7 Yoga Poses for Beginners

If you are a beginner or trying to learn the best poses to start practicing at home, here are 7 poses you will find in most yoga classes that can be a great foundation to build upon.

Easy Pose: Easy pose is designed to be easy. It is a comfortable seated position where you sit in a cross legged position. Use a blanket to make yourself more comfortable. You can use this post during guided meditations or when doing pranayama (breathwork).

Child’s Pose: This resting pose can be a great position to enter at any point during a yoga class when you just need a few seconds to rest. It gently stretches back, hips and thighs, but you can modify it with a blanket or bolster as needed to make the pose comfortable for your body.

Downward Facing Dog: While this can be a challenging pose for some, this is a very popular pose that is used in most yoga classes. Your hands and feet remain on the ground, with your hips up high. Heels may not touch the floor, but that’s okay. Bend your knees as much as you need to be comfortable and reduce injury.

Note: If you get dizzy easily in inverted positions, be careful with downward facing dog. You may want to modify by dropping into a child’s pose after a few seconds.

Tree Pose: A very popular balancing pose, this can be a good way to regain balance or work on improving your balance, as you can increase the difficulty of the pose over time. Stand on one leg with your other foot resting on the ankle, calf or inner thigh (avoiding the knee). Arms can be at your heart center or extended overhead. You can use a wall or chair for extra stability.

Cat-Cow Pose: This backbend can be as gentle or deep as you would like, helping people who sit for most of the day with spinal extension and flexion. By moving the spine in multiple directions, you can reduce back pain and improve your awareness of your body’s motions.

Spinal Twists: There are many variations of spinal twists, and they can be done seated or laying (or even standing). In a seated variation, you improve your flexibility and range of motion by strengthening through your core and straightening your spine before twisting. Make sure you continue your deep yoga breaths to encourage blood circulation and eliminate toxins.

Savasana: You will end nearly every class with savasana, or corpse pose. It’s a way you can tell your brain and your body that class is ending and you will return to your normal daily schedule. It brings stillness to your mind and body, allowing your physical and mental practice to sink in. This can be a really challenging pose for beginners, despite it just being laying down. We are not used to simply doing nothing, but over time savasana will get better and you will be more comfortable with longer length savasanas.

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