Yoga helps you develop greater body awareness, which can improve your mental calmness. It also strengthens the back, shoulders, and arms and helps to improve balance.
Beginner yoga poses include Downward-Facing Dog, which stretches the front of your body and strengthens your legs and back. Another beginner pose is Bridge, which stretches the back of your body.
Downward-Facing Dog
The Downward-Facing Dog, or Adho Mukha Svanasana, is one of the most well known yoga poses. It is repeated throughout Sun Salutations and countless vinyasa flows and it is often the first pose that beginners learn.
It stretches the hands, arms, shoulders and back while strengthening the legs, ankles and feet. It can also help alleviate chronic low back pain, which researchers have linked to weak muscles. Beginners may find it challenging to hold the weight of their body with the feet floating in the air, which is why a rolled up blanket under the heels or blocks under the hands can help.
Warrior II
Warrior II, or Virabhadrasana II, is a standing pose that builds strength and stability in your legs and core. It also improves your posture long term and helps you balance.
To maintain the proper alignment of the spine, you must engage both the back and front leg muscles. The external oblique muscle of the front leg and the internal oblique muscle of the back leg both contract concentrically to rotate the chest toward the side.
Some people may have a tendency to let their front knee fall inward as they perform this pose. Avoid this by keeping the knee directly above – and not in front of – the ankle.
Tree Pose
Tree Pose strengthens the legs and core, opens the hips and stretches the inner thigh and groin muscles. It also helps with balance, and this is especially useful as we age, when falling becomes a common problem.
This pose can be challenging, but beginners can find benefits even with some practice. It improves the use of the chest, rib cage, diaphragm and intercostal breathing muscles.
For a more advanced variation, try closing your eyes to make the pose harder. You can also put your top foot in the inner thigh, instead of against the knee.
Tree Twist
Tree Pose is one of the most basic standing yoga poses, but it requires concentration and balance. It strengthens the legs and intrinsic foot muscles, re-aligns the spine and opens the chest, shoulders and back. It also encourages feelings of connectedness and empathy.
Another benefit of the pose is that it helps in detoxification of the body by compressing and releasing organs in the digestive tract. It also benefits the spine and nerves by improving their condition. It is an excellent pose for people suffering from low blood pressure as it improves circulation to the brain.
Camel Pose
Camel Pose, or Ustrasana, is an intermediate back bending yoga pose that challenges the yogi to balance body weight against gravity. It is more accessible than other backbends such as pigeon or wheel poses. The pose can be challenging for new yogis and should be approached carefully with warm-up exercises and proper guidance to avoid injury.
This pose activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting stress reduction and relaxation. It is also believed to stimulate the abdominal muscles and help with digestion. For women, this posture may provide relief from menstrual discomfort.
Wall Pose
The Wall Pose, also known as Viparita Karani, is a simple and deeply restorative posture. It stretches and strengthens the back, hamstrings, hips, and pelvis while elongating the legs. It also strengthens the knee joints and reduces a hunchback.
It’s easy to modify this posture by adjusting your distance from the wall or using props like a bolster and blanket stack. This helps enhance comfort and encourages longer stays in the pose. When practiced for a prolonged period, the Wall Pose promotes stronger blood flow to the head and neck.
Tree Inversion
This inversion strengthens the wrists and arms and also stretches the back muscles. It is a good pose to practice before moving on to more advanced inversions because it teaches how to stack the shoulder over the wrist without putting any pressure on the joints.
Inversions boost blood flow to the brain and body, which energizes the mind and body. They also increase lung capacity.
When practicing inversions, always use props if needed. Also, listen to your body. If it hurts or you are experiencing discomfort, back off and reassess your practice.