Try These 9 Yoga Exercises for Beginners!

Yoga is a type of ancient exercise that has existed for a long time. Derived from the Sanskrit word yuji meaning unity, yoga is an exercise designed to unite the body and the mind.

That is the exact reason why yoga has become a popular mode of exercise these days. With all the stress we handle on a day-to-day basis, it’s only natural that people are starting to look for a type of exercise that can soothe the mind.

If you’re one of those people who are looking to start yoga, here are 9 yoga exercises for beginners you can try. Each of them comes with its own benefits for your body too.

9 Great Yoga Exercises for Beginners

With so many poses that require flexibility, getting into yoga can admittedly seem a little intimidating.

But remember, even a yoga expert had to start from zero. So, there are bound to be some easy moves you can try as you embark on your yoga journey.

To start it off, here are 9 great yoga exercises for beginners:

1. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)

Source: yogajournal.com

This pose is designed to help you lengthen your spine and loosen any tight hamstrings. It’s also believed to help reduce digestive ailments.

You can do the pose safely by following these steps:

1. Fold over your legs and let your head hang heavy.
2. For stability, keep both legs gently bent with feet hip-width apart.
3. Clasp opposite elbows with opposite hands while swaying gently from side to side.

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2. Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle)

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If you want toned knees, ankles, and thighs, then this pose should be on your must-try list.

The utthita parsvakonasana pose helps reduce the fat around the hips and waist area. On top of that, it also helps increase the contraction of abdominal muscles and improve digestion.

Follow the steps below to successfully execute the pose:

1. Start with standing, then step your feet 3–4 feet apart.
2. Rest your hands on your hips before turning your right foot out so that your toes face the front of your mat.
3. Turn your left foot slightly in then align your right heel with your left heel.
4. Lift your kneecaps toward your thighs.
5. Bring your forearm to your thigh instead of placing it on the floor.
6. Extend your arm upwards and turn your chest toward the ceiling.
7. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you feel a strain while reaching toward the floor, you can opt to place your hand on a block instead. 

3. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)

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The next yoga exercise you can try as a beginner is ardho mukha svanasana.

This pose can help strengthen the muscles in your legs, arms, and shoulders. Furthermore, it can increase the blood flow to your brain and alleviates pain in your lower back.

Here are some steps you can follow to achieve all those benefits:

• Stand on your arms and knees.
• Keep your toes firm and pointing towards the front of your mat.
• Lift your knees off the floor while exhaling, be sure to keep your elbows and knees straight.
• Lift your hips as much as you can to make an inverted V-shape with your body.
• Keep your inner arms touching your ears and hold the position for a few seconds.

4. Downward Facing Dog Split

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Acting as an extension of adho mukha svanasana, this pose is meant to help you build core strength.

After holding the adho mukha svanasana pose for a few seconds, start lifting your leg to do this pose. Just make sure to keep your weight evenly distributed on both your hands while your leg is up in the air.

5. Vrksasana (Tree Pose)

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This next pose is designed to calm the central nervous system and stretch the entire body. 

While doing so, it helps strengthen the legs, open the hips, and improve your neuromuscular coordination and endurance.

Be sure to follow the steps below to attempt the vrksasana pose:

1. Stand straight then balance on your left leg and lift your right leg, make sure it’s bent on at the knee.
2. Place your right foot against the inside of your left thigh with the toes facing downward.
3. Join your palms in prayer at your chest, then lift them up over your head until they’re stretched upward.
4. Hold the position while breathing deeply.
5. Repeat the posture with your right leg.

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6. Phalakasana (Plank Pose)

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Yoga exercises for beginners can still be challenging and strengthening. One such pose is the plank pose. Phalakasana can help strengthen your core muscles. Aside from that, it can also help strengthen your wrist, tricep, neck muscles, and bottom muscles.

Here are the steps to do the pose right:

1. Start by getting into a push-up position.
2. Make sure that your body is in a straight position.
3. Bring down your knees one by one until they touch the mat.
4. Bring it back up, hold down the body weight on your hands.
5. Hold the position for at least one minute.

7. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

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The next pose can help you stretch the spine, making it flexible and improving the health of the nerves.

The pose can also help the blood to flow better to the head, in turn reducing stress, anxiety, mild depression, fatigue, insomnia, and headaches.

You can try this pose by following these steps:

1. Start by lying on your back with both knees bent.
2. Place the feet flat on the mat hip-width apart, then slide the arms alongside the body with the palms facing down and the fingertips touching the heels.
3. Press your feet into the floor, inhale, then lift your hips up by rolling the spine off the floor.
4. Shift the weight into your arms and shoulders to light the chest up.
5. Make sure your breath stays even and hold the pose for 4–8 breaths.

8. Balasana (Child’s Pose)

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After trying to do many yoga poses, it’s time to let your body loosen up. The balasana pose is designed to help you loosen up your back and massage your internal organs so that they can function optimally.

Here are the steps to do this pose:

1. Sit down in a kneeling position.
2. Keep your knees hip-width apart.
3. Make sure that your toes still touch one another.
4. Bend forward, then place your head and hands on the mat.
5. Keep straightening your body until every one of your fingers touches the mat.
6. Hold the position for a few minutes.

9. Savasana (Corpse Pose)

Source: iStockphoto

Another pose that can help loosen your body up is savasana. This pose helps your body and mind to relax, so you should never miss this move.

To do this pose, all you have to do is lie down on your back on the mat. Then, stretch your arms to your left and to your right.

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