Are you new to Yoga ? Thinking about which asanas to begin with ? Start here with these easy beginner friendly yoga poses that will improve body posture, calm your mind and help you increase your awareness.
Just remember that doing yoga is a slow & gradual process. Be consistent in your practice. As you master these asanas, your body will become more flexible and you can definitely go for difficult challenging poses. But for now have a look at this list of simple yoga poses compiled by Shikha Juneja.
1) Tadasana ( Mountain Pose )
In Sanskrit, Tada means mountain and asana means posture. Tada asana is an elemental or basic yoga pose of all standing poses. Tadasana symbolises stillness, power & stability. To do Tadasana, stand on the mat with your feet 3-5 inches apart. Now interlock your fingers with palms facing upward direction. Inhale breath & raise your arms above your head and at the same time raise your heels and stand on your toes. Look up and feel the stretch in your body. Hold this pose for 3-5 breaths. Exhale and relax. It improves posture, boosts circulation and tones abdominal muscles. You should avoid Tadasana if you have low blood pressure, you are pregnant, you have headache or migraine.
2) Virabhadrasana II ( Warrior Pose II )
The term Vira means warrior, bhadra means auspicious and asana means posture. To do Virabhadrasana II, stand erect at the front of yoga mat, step back your right foot maintaining 4 feet distance between both your feets and both the heels are aligned in a straight line. Raise your arms and look towards your right fingertips. Turn your right toe out & bend your right knee in such a way that your knee is above your ankle and your thigh is parallel to the floor. Hold this pose for 30 seconds. Repeat same steps for other leg also. This asana stretches your hips, groins, shoulders and improves circulation and respiration. People having pain in knees, neck, shoulders, suffering from diarrhoea, spondylitis, weak heart should not do Virabhadrasana II.
3) Balasana ( Child's Pose )
Bala means child and asana means pose. This posture resembles the fetal position. To do Balasana, sit on your heels and move on to a table pose. Exhale and lower your hips to the heels, forehead to the floor and arms alongside the body with both the palms facing upwards. Breathe slowly and hold this asana for 6-10 breaths or as per your convenience. To release yourself, place your palms under the shoulders and inhale upto a seated position. Balasana is a restorative calming pose that relaxes your neck, spine, shoulders & increases blood circulation to your head. It calms down your body, mind and central nervous system. Avoid Balasana if you have high BP, suffering from slip disc, knee injury, vertigo, spondylitis or if you are pregnant.
4) Makarasana ( Crocodile Pose )
Makar means crocodile. In this asana, the body resembles like a crocodile resting in water. To do this asana, slowly lie down on your stomach with feet together & toes pointing outwards. Fold your hands & keep the tip of the elbow on the ground, the elbows should be shoulder length apart. Raise your shoulders head keeping neck straight. Now look ahead, bend your head little forward & place your chin in your palms. Keep your eyes closed and relax the whole body. Maintain this posture for 4-10 breaths. Makarasana helps relax your nervous system, shoulder & spine. Makarasana should not be done if you are pregnant, have back or neck injury or suffering from high blood pressure.
5) Shavasana ( Corpse Pose )
Shavasana also known by the name of Corpse Pose, is a restorative pose often practiced at the end of the yoga session. To do Shavasana, lie down on your back with your eyes closed and your legs spread as wide as the yoga mat. Breathe slowly and deeply. Observe that when you inhale the breath energizes your body and when you exhale your body relaxes. You can hold this pose for 10-20 minutes. If you have back issues then keep a bolster under your knees & towel under your back to give good support.
