Simple Yoga Poses

Sometime we hear our friends said that "I'm not flexible enough to do yoga", but that is no excuse. Everyone had to be a beginner at some point, even the yoga instructors were beginners when they started. It all depends on the individual. If you want to do yoga, just do it. If you don't want to do yoga, then don't do it. People are eager to learn yoga due to their huge benefits and I myself am very interested in doing yoga. I am also a beginner so you are not alone. I am very stiff so it's going to be a bit hard at first but ones we practice it everyday, it's going to get easier. Baby steps to train our body and mind for the better. You know what they say "Good things come to those who work hard and never give up".

YOGA POSES FOR BEGINNER

1) Mountain Pose

  

         Mountain Pose is the base for all standing poses; it gives you a sense of how to ground in to your feet and feel the earth below you. Mountain pose may seem like “simply standing,” but there is a ton going on.

2) Downward Facing Dog

           

         Downward Dog is used in most yoga practices and it stretches and strengthens the entire body.

3) Plank

           
          Plank teaches us how to balance on our hands while using the entire body to support us. It is a great way to strengthen the abdominals, and learn to use the breath to help us stay in a challenging pose.

4) Triangle

            

            Triangle is a wonderful standing posture to stretch the sides of the waist, open up the lungs, strengthen the legs and tone the entire body.

5) Tree

          Tree is an awesome standing balance for beginners to work on to gain focus and clarity, and learn to breathe while standing and keeping the body balanced on one foot.

6) Warrior 1

           Warrior poses are essential for building strength and stamina in a yoga practice. They give us confidence and stretch the hips and thighs while building strength in the entire lower body and core. Warrior 1 is a gentle backbend; and a great pose for stretching open the front body while strengthening the legs, hips, buttocks, core and upper body.

7) Warrior 2

         

         Warrior 2 is an external hip opener and opens up the inner thighs and groin. It’s a good starting point for many side postures including triangle, extended angle and half moon balance.

8) Seated Forward Bend

           It’s important to incorporate a forward bend in yoga practice to stretch the hamstrings, lower and upper back and sides. Seated forward bend is the perfect fold for everyone to start to open up the body and learn to breathe through uncomfortable positions. If you feel any sharp pain, you need to back off; but if you feel the tension when you fold forward and you can continue to breathe, you will slowly start to loosen up and let go.

9) Bridge Pose

            A counter pose to a forward bend is a back bend. Bridge is a good beginner’s back bend that stretches the front body and strengthens the back body.

10) Child's Pose

              Every one needs a good resting pose and Child’s pose is an awesome one not just for beginners but for yoga practitioners of all levels. It’s good to learn child’s pose to use when you’re fatigued in Down Dog, before bed at night to work out the kinks, or anytime you need a mental break and stress/tension relief.

*Learn how to do it the right way (The 10 Most Important Yoga Poses for Beginners)

YOGA POSES FOR FLEXIBILITY

1) Standing Forward Fold 

          This pose stretches your lower back and your hamstrings. I recommend doing this pose at the beginning of most yoga practices for a minimum of 30 seconds and a maximum of three minutes. Be careful not to come back to standing too quickly since you may get dizzy. Rise up slowly with a strong core.

2) Standing forward fold with shoulder opener

    

            

           Here we add a shoulder stretch to your forward fold. You’ll receive all the same benefits as the forward fold along with more flexible shoulders.

3) Downward dog

         Downward dog strengthens your shoulders and arms while stretching your hamstrings, calves, and achilles tendons. From wrists to hips and hips to heels, create one line as straight as you can make it. Beginners, bend your knees slightly in order to lengthen the spine. 

4) Crescent pose

           This is a great pose because it strengthens and stretches at the same time. You strengthen the front leg while stretching the hip flexor of the back leg. Crescent pose is sometimes referred to as a high lunge. Crescent pose also improves balance and your ability to focus by steadying your gaze on one unmoving point.

5) Pyramid pose

            This pose will stretch your hamstrings and lower back. It will strengthen your quadriceps, feet, and shin muscles.

6)  Child’s pose

           
     Considered a resting pose, this yoga pose stretches your shoulders, lower back, quads, ankles, the tops of the feet, and shins. Hold this pose up to two minutes to gently open the groin, thighs, and hips.

7) Easy pose 

          Here we open the hip and stretch the glutes, knees, and ankles. If you lean forward, you’ll also stretch the lower-middle back.

8) Butterfly 

          This one stretches your inner thighs, adductors, and groin. It’s one of the tightest places in the body, and that means it needs some tender loving care.

9) Spinal twist

           
        Spinal twists are a wonderful way to increase your lateral flexibility. This pose stretches the spine, neck, and the shoulders. Don’t ever push too hard since pain is never the goal in yoga. If your back does crack and there is no pain, don’t be alarmed. It’s usually safe, and actually healthy, for your spine to realign itself.

*Learn how to do it the right way (9 Yoga Stretches to Increase Flexibility)

Yoga is many things but causing injury is not one of them. So if feel any pain while doing yoga, go see a doctor and seek advice because some people can't to certain yoga poses due to some health problems. As a beginner, you may not be flexible enough for the hard yoga poses. So start with the simple ones (Beginner stage). After your body becomes more flexible, you can try the harder yoga poses.You don't have to force your body to do it like the pictures. There are stages for your to become flexible. Do it regularly to get result faster but remember to not push yourself too hard because you might get injured. Have fun doing yoga and experience the magical changes to your body that yoga offers.

Blogger's Note: If you're a new reader please read the previous posts to get some other tips. I welcome you to share any of your tips and thoughts on this topic 😊