New to yoga? Start with these gentle poses
What's the story
Gentle yoga poses provide a friendly avenue for beginners to include wellness in their everyday life.
These poses are focused on flexibility, balance, and relaxation, and can be performed by people of all ages and fitness levels.
By adding gentle yoga to a routine, beginners can benefit from enhanced physical well-being and mental clarity.
Here are a few beginner-friendly yoga poses, you can try at home or in a class.
Balance basics
Mountain pose: Foundation of balance
Mountain pose is an essential standing pose that enhances balance and posture.
In this pose, you stand with feet together, arms at the sides, and focus on bringing the body into alignment from head to toe.
This pose promotes awareness of how the body is aligned and stability.
The practice of mountain pose regularly enhances overall awareness of the body and acts as a grounding exercise before diving into difficult poses.
Flexibility flow
Cat-cow stretch: Flexibility boost
The cat-cow stretch is a great way to add flexibility to your spine while getting your body warmed up.
Starting on your hands and knees, this sequence involves arching your back upwards like a cat (cat pose) and then dropping your belly towards the mat (cow pose).
This gentle flow helps release tension in your spine, improves circulation, and prepares your body for more movement.
Restorative rest
Child's pose: Restorative relaxation
Child's pose provides a moment of respite in any yoga practice.
Kneeling on the floor with big toes touching and knees wide, practitioners stretch their arms forward while bringing their torso towards the ground.
The pose gently stretches hips, thighs, and ankles while calming the mind.
Child's pose is perfect for taking breaks between strenuous sequences or simply finding peace in practice.
Full-body stretching
Downward-facing dog: Full-body stretch
Downward-facing dog is one of the most essential yoga poses that stretches and strengthens the body.
Starting on hands and knees, and then lifting hips to form an inverted V, it engages arms, shoulders, hamstrings, and calves.
This pose improves strength, flexibility, circulation, and reduces stress, making it ideal for beginners seeking a holistic wellness approach.