5 YOGA POSES FOR BEGINNERS
5 Yoga Poses for Beginners That’ll Make You Obsessed with Yoga and Mala Beads
Yoga, yoga, yoga; it’s all the rage. Your Instagram feed is filling up with yoga couples doing acro, the park is full of yogis posing out in the wild and pretty much everywhere you look, you see yoga. So you’re wondering, what’s the big deal?
As soon as you start doing yoga, you’ll get it. It provides you with a natural high that can’t be explained and a body to go with it. The intake of oxygen refreshes your mind and spirit while the movements revitalize your body. It’s an incredible feeling that you too will become obsessed with as soon as you start.
But making the switch from the weight racks and aerobic classes to the slowed-down pace of yoga can be tough. Here are five yoga poses for beginners that’ll help you make the transition into this life-changing exercise.
Downward Dog
If there’s one yoga pose for beginners that you’ll definitely want to get used to because you’ll be seeing a lot of it, it’s downward dog.
Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders
Curl toes under and press your palms into the mat, lifting your hips toward the ceiling until your body is in the shape of an inverted V
Press shoulders away from ears and holds for three deep breaths
Dolphin Pose
Similar to the downward dog yoga pose is the Dolphin Pose. This is essentially the same thing, only your arms are bent and you remain on your forearms as opposed to your hands.
Start on all fours with your elbows under your shoulders and close enough together that you can grab the opposite one
Place hands flat on the mat and shift your hips back and up
Point tailbone to the ceiling and draw your shoulders away from your ears
Press chest-deep into your thighs and hold for three deep breaths
Triangle Pose
Another excellent yoga pose for beginners is the triangle pose. It gives you great strength while also enhancing your flexibility.
Stand tall with your feet spread slightly wider than your shoulders
Extend arms out to the sides
Turn your right toes to a 45-degree angle (pointing to the side as opposed to the front)
Slowly bend over your right leg
Reach for the floor (or as far as you can go) and when you have your balance, extend your left hand to the ceiling
Turn your head to your left hand, looking high toward the ceiling
Hold for three deep breaths then repeat for the left side
Cat/Cow Pose
An excellent yoga pose for beginners is the cat/cow pose. It’ll give you an excellent stretch and range of movement that’s certain to make you fall in love with yoga.
Start on all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders
Press your palms into the mat
As you inhale, curl your back, letting your head get heavy and your tailbone reach for the ceiling
Exhale and lower your tailbone to the neutral position
Warrior Pose
To show you how yoga helps strengthen muscles, try this one last yoga pose for beginners. You’ll also be using plenty of this yoga pose well throughout your practice. So, it’s a good one to perfect.
Start standing with your legs planted slightly further than your shoulders
Turn right foot 90-degrees (similar to a lunge) and extend your arms out to the sides
Bend your right knee 90-degrees without extending it over your ankle
Look out towards your right hand and hold for three deep breaths
Repeat on the opposite side.
Grab your Mala beads and incorporate them into your newfound love for yoga. Meditation is a key component to unleashing the full benefits of yoga for beginners.