20 Best Yoga Poses for Beginners 2024
If you are taking your first steps in everything related to yoga, it is natural to feel overwhelmed by the variety of poses that exist. However, yoga is a practice accessible to everyone, and starting with the right poses can lay the foundation for a great experience. In this post, we will tell you what yoga poses are, how they are classified, which ones to start with, and we will give you some practical tips so you can make the most of the benefits of this discipline.
What are yoga poses?
Yoga postures, also known as asanas, are the fundamental physical positions and practices that make up this discipline. It is through the asanas that yoga allows us to strengthen, flexibilize, and balance the body, as well as calm the mind and promote our overall health and well-being. Yoga recognizes the connection between body, mind, and spirit, and the postures are a tool to explore and cultivate this connection.
Each yoga posture has its own characteristics and benefits, as while some postures focus on flexibility and muscle stretching, others work on strength and balance.
What are yoga postures for?
Yoga postures serve various physical, mental, and emotional purposes, which we explain and discuss below:
- Muscle strengthening: When practicing yoga we must hold a certain position for a certain time; by doing so we work muscular and joint endurance, which strengthens over time.
- Flexibility and joint mobility: Yoga postures help stretch and lengthen muscles, tendons, and ligaments, which improves flexibility and range of motion in the joints.
- Posture improvement: By working on the proper alignment of the body in different postures, yoga helps correct poor posture that often causes chronic pain, muscle tightness, and other discomforts.
- Reduction of stress and anxiety: The practice of yoga postures, combined with conscious breathing and mindfulness, reduces stress and anxiety levels, promoting relaxation and mental calm.
- Improvement of balance and coordination: Many asanas require a certain balance and coordination, so their constant practice improves these skills.
- Stimulation of the circulatory and lymphatic systems: Yoga postures that involve inversions or compressions improve blood circulation and stimulate the lymphatic system, all of which helps eliminate toxins from the body.
- Support for emotional and mental health: It is widely proven that practicing yoga helps cultivate greater self-awareness, promoting acceptance and self-esteem.
How are yoga postures classified?
There is no single way to classify yoga postures, so we explain below the different criteria used today:
By level of difficulty
Yoga poses can be classified according to their level of difficulty, which ranges from beginner to advanced. This is the most common form of classification, as it provides a guide on where to start practicing this ancient discipline.
By muscle group or body part
Some yoga poses focus on stretching, strengthening, or aligning specific muscle groups, such as legs or upper body. For example, forward bends serve to stretch and strengthen back muscles, while balance poses focus on strengthening abdominal muscles.
By type of pose
Another way to categorize asanas is according to how they should be performed. That is, we can classify them as standing poses (like tree or warrior), seated poses (like lotus pose or child’s pose), inversion poses (like handstand or bridge), forward bends (like standing forward fold or downward dog), backbends (like cobra or camel), among others.
By therapeutic goal
Because yoga can be very therapeutic, there are classifications of poses designed to relieve certain ailments. For example, poses like the cat-cow pose help relieve back pain, while the bridge pose helps improve digestion.
By yoga style
Different styles of yoga have different focuses and emphases on the poses. For example, Hatha yoga focuses on alignment and physical practice, while Kundalini yoga incorporates dynamic poses with breathing techniques and meditation.
What are the best yoga poses for beginners?
If you are thinking about starting to practice yoga and feel a bit lost, don’t worry, it happens to almost all of us. Although incredibly rich and beneficial, this practice can become a bit overwhelming at first, as there are many options and a lot of information about it. To make the process a little easier for you, here are the 20 best poses to start practicing yoga:
Tadasana or mountain pose
This basic pose helps you find balance and body alignment.
Utkatasana or chair pose
Strengthens the legs and improves posture.
Uttanasana
Stretches the back of the body and releases tension.
Ardha Matsyendrasana
Improves spinal flexibility and promotes digestion.
Bitilasana-Marjaryasana or cat-cow
Mobilizes the spine and relieves back pain.
Adho Mukha Svanasana or downward-facing dog
Strengthens the whole body and improves circulation.
Bhujangasana or cobra pose
Opens the chest, strengthens the back and improves posture.
Trikonasana or triangle pose
Stretches the sides of the body and improves balance.
Virabhadrasana I or warrior I pose
Strengthens the legs, improves balance and concentration.
Balasana or child's pose
Relaxes the mind and body, ideal for resting between poses.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana or bridge pose
Opens the chest, strengthens the back and glutes.
Salamba Sarvangasana or supported shoulder stand
Calms the mind, improves circulation and digestion.
Viparita Karani
Relaxes the body and mind, reduces stress and anxiety.
Savasana or corpse pose
Achieve deep relaxation and reduce stress.
Vrksasana or tree pose
Improves balance, concentration, and connection with the earth.
Natarajasana or dancer’s pose
Opens the hips, improves flexibility and balance.
Supta Padangusthasana
Stretches the hamstrings and the back of the leg.
Ardha Baddha Konasana or half lotus pose
Opens the hips and improves flexibility.
Paschimottanasana or seated forward bend
Stretches the back of the body and releases tension.
Supta Baddha Konasana or reclined cobbler’s pose
Relax the hips, stretch the inner thighs, and improve circulation.
Tips for performing yoga poses
Finally, here are some simple but very practical tips for you as a beginner:
Be patient and progress gradually
Don’t rush. Yoga is not a competition to see who can reach the most advanced pose fastest. It’s more like a long-distance race where patience and consistency are key. Respect your body’s timing and progress little by little, allowing the practice to develop naturally.
Don’t worry about initial flexibility
Many people get discouraged at the beginning of yoga because they feel they are not flexible enough. Remember that flexibility and strength develop over time and with consistent practice, you don’t have to push your body beyond its limits, and accept where you are in your practice at this moment.
Cultivate concentration through breathing
Concentration is fundamental in yoga, but it is also something that must be cultivated gradually. Use the breath as an anchor for your attention, focusing on consciously inhaling and exhaling during each pose. This will help you calm the mind and be present in the moment.
Communicate any injury or physical limitation
If you have any injury or physical condition that may affect your practice, be sure to inform your yoga instructor. Your instructor can offer you suitable modifications and advice to adapt the practice to your current limitations and needs, avoiding injuries and maximizing benefits.
Use appropriate clothing
It is very important that you feel comfortable and free to move when practicing yoga. If you are constantly bothered by tags, elastics, hot materials, etc., you won’t be able to focus on what you should. Choose brands that not only create quality yoga clothing for women but also have environmental responsibility and use recycled materials. This way, you will not only practice yoga comfortably but also help the planet.
A good example is the brand Fitplanet, an online yoga store that offers sustainable clothing for women, from women’s yoga sets to garments for any other sport.
Below, we leave you images of the sports tops for women, ideal for yoga practice. We also show you some of their other products:
Take advantage of the final relaxation
Take advantage of this time to observe how your body and mind feel after the practice, recognizing the effects of the poses and allowing any tension to dissipate.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is necessary to remember that yoga is a personal process and that each individual will progress at their own pace. You can start with these 20 poses we present to you, but we invite you to keep exploring. If you start with one and it doesn’t work out, don’t get frustrated; remember you are learning. With dedication and perseverance, yoga could perfectly become your new self-care tool, your moment to disconnect from the world to connect with yourself, even if just for a few minutes.
