. Yoga does more than just shed off those extra pounds. When you practice yoga asanas and breathing techniques, it releases certain chemicals that make you feel euphoric. If you haven’t started doing yoga yet, begin now. In this article, we have listed three yoga poses for beginners. Check it out!
Reasons You Should Start Doing Yoga Immediately
Have a look at these mind-blowing benefits of yoga.
- Decreases stress
- Improves heart health
- Treats lower back pain
- Reduce chronic pain
- Strengthen muscles and bones
- Stretches your body
- Increases concentration levels
- Fights anxiety and depression
- Improves lung capacity
- Improves the quality of life
Types of Yoga for Beginners
Given below are some of the main types of yoga for beginners.
- Hatha yoga – Known as the ‘yoga of force’, Hatha yoga emphasizes strengthening and purifying your body.
- Iyengar yoga – This type of yoga focuses on the alignment and uses props such as wooden blocks, chairs, bolsters, and blankets to help you achieve and hold difficult poses.
- Bikram yoga – Usually practiced in a hot root, Bikram yoga involves a set of 26 postures that are practiced twice per session. First, you perform standing and balance poses followed by twisting postures, backbends, and forward bends, and twisting postures.
- Ashtanga yoga – Also known as power yoga, ashtanga yoga is fast-paced and focuses on building endurance and strength.
Yoga Poses for Beginners
It doesn’t matter whether you are 6 or 80, fat or slim, flexible or not, yoga is for everyone. Leave behind all the apprehensions and start doing yoga. Here we have listed some easy and effective yoga poses for beginners.
Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
Method:
- To begin this yoga pose, stand straight with your hands on the hips and keep your feet slightly apart. Then, stretch your hands forward and ensure that your palms are facing down. Your arms should be straight, and you must not bend your elbows.
- Slowly bend down your knees when your feet no longer feel the tripod effect. Now push your pelvis down in such a way that you are seated in an imaginary chair.
- Raise your hands overhead. Make sure that your palms are facing each other. If your low back starts to overarch, draw your lower ribs toward your hip points. Make sure not to overdo it. Stay in this posture for five breaths.
- Finally, push firmly through your feet to extend the legs and release your hands by the sides.
Benefits:
Practicing Utkanasana stretches your hips, spine, and chest muscles. It is one of the best yoga asanas to boost immunity. Regular practice of Utkanasana can impart a sense of balance in your body and great determination to the mind. It helps you lose weight, especially in the butt region and tones your legs.
Naukasana (Boat Pose)
Method:
- Start this pose by lying down flat on the floor.
- Keep your feet together and hands on your sides. Ensure that your hands are straight and fingers outstretched towards the toes.
- Breathe in. As you breathe out, lift up your chest and feet from the ground.
- Now, stretch your hands toward the feet and feel the tension in your belly area as the abdominal muscles contract.
- Put your entire body weight on the buttocks. Your eyes, fingers, and toes should be all in one line. Inhale and remain in this posture for a few seconds.
- Slowly exhale and bring your body to the initial position.
Benefits:
Naukasana is one of the best yoga poses for beginners that strengthens the abdominal muscles, arms, thighs, and shoulders. It improves and regulates your digestion, including easing the symptoms of constipation and alleviating excess gas. This is also one of the best yoga asanas for anxiety and depression.
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Method:
- Stand straight with your legs and feet joined together. Then, slightly bend your knees and straighten them to loosen your joints.
- Try focusing on a particular spot to avoid distractions.
- Lift your knee cap, firm your thigh muscles and turn them inwards. Make sure not to harden your lower belly.
- Now strengthen the inner arches of your ankles while lifting them. After that, lengthen your tailbone, lift your chest up, push your shoulder blades back, and widen your collarbones.
- Gently raise your head and lengthen your neck.
- Keep breathing deeply. As you inhale, feel your breath travelling from your toes, stomach and up to the head. While exhaling, feel your breath going down starting from your head to the stomach and finally your feet.
- Breathe in and gently raise your toes.
- Stretch your shoulders, arms and chest upwards. Let your toes balance your body weight. Stay in this position for a few seconds and go back to your initial position.
Benefits:
Tadasana improves your posture and can be considered as one of the effective yoga poses to increase height. Regular practice of this asana can tone your legs, abdomen and buttocks effectively.
Apart from these 3 yoga asanas, a beginner can also try doing the below-mentioned yoga asanas for a healthy body:
- Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana
- Virabhadrasana
- Kumbakhasana
Yoga Tips to Get You Started
If you are a newbie to yoga, these tips can help you get started.
- Buy a sticky mat
- Familiarize yourself with beginner-friendly poses
- Dress comfortably
- Notice your breathing
- Once you are done with your asanas, relax with savasana
How Much Yoga Should a Beginner Do?
No matter if you are a beginner or an expert, the more often you practice yoga asanas, the faster you will witness the results. But, when you are new to yoga, your body will take time to get adjusted with certain poses, so it is ideal to practice yoga under the guidance of an expert yoga instructor. Start off with easy and basic yoga for beginners as mentioned in this article.
If you are a beginner, then sometimes you might experience soreness in the first few weeks. This means that you are using a combination of using muscles in a different way or challenging those muscles to do more. Sometimes, you may also experience a deep release in muscles, like hamstrings, hip flexors and chest muscles that can lead to soreness too. When this happens, don’t panic! Understand that this is normal and will subside as your bodies get more used to the practice.
It is always best to practice these yoga asanas under the guidance of an expert yoga practitioner. If you are someone with health issues, make sure to discuss with a doctor before you start doing these exercises.
