Beginning in yoga can be intimidating. The terminologies alone can confuse you especially when you have just heard them the first time.
Here is a compilation of yoga poses which, beginners like you can start with.
1. The Sun Salutations
This is the core of Yoga itself. This exercise is a combination of Yoga Poses, Breathing exercise, Sun Bathing and Prayer. It is the warm-up of a yoga class or personal yoga session and is a mixture of poses. To be exact, there are 12 poses that are performed in a synchronized motion with emphasis on rhythmic breathing. They mildly exercise the arms and legs and are often recommended for obesity, depression and fitness. This is a guaranteed must know for yoga beginners. Many martial artists, Indian and African wrestlers perform tons of rounds of these exercises alone.
2. The Shoulder Stand
This yoga pose is a piece of cake even though it sounds like its so hard to do. It is a very important pose. Its Sanskrit name (Savangasana) actually means the “all members” or “all limbs” pose, meaning it affects all parts of the body. As a beginner, you should understand that some poses (such as this one) do have specific counter poses, so if you’re taking a Yoga for beginner class or learning from a DVD, make sure you are taught these poses to counter-act and balance the effects of the Shoulder-stand pose on the body. These poses are the Bridge and fish poses. Here’s a hint or ratio to adhere to in their combined execution: 6:1:2 , meaning the ‘bridge’ and ‘fish’ poses should be held for a sixth and third of the time you spend in the Shoulder-stand Pose respectively.
3. The Corpse Pose
This is the relaxation pose that is usually executed during and after your session as a means of relaxing the muscles used for your yoga exercise. At the end of a session, it is usually done for about 15 minutes. When done right, one always comes out feeling refreshed after its execution.
These are the 3 main poses you have to learn and put into important consideration in learning yoga as a beginner, but there are other poses that should be included as you go further. These are:
1. The forward Bending exercises: Head to Knee pose, Plough Pose and Wind reliving pose
2. The Back Bending Exercises: The Bow, Inclined Plane and Wheel Poses.
3. The Spinal Twists
4. The Balancing Exercises: The Peacock, Crow, Side Plank and 4-limbed staff Poses
5. The Exercises in Sitting and Standing Positions
6. The Abdominal and Breathing Exercises.
