Practicing yoga can help people deal with stress, improve their physical well-being and increase their mental clarity. However, beginners should be careful not to overstretch, as it can cause injuries.
A common pose, child’s pose helps to stretch the back and neck muscles (common sites of tension). Spread your fingers wide and try not to squeeze the shoulder blades together.
Lunge
The lunge is a powerful standing pose that combines strength, balance, back bending and heart opening. It improves hip and knee joint function, alleviates lower back pain and strengthens the leg muscles, hip flexors and core.
The best part about lunges is that they target multiple muscle groups with relative ease — but only if you get the form right. When done incorrectly, lunges can put a lot of stress on the joints and cause long-term damage.
To do a proper lunge, start by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Then move your front foot down into a lunge position, aiming for the point where your back knee is an inch from the ground.
Warrior II
Warrior II is a powerful standing posture that builds strength and balance in the legs, hips, core and chest. It is often used as a transition between other standing poses and is an important part of flowing yoga sequences.
A common alignment suggestion for this pose is to square the pelvis to the long edge of the mat. However, for many people this places excessive stress on the front knee and compresses the lower back.
Instead, try to stack your knee directly over the ankle and focus on keeping your shoulders over your feet. If you have trouble with this, try practicing chair warrior as an alternative.
Bridge
Bridge pose, or setu bandha sarvangasana, is a beginner backbend that strengthens the spine and stretches the chest, shoulders, and neck. It helps to open the lungs and calm the brain.
Those with neck or shoulder problems should not do this pose, as it can strain those areas. It is also important not to overarch the spine. This can reduce the benefits of the pose, as well as increase stress levels.
To avoid overarching, try placing a block under your sacrum (the flat part of your lower back). Squeezing the adductor muscles of your inner thighs can help. This is a great preparatory pose for advanced arm balances like Crow or Handstand.
Tree Pose
Tree pose strengthens the thigh, hip and buttock muscles while challenging balance. It also teaches students to find and honor their body’s limits, encouraging a sense of strength and resilience both on and off the mat.
To prep for this balancing posture, practice poses that open the hips and work on your drishti, or focus on a single point in front of you to help keep your balance. Practicing Tree Pose with the support of a wall also helps reduce strain on the knees and ankles.
Alternatively, to lessen the balance challenge, bring your left foot against the inner side of your right ankle, calf or thigh instead of pressing into the knee, which can destabilize the joint and the pose.
Camel Pose
Camel pose, also known as Ustrasana, is a deep backbend that strengthens the wrists and arms. It tones the belly and spine, and improves spinal flexibility. It can be a challenging pose for beginners. To practice this posture safely, it’s important to warm up with poses like pigeon and lizard pose before trying Camelsana.
To help students gain the strength and stability needed to hold this posture, teachers can have them place blocks at their feet for support. They can also have students practice the pose with their hands pressed against the wall for added support. This helps students build up the confidence necessary to engage in a challenging backbend.
Seated Twist
Seated Twist, also known as Ardha Matsyendrasana or Half Lord of the Fishes Pose, strengthens the back side of the body while improving circulation and stimulating digestion. This yoga twist also strengthens and tones the abdominal muscles, particularly the obliques.
For beginners to yoga, the seated twist position can be challenging since it requires major flexibility in the hips and thighs as well as a large opening through the back quad. It is recommended that yoga students with spinal injuries avoid attempting this posture. Pregnant women should also avoid this pose as it can compress the abdomen and potentially harm the developing fetus.