Simple Yoga Poses for Inner Peace

At my first yoga lesson, I was baffled. Afterward, I decided to look for another exercise plan, as yoga didn’t seem to be my “thing.” God bless my friend who insisted I keep going for a month at least. It is normal to feel that you will end up being a laughing stock in these classes. The poses and their names aren’t something we are familiar with. However, persistence and hard work pay off.

At least, it did, in my case.

If you are new to yoga and a bit hesitant to enter a studio and roll out your mat, you are in the right place. Learning a bunch of simple yoga poses can build your form and stamina. You will feel more confident and can use these poses to keep yourself in shape even on days when you feel lazy.

Let’s get into the basics of yoga poses and how to do them!

What is the Easiest Yoga Pose to Learn?

It wouldn’t be correct to categorize a single pose as the easiest among all. What one person finds to be pretty easy may seem difficult to hold for another. Therefore, one should be aware of all the beginner poses and learn to blend a selection of them to keep their yoga diverse and interesting.

A collection of the easiest yoga poses you can learn are:

Mountain Pose

This is the pose that can help to build body strength (8). It especially targets your ankles, thighs, feet, calves, abs, and spine. To perform this pose:

1. Stand up straight with your feet about hip-width apart.
2. Make sure your weight is balanced evenly on both feet.
3. Keep your arms down at your sides, shoulders relaxed, and palms facing forward.
4. Stay like this for 5 breaths.

Tree Pose

This pose will give your ankles, hips, and feet a good stretch while boosting strength in your calves, abs, and quads (2). It can also improve your balance, as you stand on one foot during this pose. To perform this, you have to:

1. Stand with your arms down and your hands on your hips.
2. Move your weight onto your left leg and put the sole of your right foot against your left thigh. Keep your hips facing straight ahead.
3. When you feel steady, bring your hands together in front of your chest as if you’re praying, with your palms touching.
4. As you breathe in, stretch your arms up over your shoulders, with your palms facing each other but not touching.
5. Stay in this position for 5 deep breaths. Then, switch sides and repeat the steps.

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Triangle Pose

When you ground through your feet in this pose, you end up building more strength in your legs, ankles, and core (9). Don’t forget that you will stretch your shoulders, obliques, and hamstrings, which can improve your flexibility.

To perform a triangle pose:

1. Stand with your feet wide apart, about 3 feet. Turn your left foot so it points to the side at a right angle (90 degrees), and your right foot slightly to the side at about a 45-degree angle.
2. Stretch your arms out to your sides. Then, bend your hips to lean your upper body toward your left leg.
3. Let your left hand touch the floor or rest on your left leg either above or below your knee. Reach your right fingertips upward towards the ceiling. Look up towards the ceiling.
4. Stay like this for 5 deep breaths. Then, switch sides and do the same thing again.

You can start your yoga routine by learning any of these three yoga poses. It could be hard to stay consistent with the yoga routine. For this, you can always seek a partner who can keep you company during yoga sessions. Better yet, look for yoga poses for 2, to make the routine interesting.

On days when you feel like you are not in the mood to stand up and move, you should consider doing gentle chair yoga for beginners and seniors. This ensures that your body gets the required activity and you stay on track with your fitness objectives.

What Are The 12 Basic Yoga Postures With Pictures?

Many yoga poses feel natural because our bodies easily bend into the shape they require. Mindful and conscious breathing during these poses can help you feel relieved by the time you finish the routine. The 12 basic yoga poses for beginners that are mentioned here are valuable and can keep you occupied for a long time. You can blend a couple of moves and curate routines for every day of the week.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to learn all of these poses. In fact, apart from these 12, you can find another 20 poses and more that are considered beginner-friendly. These are just options to choose from and can be learned at your desire without pressure to perfect them.

The 12 simple yoga poses with their names are:

Downward Facing Dog “Adho Mukha Svanasana”

Beginners often lean too forward in this pose, making it look like a plank. Remember that you have to keep your weight in your legs and reach your hips high towards the ceiling. Make sure that your heels are stretched towards the floor.

To perform a downward-facing dog pose:

1. Begin by placing both hands on the mat in front of you, with your palms facing down. Your hands should be a bit ahead of your shoulders.
2. Put your knees on the ground right under your hips.
3. Breathe out as you raise your knees off the ground and lift your bottom and hips upward, creating an upside-down V shape with your body.
4. Push your thighs back and stretch your heels down toward the floor.
5. Keep your head down between your arms and align with them, not drooping.
6. If you feel your lower back rounding, you can try bending your knees to help make your back longer.

Read more: Japanese Yoga: A Deep Dive Into Mindful Movements

Warrior I “Virabhadrasana I”

The most important thing to remember in Warrior I pose is to keep your hips facing forward. Imagine your hip points as headlights that should be parallel to the floor. This may require you to go for a wider stance.

To make the Warrior I pose:

1. Start with your feet together and turn your left foot slowly to a 45-degree angle.
2. Step your right foot forward into a lunge, making sure the front knee is bent at a 45-degree angle.
3. Lift both arms up above your head gently, keeping your fingers active.
4. Make sure your whole back stays straight or slightly arched as you breathe deeply.
5. Keep both hips facing forward and concentrate on breathing in and out slowly.

Warrior II “Virabhadrasana II”

This is another beginner yoga pose that can loosen your calves, hips, and shoulders while strengthening your quads and hamstrings (1). To perform this pose, you have to:

1. Stand with your feet far apart, about 3 to 4 feet.
2. Turn your left foot to the side, making a right angle (90 degrees), and turn your right foot a bit inward.
3. Put your hands on your hips and relax your shoulders. Then, stretch your arms out to the sides with your palms facing down.
4. Bend your left knee until it forms a right angle (90 degrees), making sure your knee stays directly above your ankle.
5. Look out over your left hand while holding this position.
6. Stay like this for 5 deep breaths, then switch sides and repeat the same steps.

Cat Cow Pose “Marjaryasana-Bitilasana”

This pose works great for back mobility and works on the vertebrae so they can move in a fluid motion (3). You have to imagine each segment of the vertebrae bending one at a time. To make the cat-cow pose:

1. Start by getting on all fours on the mat, with your back straight and your eyes looking down.
2. Take a deep breath in and arch your back and neck, looking up towards the ceiling.
3. As you breathe out, round your spine and neck into a curve, looking back down towards the mat.

High Lunge “Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana”

This beginner-friendly yoga pose is considered the best for loosening hip flexors, quads, and chests (13). To do a high lunge, you have to:

1. Stand at the top of the mat with your feet together and your arms down at your sides. Put your hands on your hips.
2. Take a step back with your right foot until your right leg is straight behind you. Keep your right heel off the floor. Bend your left knee a little and make sure it is directly above your left ankle.
3. Raise your arms over your head and reach towards the ceiling. Relax your shoulders down and away from your ears, and look straight ahead.
4. Stay in this position and take 5 deep breaths. Then, switch sides and repeat the same steps.

Bridge Pose “Setu Bandhasana”

On days when you have had a tiring day at work, you should consider adding the bridge pose into your routine. This can build strength in the core, calves, hips, and hamstrings (7). Here is how you can make the bridge pose:

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent, and make sure they’re right above your heels. Put your arms by your sides with your palms facing down.
2. Breathe out, then push your feet onto the floor to lift your hips a bit.
3. Place your hands on either side of ryour lower back and press your arms down to lift your hips even more until your body is straight from your head to your knees, and bring your chest towards your chin.
4. Stay in this position and breathe deeply for 5 counts.

Child’s Pose “Balasana”

A child’s pose gives a good stretch to your upper and lower back (11). It is performed between strenuous stretches as the position of relaxation. You can take a few breaths in this position when you need a break from other poses in your yoga routine.

To make this pose, you have to:

1. Begin on your yoga mat on your hands and knees, with your toes pointing back.
2. Lower your bottom back onto your heels while stretching your arms forward.
3. Gently rest your head on the mat in front of you, with your arms still outstretched.
4. Take deep breaths, focusing on breathing into your upper back.

Seated Spinal Twist “Ardha Matsyendrasana”

This pose has the potential to make you feel relaxed and comfortable. It gives a good stretch to your spine, neck, and shoulders (2). To perform the seated spinal twist:

1. Sit up straight with your legs crossed. Make sure your shoulders are in line with your hips.
2. Keep your hands on your knees or thighs, and look straight ahead. Relax your shoulders down.
3. Lift both arms towards the ceiling.
4. Then, twist your upper body to the left from your belly button. Put your right hand on your left knee and your left fingertips on the floor a bit behind your bottom.
5. Hold this position and take 5 deep breaths. Then, switch sides and do the same thing again.

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Garland Pose “Malasana”

Garland pose can open your hips and help you to expand your range of motion (12). Ideally, you should practice Malasana on a yoga mat by following these steps:

1. Start in mountain pose, standing tall. Make sure your feet are a bit wider than your hips, and they can point slightly outward.
2. Bend your knees and lower your body into a squat position.
3. Lean your upper body forward so it’s between your inner thighs. Bring your hands together in the prayer position at your heart center. Touch your elbows to your inner knees and keep your forearms parallel to the ground.
4. Use your elbows to gently push against your inner knees, opening the pose wider and feeling the stretch.
5. Relax your shoulders and keep your spine straight. Lift your chest up and away from your belly button, keeping your neck long and looking straight ahead. Focus on making your posture longer and wider. Keep your weight evenly distributed on your feet, leaning slightly onto the outer edges and heels.
6. Breathe steadily as you hold the pose, inhaling and exhaling.

Half Forward Bend “Ardha Uttanasana”

This exercise can lengthen and stretch your hamstrings and calves (6). This is considered a relaxing and stress-relieving pose that can also help to relieve restlessness. To perform this bend, you have to:

1. Bend forward by lowering your arms down beside your body. It resembles diving like a swan.
2. Touch your fingertips to your toes, and if you can, press your hands flat on the ground. If you can’t reach it, you can use blocks under your hands.
3. Keep your knees slightly bent, not locked. Tighten your thigh muscles and lift them up.
4. Using your thigh muscles helps stretch the back of your thighs. Shift your weight forward onto the balls of your feet, keeping your hips over your ankles.
5. Let your head hang down.
6. To stand back up, breathe in, and put your hands on your hips. Push your tailbone down and tighten your stomach muscles as you slowly stand up.

Staff Pose “Dandasana”

This is another beginner yoga pose that can lengthen your spine, while also strengthening your back muscles (4). To make a staff pose:

1. Sit on the ground with legs extended forward, big toes touching.
2. Make sure shoulders are in line with hips and torso is lengthened.
3. Place palms next to hips, straighten arms, and draw shoulders down and away from ears.
4. Engage thighs and flex feet, pulling toes toward the face.
5. Raise both arms toward the ceiling above the head.
6. Hold this position for 5 full breaths.

Thread the Needle “Parsva Balasana”

This pose is the much-needed stretch for the shoulders, upper back, chest, neck, and arms (10). It can work wonders for those who stay hunched over their desks throughout the day. To perform this exercise, you have to:

1. Begin on all fours, with hands directly below shoulders and knees below hips, and keep the tops of your feet on the floor.
2. Lift your right arm towards the ceiling, and look up at your hand. Then, lower your right arm down and slide it under your left arm until it’s extended out.
3. Lower your chest towards the ground, keeping your hips up as much as you can.
4. Hold this position for 5 deep breaths. Then, switch sides and repeat the steps.

What Is The Simplest Yoga?

The simplest form of yoga is considered Hatha Yoga. It emphasizes the basic poses, breathing exercises, and gentle movements. This makes it quite easy to perform for beginners and people of all fitness levels. Adding Hatha Yoga to the daily yoga routine has the potential to improve your flexibility, strength, and relaxation with a bunch of easy poses and breathing techniques (5).

If you want to make your yoga routine a little more interesting, you can also add basic Pilates moves into the regime. This can spike your interest and motivation to perform the workout you usually dread!

How To Do Yoga Poses Step-by-Step?

Here is a step-by-step guide to performing yoga poses:

1. Find a quiet area that has enough room to move freely. Use a non-slip yoga mat.
2. Start with gentle warm-up exercises to prepare your body for yoga.
3. Take a moment to set an intention for what you are about to do.
4. Choose a yoga sequence or simple poses to follow. You can find a sequence online or consult a certified instructor.
5. Throughout the movements, focus on your breathing. Make sure that you inhale and exhale smoothly through your nose.
6. Move mindfully through each pose and pay attention to how you feel.
7. Once you are in a pose, hold still for a few seconds, allowing your body to relax and release all tension.
8. Focus on transitioning between the poses smoothly while keeping control.
9. Take a few moments to cool down after performing a sequence.
10. End your practice by relaxing your mind and absorbing the perks of your practice.

Don’t forget to listen to your body and practice at your own pace. If the pose feels uncomfortable or painful, you should modify the routine or skip it altogether. There is also an option to perform chair yoga exercises for weight loss if you don’t want to lose track of your fitness objectives.

Read more: Yoga for Moms Who Need a Break: A Simple Guide

FAQs

• Which asana is the best yoga for beginners?

For beginners, the best yoga asana is considered to be the Child’s Pose or the Mountain Pose.

• What is the hardest pose in yoga?

The hardest pose in yoga can be different for every person. Most of the time, advanced poses like handstands and firefly poses are considered to be the hardest.

• What is the most common yoga pose?

The most common yoga pose is the downward-facing dog pose. It is versatile and can be performed by people of all fitness levels.

The Bottom Line

Yoga is a practice that can work for everyone. If you have never done it, you can start with simple yoga poses. If you have mobility problems, you can go for chair yoga poses. And if you wish to make your routine less boring, add Pilates to the routine. There is no need to get fancy equipment if you are performing yoga. Start with basic moves and then advanced steps, once you feel you are a pro at the basic ones.

Always consult with a qualified yoga instructor if you are unsure about any aspect of your practice.