Best yoga poses for beginners

Yoga is one of the best forms of exercise to improve your physical and mental health without adding excess stress to your joints.  There are lots of different kinds of yoga, including Hatha, Yin, Restorative, and Ashtanga yoga. Each one has its own unique benefits, and they all vary in technique and intensity.

When you are first starting a yoga practice, it’s best to stick to the basic poses. Once you have perfected the basics, you can move on to more specific types of yoga or more advanced positions. Yoga is generally a very safe form of exercise, but it’s still important to keep things simple when you’re first starting out.

Here are three poses to get you started, along with the benefits of each..

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

The Child’s Pose movement helps to stretch out the lower back and activate the ‘rest and digest’ nervous system (the parasympathetic nervous system). It’s a simple position that is surprisingly effective and restorative.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Despite its simplicity, Mountain pose is extremely effective for improving posture and strengthening the muscles of your core. The Mountain Pose is perfect as a starting yoga position to get your mind and body ready for a session.

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

The Downward Facing Dog is a core-strengthening exercise that can aid digestion. It relieves tension in your head and neck and stretches out the whole spine. It’s a slightly more advanced position than the Mountain or Child’s Pose, but it’s still great for beginners.

Now that you know the names and benefits of some of the most popular introductory yoga poses, the next step is to watch an online video to see how to safely perform each pose.