Top 5 Yoga Poses for Beginners

Does watching Yogis on television motivate you to turn over a new leaf? Do you imagine yourself doing inversions like a pro? If these questions brought a smile on your face and made your heart skip a beat then rest assured, you love Yoga deep down. However, day-dreaming will not bear the fruits you want to devour and it actually takes work and initial efforts to bring in a change. Considering that you are naïve in this arena or someone who has little to no knowledge of this art, here are 5 poses that will help you build up inaugural stamina and flexibility levels for the advanced stages. Before you take a plunge, understand that you do not have to overdo anything or push yourself outrageously or nurture a false belief that you will be a Yogi overnight. Keep this quote, “Rome was not built in a day”, at the back of your mind.

Note: Some of these poses may require you to do both sides as you have to balance the bends for the sake of your spine and the Yoga rules. Moreover, before the session, make sure to warm up a little but by walking briskly for 15-20 minutes for building up some sweat followed by Yoga stretches.

Are you ready to kickstart your fitness journey and open doors to spiritual awakening? Here are Yoga Poses for Beginners decoded along with benefits and contradictions. 

1. Seated Forward Bend or Paschimottanasana

a. Start by exhaling and then gradually inhale raising the head.

b.While releasing the hand, return to the sitting position.

c. Keep the spine straight and touch your toes.

d. Exhale and bend forward while trying to touch your knees with your forehead.

e. Focus on lengthening the spine.

Benefits:

a. Balances menstruation cycles

b. Unclogs pelvic congestions

c. Relieves symptoms of PMS

Contraindications:

a. Avoid if you have undergone a back injury or suffer from Asthma or Diarrhea.

2. Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana

a. Kneel down, palms on the floor and knees behind the tailbone.

b. Stretch your heels, tuck in the tummy, and push the chest a little bit towards the floor.

c. While placing the head between the inner part of the upper arm area, look down towards the floor and breathe normally. Stay in the position as long as you can.

e. Come back to the original kneeling position and relax.

f. End with Balasana.

Benefits:

a. Relieves Anxiety

b. Elevates the wellness quotient

c. Improves brain functions

d. Maintains Spine health

Contraindications:

a. Do not perform if you have undergone a back or arm injury.

3. Reversed Locust Pose or Viparita Shalabhasana

a. Make use of core to lift your legs and shoulders above the ground level.

b. Maintain a calm constant gaze forward and do not put much strain on your neck and back.

c. Hold till 10 and release. Hold each position for about 30 seconds.

Benefits:

a. Strengthens abs and spine

b. Balances Heart and Solar Plexus Chakra

c. Improves digestion

Contraindications:

a. Avoid this pose in case of back or spine injury.

b. Ovulating and Pregnant women must refrain from performing the pose.

4. Chair Pose or Utkatasana

a. Stand in Tadasana and while you inhale deeply, raise your arms towards the roof, keeping them at right angle to the floor.

b. Count 5 and exhale with slowly bending your knees and trying getting your thighs parallel to the floor. Bend in a way that the torso is forms a right angle with the top portion of the thigh.

c. After a count of 10, come back to the same position and repeat for atleast 10 times.

Benefits:

a. Strengthens digestive systems

b. A thigh massaging pose

Contraindications:

a. Avoid if you have undergone any arm or thigh injury or surgery.

b. Avoid if you suffer from Insomnia, low blood pressure or recurring headaches.

c. Practice with care in cases of shoulder injury.

5. Bridge Pose Setu Bandhasana

a. Lie on your back, knees bend, something like a sitting position.

b. Take a deep breath in, suck in your glutes, and lift your back up.

c. Make sure you don’t stress your neck. While you lift the upper body, look up in the sky and hold the breath for 5-10 seconds.

d. As you exhale, come back to the original position, slowly.

Benefits:

a. Builds the glutes and thigh muscles

b. Strengthens the spine and lower back body

Contraindications:

Pregnant females, someone who has gone back surgery, and hernia patient must refrain from doing this pose.

Before You Move Ahead

There are certain points that you need to keep in mind before taking a plunge. Since these are specific yet important Yoga Poses for Beginners, it is important that you follow a protocol:

a. Never let your body undergo pressure or any sort of strain while you accomplish a pose or a part of it.

b. In poses, where there is a raise or part where you have to lift your upper or lower body up, always inhale. While going down or retracting back to the original position, exhale. Make sure you do the process with ease.

c. Never rush a pose as it may cause a lot of problems for your spine and lower back.

d. Be a good disciple and always listen closely to your instructor’s or Guru’s golden advices