Beginning a fitness journey is challenging especially if one does not know where to start.
Yoga is the best way to begin as it has both physical and mental advantages. Yoga can be a full body and mind workout whether you want more flexibility, greater strength or just want to feel at peace with your inner self. Below are some foundational poses that are perfect for beginners who would like to start their journey towards achieving good health through yoga.
Yoga for Beginners: Poses to Start Your Fitness Journey
Mountain Pose (Tad asana)
Mountain pose forms the basis of all other standing poses. It may appear simple, but it is an important way to develop stability and balance.
How to Do It: Stand with your feet together, arms at your sides. Ground your feet into the mat, engage your thighs, lengthen your spine, and reach your arms overhead or keep them by your sides. Breathe deeply and hold for a few breaths
Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svan asana)
This pose is a common posture in many yoga sessions, and it proffers an excellent full body stretch.
How to Do It: Begin on your hands and knees. Spread your digits widely apart and firmly push the palms down into the mat. Curl toes under and lift your rear towards the sky, creating an upside-down V shape with your body. Only bend the knees a little, if necessary, try to extend the spine.
Warrior I (Virabhadra Ana I)
Warrior I is a powerful stance that strengthens leg muscles and core.
How to Do It: Take one foot forward into a lunge while keeping the back leg straight with heel on the ground. Raise both arms over head while relaxing shoulders. Front knee should be directly over front ankle. Hold for few breaths, then change sides.
Warrior II (Virabhadra Ana II)
Warrior II helps you to open out the hips and strengthen your legs, shoulders and arms.
How to Do It: Start from a standing position with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot 90 degrees out and the left one slightly inwards. Extend your arms sideways at shoulder height. Bend your right knee so that it is directly over ankle, looking towards the right hand. Stay on for a few breaths; then switch sides.
Tree Pose (Vrishasena)
Tree pose works well for improving balance and concentration.
How to Do It: Stand with feet together. Shift weight onto left leg, raising right foot to inner left thigh or calf (avoid knee joint). Bring hands together at chest or reach them overhead. Hold for a few breaths, then switch sides.
Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
Cat-Cow Pose is good to warm up the spine before yoga exercises and stretch out back and neck muscles.
How to Do It: Start on all fours (hands and knees). Inhale as you make an arch on your back lift up your head as well as tailbone towards ceiling (Cow pose). Exhale while you are rounding your spine with chin towards chest (Cat pose). Repeat this several times breathing through it again.
Child Pose (Balavana)
Child pose is a relaxed position that helps in lengthening of the muscles at the back, hips and thighs.
How to do it: Kneel on the mat, with your big toes touching and knees apart. Sit back on your heels, extending your arms forward and rest your forehead on the mat. Breathe deeply and relax.
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandh asana)
Bridge pose strengthens the back muscles, glutes, legs while opening up the chest area.
How to do it: Lie down flat on your back with bent knees and feet about hip width apart. Push into your feet and hands to lift your hips towards the ceiling while clasping fingers together underneath you if possible. Stay for a few breaths then lower down gradually.
Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
This posture gives an intense hamstring stretch.
How to do it: Sit with legs extended straight out in front of you. Inhale as you lengthen through spine. Exhale as you hinge from hips keeping a long spine forward folding over grabbing onto feet or shins. Keep back straight throughout & breathe deeply
Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Most frequently, Savasana is performed at the conclusion of a yoga class to enable relaxation and assistance in pulling together what has been learned.
How to Do It: Lay on your back with your legs straight out and arms beside you at the sides, face up with palms facing upwards. Close your eyes and breathe normally allowing your body to completely relax.
Tips for Beginners
Start Slow:
Do not think of overdoing things right at the start. Listen to your own body as it adjusts slowly.
Use Props:
Yoga blocks, straps and cushions can help you achieve proper alignment and make poses more accessible.
Focus on Breath:
In Yoga breathing is a major part. Always keep an even, deep breath during practice so that you will remain grounded throughout.
Stay Consistent:
Make sure you are consistent like any other routine including exercise because it does work well if practiced regularly which means building strength and flexibility over time.
Conclusion
Beginning one’s journey into fitness with yoga may be one of the most fulfilling experiences ever.
The following simple beginner poses will lay a strong foundation for a routine benefiting both mind and body. Remember that yoga is personal, just listen to what your body says and enjoy the trip.