9 Best Yoga Poses For Beginners (2024)

If you’re looking for an elixir for your tech neck and aching back—along with your mental health—roll out your yoga mat for some simple relief. Don’t consider yourself a yogi? No problem.Even basic yoga posesoffer tremendous benefits.

Yoga can help with back pain, flexibility, stress reduction, mood and sleep, according to Ai Mukai, M.D., a board certified physiatrist with Texas Orthopedics in Austin, Texas. To get started, try these beginner yoga poses.

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1. Corpse Pose | Savasana

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Health benefit:Savasana might look more like a snooze fest than a yoga pose, but it’s actually one of the best yoga poses for your overall health and well-being. By focusing on your breath while relaxing your body, you can release tension and potentially lower your heart rate, giving both your body and mind a boost. Research shows it can also help with diabetes management.

Savasana is one of the best yoga poses for beginners, according to Sage Rountree, co-owner of the Carolina Yoga Company and author ofEveryday Yoga. “If you can lie there, you can do it [corpse pose],” she says.

How to do it:

  • Lie down on your back with your head and limbs resting on the floor and relax. Or, if you’re more comfortable on your side, find a side-lying position that works for you.
  • Use props like a block and/or a blanket as needed.

2. Legs Up the Wall | Viparita Karani

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Health benefit:Legs up the wall promotes relaxation while stretching your hamstrings and supporting your circulatory system. Elevating your legs above the level of the heart helps support the flow of blood back to your heart, decreases any leg swelling and/or feelings of fatigue, according to Dr. Mukai.

How to do it:

  • Sit with your right side flush against a wall.
  • Resting your left elbow on the floor, rotate and raise your legs up the wall while lowering your torso so that you’re lying on your back with your heels against the wall.

3. Cat-Cow Stretch | Marjaryasana-Bitilasana

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Health benefit:Cat-cow stretch is one of the best yoga poses for back pain and flexibility, Gary Soffer, M.D., an integrative medicine specialist at Yale Medicine, describes it as “a gentle but dynamic set of two poses that helps loosen all of the back muscles.” It does this by helping mobilize the joints in the spine.

How to do it:

  • Get on your hands and knees, with your neck in a neutral position.
  • Keep your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
  • Inhaling into cow pose, arch your back so that your belly approaches the mat, lifting your chest and chin.
  • Exhale into cat pose, drawing your navel in while rounding your back and letting gravity drop your head toward the floor.

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4. Downward Facing Dog | Adho Mukha Shwanasana

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Health benefit:Downward facing dog is one of the most versatile beginner yoga poses you can find. It not only helps with back pain and core strength, but also promotes flexibility from head to toe. It creates traction in the lower back, which takes pressure off the spine, according to Dr. Mukai. Meanwhile, your hamstrings and calves also get a good stretch.

How to do it:

  • Begin by resting your hands and knees on the floor.
  • Press the balls of your feet into the floor and straighten your legs, raising your hips to the ceiling and pressing your shoulders down and back. Be mindful to not hyperextend your knees.
  • Try bending one knee at a time to experience a deeper stretch through your hamstrings and calves.

5. Knees to Chest | Apanasana

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Health benefit:By stretching your lumbar spine, this beginner yoga pose promotes flexibility and helps manage back pain. Once you’re situated, rocking gently from side to side can give your lower back muscles a massage. “This is a place where we often hold tension that can be at the root of back pain,” says Dr. Soffer.

How to do it:

  • Lie on your back with bent hips and knees while pressing your hands against your knees.
  • Exhale while hugging your knees to your chest and drawing your navel in toward your spine.
  • As you inhale, return to the starting position.

6. Bridge Pose | Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

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Health benefit:Bridge pose promotes core and glute strength and, in doing so, helps prevent back pain. “This pose simultaneously strengthens your core and your lower back muscles,” says Dr. Soffer. “The stronger your core, the less work your back needs to do.” This pose is also beneficial because it stretches the front of the hips, which can get tight after sitting for long periods of time.

How to do it:

  • Lie on your back with your arms by your sides.
  • With your feet about hip-width apart, bend your knees, keeping your feet flat on the floor directly under your knees.
  • Engaging your core and glute muscles, raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.

7. Cobbler’s Pose | Baddha Konasana

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Health benefit:Also known as bound angle pose, this basic yoga pose helps with flexibility, according to Dr. Soffer. By letting gravity lower your knees, it opens up your hips. In fact, a study performed on people with diabetes showed that, in combination with other yoga asanas, it improved subjects’ total cholesterol, blood glucose and overall sense of well-being.

How to do it:

  • Sitting with your legs extended in front of you, bend your knees and bring your heels toward your body.
  • Let your knees fall out to either side while pressing the soles of your feet together.
  • Draw your heels as close to your body as comfortably possible.
  • Maintain an elongated spine, pressing your shoulders down and away from your ears.

8. Chair Pose | Utkatasana

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Health benefit:In this pose, you mimic sitting in a chair, as you hold a static squat with your feet together. Chair pose is “super” for developing both upper and lower body strength, particularly in your glute and back muscles, according to Rountree. It also helps with balance, especially if you lift your heels.

How to do it:

  • Standing with your feet together, bend your knees and sink your hips back so that your thighs are as close to parallel to the floor as possible. Be mindful to keep your knees tracking behind your toes, really reaching your hips toward an invisible chair behind you.
  • Keeping your chest lifted and your knees together, raise your arms up, pressing your shoulders down and away from your ears.

9. Locust Pose | Salabhasana

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Health benefit:Locust pose is great for both flexibility and back pain, says Rountree. It serves as an antidote to the forward hunched posture we so often adopt in our daily lives.

How to do it:

  • Lie on your stomach with your forehead on your mat and your arms at your sides, palms facing down.
  • Keeping your neck in a neutral position, arch your back and lift your chest, arms and legs off the floor.
  • Raise your arms so they are parallel to the floor and stretch from your shoulders through your fingertips, keeping your gaze forward and your neck long.
  • Maintain this position for three to five breath cycles, then return to the starting position.

As you experiment with basic yoga poses, Rountree suggests easing into a sustainable routine. Even 10 minutes a day is a great starting point. “Don’t be afraid to do just a little bit on your own at home,” she says. “A little bit a couple times a day is going to be way better for your body than to binge on a huge amount once a week.”

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Sources

Golec de Zavala A, Lantos D, Bowden D.Yoga Poses Increase Subjective Energy and State Self-Esteem in Comparison to “Power Poses.”Frontiers in Psychology.2017;8:1-12.

Ni M, Mooney K, Harriell K, Balachandran A, Signorile J.Core muscle function during specific yoga poses.Complementary Therapies in Medicine.2014;22(2):235-243.

Malhotra V, Singh S, Sharma SB, et al.The Status Of NIDDM Patients After Yoga Asanas: Assessment Of Important Parameters.Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research.2010;4:2652-2667.

9 Best Yoga Poses For Beginners (2024)

FAQs

What should a beginner of yoga learn first? ›

Start with postures, or yoga asanas, such as downward-facing dog, child's pose, and savasana. In each pose, focus on pressing your hands or feet into the floor, lengthening your spine, and relaxing your hips.

Which yoga pose has the most benefits? ›

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

One of yoga's most widely recognized poses, Adho Mukha Svanasana strengthens the core and improves circulation, while providing a delicious, full-body stretch.

What is the best yoga pose to lose belly fat? ›

Plank pose or Chaturanga

A wonderful asana for building strength and working on the core, this posture burns tummy fat and helps in toning all the muscles. It also works on the thighs, arms and shoulders, as well as strengthens the spine.

How many minutes of yoga should a beginner do? ›

Yoga is a low-impact exercise that can help burn calories and reduce stress. You can commit to a consistent routine and see results faster by doing yoga daily. Daily sessions of at least 30 minutes are a great way to start. Vinyasa-style classes are the best for weight loss.

What is the easiest form of yoga for beginners? ›

Hatha yoga is always recommended for beginner yogis as it's considered a gentler form of yoga. It is, traditionally, a slower-moving class where you hold each pose for a few breaths while maintaining a focus on improving posture.

Can you learn yoga by yourself? ›

Technically you can learn yoga by yourself. However, you will spend more time and money doing so to become a skilled practitioner and run a greater risk of injury. The best approach when learning yoga on your own is to find a high-quality online course.

How do I start yoga by myself? ›

Launching a Self-Guided Practice
  1. Find a space and time in your home where you can practice without interruption. ...
  2. Write down the flow you'd like to practice, beginning with a short centering, just like in a yoga class. ...
  3. Set a timer and commit to that time on the mat. ...
  4. Always leave time at the end for silence and stillness.

What is the most beneficial yoga pose? ›

Types of Yoga Poses for the Beginners
  • Downward Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) ...
  • Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) ...
  • Warrior I Pose (Virabhadrasana I) ...
  • Plank Pose (Phalakasana) ...
  • Corpse Pose (Savasana) ...
  • Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) ...
  • Cat Stretch (Marjariasana) ...
  • Easy Pose (Sukhasana)

Is it OK to just do yoga everyday? ›

Can You Do Yoga Every Day? Yes, Mariana says, it's safe to do yoga every day, and you'll most likely experience a handful of great benefits from a daily practice. But there are some signs that you should slow down, take a break, or even speak to a doctor or physical therapist.

What is the best time to do yoga in the morning? ›

The traditional yogic texts state that the hours between 4am and 6am are most conductive for meditation and yoga practice because the mind is at its most still and the rest of the world hasn't yet sprung into action, so there's a sense of stillness in the air.

What is the king of all yoga poses? ›

Sirsasana or headstand is described as the king of all the poses in the literature on yoga. This may be because it might be a cure for major issues like back pain, common cold, and depression.

What type of yoga class is good for beginners? ›

Hatha yoga is typically the most common and introductory yoga style most people will experience when attending a Yoga class for the first time. This class follows a Iyenger-style format which is a structure focusing heavily on form, detail, precision, and alignment from a series of Yoga postures, also known as Asanas.

Which yoga should be done first? ›

In hatha yoga the sequence is – Asanas first, then Pranayama, Mudras and Bandhas. Lastly one should sit quietly in a meditative pose. In the systematic science of Hatha Yoga, you must firstly prepare the physical body because it is the grossest manifestation of prana.

How long should you hold a yoga pose for beginners? ›

On average, an instructor will have you hold a pose for three to five breaths (around 30 seconds). However, if a pose is feeling really nice and you want to stay in it for longer, then do it. Yoga is about connecting the body and mind. It is about listening to your body and creating a practice that best suits you.

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