If you’re new to the world of yoga, and are thinking of taking up this practice in order to improve your body’s health, then first of all, congratulations!
Yoga is an amazing way to strengthen your muscles and enhance flexibility in order to help you achieve an overall healthier lifestyle. Second of all, if you’re a beginner, you probably also have a whole bunch of questions that you want answered.
Thankfully, that’s where we come in. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the very best beginner friendly poses that you can adopt in order to get started with your yoga practice.
They’re both challenging and easy enough to get started with so that you don’t hurt yourself.
These poses are all a fantastic gateway to more advanced yoga practices, and can even help to prepare you for when you decide to take the plunge and enroll yourself in a yoga class.
It’s always a good idea to get the basics down before jumping straight in.
Why Is Yoga So Beneficial For Your Health?
Now, before we jump straight in and start looking at the best yoga practices for maintaining your body’s health, we’d like to take a closer look at how exactly yoga can improve your health.
Well, one of the primary ways that yoga can be so beneficial is because it enhances both your strength and flexibility.
For those who don’t have the capacity to attend heavy gym sessions and carry weights, yoga is a slow and steady way to increase your body’s strength levels.
In addition to this, yoga has also been proven to be highly beneficial for those who are suffering from chronic pain. Yoga can help to relieve symptoms of conditions such as arthritis and sciatica, releasing the tension built up in the affected areas.
As well as this, it’s also beneficial for the heart, as it lowers inflammation levels in the body, as well as blood pressure.
Finally, yoga is also fantastic for our health, as it helps to reduce the symptoms associated with several different mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression.
The Best Yoga Practices For Maintaining Your Body’s Health
1. Triangle Pose
The first pose that we’re going to get started with is the triangle pose. The triangle pose is great for beginners, and also helps to put your flexibility to the test.
This one is known for working the sides of your waist, as well as toning your whole body. It’s also fantastic in opening up your lungs and all of your airways.
- In order to get started with the triangle pose, the first thing you’re going to need to do is to make sure to stand with your feet flat on the ground, and wide apart from one another, away from your hips. In addition, make sure that your weight is evenly distributed between both of your feet.
- Take a deep breath inwards, then take your right hand, keeping your entire arm straight, and bring it down towards your toes. Reach as far as you can, but don’t worry if you can only get to your shins, your flexibility will increase over time.
- Look up in the direction of the sky, then stay in this position for approximately 10 breaths. After you’ve done this, you can go ahead and do the same on the other side.
2. Bridge Pose
The next pose that we’re going to be taking a look at is bridge pose. Bridge pose is great for all of you out there who want to stretch the front of your body, and strengthen your back region. This one is also great for when you want to quieten your mind.
- Start out by getting into a comfortable position on the ground, lying on your back.
- After you’ve done this, you’re going to want to press your body as firmly as you can against the surface of the ground.
- Whilst you’re pressing down on the pads of your feet, you can then begin to use them to raise your buttocks off of the ground.
- Once you’ve lifted your buttocks and lower back off of the ground, you’re then going to need to bring your hands together so that they’re touching. Interlock them together so that they’re holding on to each other behind your back.
- As you’re in this position, you’re going to want to focus on the pads of your feet, and picture them moving upwards toward your shoulder region, you can actually shift yourself so that you’re pressing back in this way slightly.
- After you’ve done this, you can stay in the position for approximately 10 breaths. Once you’re finished, you can bring your lower torso and buttocks back down to the ground, and then repeat the same process again as many times as you like.
3. Tree Pose
The tree pose is great for both your mental and physical health, as it teaches one of the most important lessons imparted by yoga – balance. This pose requires you to test and work on your own balance, building strength of mind and inner clarity.
For this pose, you’re meant to emulate a sturdy tree that’s unmoved by outside forces.
- To get started with tree pose, the first thing you’re going to want to do is to stand with your feet close to one another.
- After you’re in a comfortable standing position, you can then slowly bring your left leg up the length of your calf, until the pad of it is resting on the surface of your right upper thigh region.
- After you’ve managed to do this, you can then bring both of your hands together until both palms are touching. A tip that we’d give you in order to maintain your balance during this position, is to find something to focus your gaze on, so that you’re not shifting all over the place. In addition to this, if you’re finding it really difficult, then you can lean against a wall or door.
- Stay in this position for 10 breaths (or as many as you can), and then repeat the same process on the other side.
4. Plank Pose
This one is somewhere between beginner and intermediate when it comes to yoga poses. If you’re looking for some great yoga poses that will strengthen your core, then we’d recommend that you practice this one.
Plank pose is fantastic for flattening your stomach, as well as strengthening your hips, lower back, and for overall balance.
- In order to get started with plank pose, you’re going to want to get yourself into the downward facing dog position.
- After you’ve done this, and you’re feeling comfortable, you can then go ahead and shift your shoulders forward as much as you can, so that they’re further ahead than your wrists.
- You’re then going to need to start focusing on your core. It needs to be tight, with your back completely straight. You can do this by focusing on the center of your navel, and imagine drawing this upwards using your muscles. Keep your spine as straight as you can.
- After you’ve done this, you’ll then need to make sure that your hips are evenly aligned too, so that they’re not dropping down to the floor.
- After you’ve done this, then you’re going to want to bring the crown of your head forwards. Push down with your hands against the ground, and lengthen them as much as you can so that they’re straight.
- Hold this for ten breaths, then slowly bring yourself back down to the ground. You can repeat this one as many times as you feel is necessary.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, there are a whole variety of different yoga poses that are beneficial for your health. Yoga is a great way to enhance your flexibility, and strengthen your muscles.
It’s also fantastic for those who are suffering from mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, as it forces you to quieten your mind, and eliminate negative thoughts.
Anyone can get started with the yoga poses outlined above, as they’re all super beginner friendly, and are great to jump right in with. We hope that you found this article helpful, and we wish you all of the best on your yoga journey.
I created this website to help newcomers to yoga and enthusiasts alike, and to share our common passions for yoga.
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