Maybe you've been to a few yoga classes and want to figure out the main yoga poses you should be practicing, are brand new to yoga and want to know what to expect, or just are curious to know what the best yoga poses are for beginners. We've compiled a list of our top 10 poses for beginners (roughly in the order you might encounter them in a class) along with their Sanskrit names, the benefits they provide, and a few tips on proper alignment.
Top 10 Basic Yoga Poses for Beginners
- Child's Pose (Balasana)
- Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
- Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
- 4 Limbed Staff Pose (aka Low Plank) (Chaturanga Dandasana)
- Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
- Low Crescent Lunge (Anjanayasana)
- Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
- Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
- Half Pigeon (Ardha Kapotasana)
- Corpse Pose(Shavasana)
Child's Pose (Balasana)
Child's Pose is one of the most common yoga poses you'll come across and is used as a starting pose in many classes. It provides a nice, gentle stretch for the back and the hips. This is also the default resting pose used in yoga classes, so if you're ever feeling overwhelmed or tired during class, drop into child's pose and take a breather.
How to do Child's Pose:
- Come to your hands and knees on the mat in a kneeling position with the tops of your feet flat to the floor
- Bring your big toes together to touch, spread the knees hip width distance apart, and sit the hips back toward the heels
- Lay your torso down on top of, or in between your thighs
- Reach your hands forward and bring your forehead to the mat, making sure to keep space between your shoulders and your ears
Benefits of Child’s Pose:
- To restore and rejuvenate the body and the mind
- Gently stretch the hips, thighs, muscles that support the spine, and ankles
- Relaxes the body allowing breath rate to slow, heart rate and blood pressure to lower
- Relieves stress and calms the mind
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Tadasana is a seemingly simple asana (posture) that actually requires quite a bit of attention to detail. At first glance, you're simply standing there, but there is much more to the pose. It's a great option for improving your body's alignment and posture, developing balance, and easing sciatica pain.
How to do Mountain Pose:
- Stand at the top edge of your mat with your big toes together and your heels slightly apart
- Press through the four corners of your feet, lift your toes and spread them wide apart before putting them back on the mat
- Engage and lift through the quadriceps and glutes
- Navel draws in toward the spine with the tailbone lengthening down toward the floor
- Shoulders pull down away from the ears and broaden through the collarbones, lifting the chest.
- Palms face the front of the room
- Energetically lift up through the crown of the head
Benefits of Tadasana:
- Improves posture
- Helps to develop balance
- Grounding pose, calming the mind and restoring the body
- Increases body awareness
- Foundation of all other poses
Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
One of the most iconic yoga poses, downward facing dog strikes a nice balance between strengthening and stretching your muscles. The pose does an excellent job at toning your arms and legs, opens and strengthens the shoulders, and provides a nice stretch to your hamstrings and calves. You'll commonly run into this pose as part of a Vinyasa in Flow or Power yoga classes.
How to do Downward Facing Dog:
- From all fours, tuck the big toes under, press into the palms to lift the hips back and up
- If the hamstrings are tight, bend the knees, working the heels towards the mat. The heels do not have to touch the mat
- Lift the sit bones up and draw the navel in towards the spine
- Wrap the triceps forward and the biceps back while internally rotating the forearms, pressing through the thumbs and the index fingers
- Pull the shoulder blades down and spread them apart, keeping the head between the arms and lengthening through the back of the neck
- Gaze is between the legs
Benefits of Downward Facing Dog:
- Decompresses the spine and decompresses the abdominal organs
- Strengthens the shoulders, arms, back, and wrists
- Stretches the hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and muscles of the side body
- Calms the mind and energizes the body
- Improves posture
- Encourages blood flow to the head and establishes an inversion practice (postures where the heart is above the head)
4 Limbed Staff Pose (aka Low Plank) (Chaturanga Dandasana)
Another pose you'll use as part of a Vinyasa in Power or Flow yoga classes, Chaturanga truly is a full body asana. The movement is an excellent core strengthener (just like the planks you've done in exercise classes). On top of the benefits to your core, Chaturanga will build arm and shoulder strength, as well as improve your wrist flexibility.
How to do 4 Limbed Staff Pose:
- From high plank position, shift the shoulders forward in front of the wrists, bend the elbows toward 90 degrees
- Keep the upper arms and elbows pull in towards the rib cage
- Maintain a straight line from the head to the heels
- Broaden across the chest and shoulders, keeping the shoulder heads lifted
- Draw the navel in toward the spine, keeping the quadriceps engaged, gaze is forward
Benefits of Chaturanga Dandasana:
- Strengthens arms, shoulders, back, and wrists
- Builds core strength
- Creates heat in the body
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Possibly my favorite asana for those yogis who sit hunched over a computer all day! Cobra Pose is a heart-opening backbend that provides a stretch for your entire upper body. If you have back pain, tight shoulders, or a sore upper body, Cobra Pose can provide much needed relief. Just be sure to ease into it slowly so as not to strain any muscles, especially if you have a sensitive back.
How to do Cobra Pose:
- Lie on the belly with the legs extended and tops of the feet placed on the mat
- Bring the big toes together to touch or slightly apart if this causes any discomfort in the low back
- Press the palms into the mat under the shoulders, framing the chest
- Hug the elbows in toward the midline and lift the heads of the shoulders
- Use the inhale to press the palms into the mat and lift the chest forward and up
- Keep the tops of the feet pressed into the mat and lengthen the crown of the head toward the ceiling, keeping the neck long and avoid pushing the chin forward
Benefits of Bhujangasana:
- Increases spinal flexibility
- Strengthens the erector spinae muscles, which support the spine
- Strengthens the shoulders
- Stretches the chest and lungs
Low Crescent Lunge (Anjanayasana)
As the name implies, this asana will seem familiar to those of you who have done stretching lunges in an exercise class before. And like those lunges, this pose will provide a nice stretch for your groin and thighs. Since you'll also be reaching to the sky with your arms, you'll get the added benefit of opening your chest and feeling the stretch in your shoulders and back.
How to do Low Crescent Lunge:
- From Tadasana, place the hands on the mat in a forward fold, step one foot to the back of the mat and place the knee down, uncurl the toes and press the top of the back foot into the mat
- Keep the front knee stacked over the front ankle, lift the arms and torso up
- Draw the inner thighs toward the midline. Lengthen the tailbone toward the floor and pull the navel to the spine
- Reach the arms up, palms facing eachother
- Gaze is forward or up at the hands
Benefits of Low Crescent Lunge:
- Stretches the hip flexors and lengthens the spine
- Strengthens the front hamstrings
- Raises heart rate and challenges balance
- Prepares the body for larger standing poses and backbends
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
Named for a fierce warrior, Warrior II increases stamina and strengthens the legs and the ankles. Creating strength in the body and strength in the mind, it’s no wonder this asana was named after a warrior. This pose may seem simple, but it builds a fierce focus for many yogis.
How to do Warrior II:
- From Tadasana, step on foot to the back edge of the mat and turn it outwards approaching 45 degrees. The front foot faces forward with the heel of the front foot bisecting the arch of the back foot.
- Spin the back heel down with the blade-side edge of the back foot pressed into the mat
- Bend the front knee toward 90 degrees, the back knee remains straight.
- Pull the front outer hip in and externally rotate the front knee
- Lengthen through the sides and spread the arms wide so the front wrist is over the front ankle and the back wrist is over the back ankle.
- Draw the shoulders away from the ears and spread through the collar bones, chest facing the side wall
- Gaze is to the front middle finger
Benefits of Warrior II:
- Opens hips and stretches the hip flexors
- Strengthens the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves
- Builds stamina and focus
Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
Tree Pose is a balancing, standing posture. It’s known for strengthening the core, building balance, and adding some FUN, yes, I said fun, to your practice. Finding a focal point, or drishti in this posture helps to create intense focus. Just like the name suggests, it allows us to ground down and then reach our branches and grow!
How to do Tree Pose:
- From Tadasana, ground into the four corners of one foot, lift the opposite foot off the mat and place the sole on the inside of the standing leg. Either on the inner thigh of the standing leg or the calf or ankle. Avoiding the knee to prevent injury.
- Bring the hands to heart center and press down through the standing foot. Engage the quadriceps of the standing leg.
- Pull the navel into the spine and lengthen the tailbone down towards the mat
- Reach the arms overhead and let the gaze rise to meet the hands
Benefits of Tree Pose:
- Improves balance and focus
- Stretches inner thighs and groin
- Strengthens legs and ankles
Half Pigeon (Ardha Kapotasana)
Pigeon pose is a common pose to release tension in the hips and muscles of the low back. Many of us store emotions in our hips, so don’t be surprised if this deep hip opening stretch makes you feel all the feels.
How to do Half Pigeon:
- From downward dog, lift one leg, bend the lifted leg and place the knee on the inside of the same wrist
- Place the front foot either inside of the groin or working towards the opposite wrist
- Place the back knee on the mat and extend the back leg, pressing the top of the back foot onto the floor and wrap the outer back hip toward the mat
- With hands on the floor, point the hip bones forward, distributing weight evenly across the pelvis, lift the chest and broaden the collarbones and gently walk the hands forward, dropping the torso toward the mat
- Extend the arms forward, lengthen the torso
- Bring the forehead onto the mat, gaze down or eyes closed
Benefits of Pigeon Pose:
- Stretches the deep muscles of the hips, glutes, and groin
- Can relieve sciatic pain by releasing impinged muscles
- Relieves Stress and creates mental calm and clarity
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Savasana is the final resting pose of almost every yoga practice. Although it can quickly become most yogi’s favorite posture, it is also said to be the most challenging. Many yogis thrive doing forward bends, standing postures, and balancing postures, but can find difficulty in finding stillness and quieting the mind. Once practiced after awhile, Savasana provides pure relaxation and bliss.
How to do Corpse Pose:
- Begin lying down with your back on the mat
- Turn palms facing up towards the ceiling with fingertips soft
- Allow feet to fall to the side edges of your mat naturally
- Relax the legs, arms, torso, releasing all muscle engagement
- Soften the muscles of the neck, jaw, eyebrows, and face. Let the tongue fall from the roof of the mouth
- Close the eyes and release any control of the breath
Benefits of Savasana:
- Relaxes body and resets the parasympathetic nervous system
- Calms the mind and helps to relieve stress
- Lowers blood pressure
- Allows the body and the mind to absorb the benefits of the practice fully
- Enhances recovery from illness or stress and encourages deep rest
