12 Easy & Best Yoga Poses for Beginners

Yoga is basically an idea of unity between your body and mind, and has multiple benefits, like strength, flexibility, and mental clarity. It is a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. In fact, this Sanskrit term comes from the word ‘Yuj’, which means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite.

Since most beginners struggle with starting out, we will walk you through 12 easy yoga poses for beginners, including a couple of simple exercises you can try with a friend or loved one.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

This seemingly simple standing pose serves as the foundation for all other yoga poses and enhances posture and balance. Furthermore, it strengthens your thighs, knees, and ankles while also firming the abdomen and buttocks.

Mountain Pose

How to Do it:

1. Stand tall with your feet together or hip-width apart.
2. Relax your arms by your sides and make your palms face forward.
3. Engage your thighs and lift your chest slightly.
4. Close your eyes or soften your gaze, and breathe deeply.

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Corporate employees will love this yoga pose! It is a gentle resting posture that eases lower back tension, stretches the hips, and calms the nervous system. It’s not only great for relaxing after your everyday office job, but also helps ease up between challenging poses.

Balasana Pose

How to Do it:

1. Kneel on the mat with your big toes touching and knees apart.
2. Lower your hips toward your heels.
3. Extend your arms forward, or rest them alongside your body.
4. Relax your forehead onto the mat.

Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

It is a simple pose that warms the spine, improves posture, and coordinates the breath with the body. This is one of those yoga poses that enhance spinal mobility and can relieve mild back discomfort.

Cat-Cow Pose

How to Do it:

1. Start on your hands and knees, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-width apart.
2. Inhale while arching your back, dropping your belly, and lifting your chest and tailbone.
3. For Cat Pose, exhale and round your spine towards the ceiling, tucking your chin to your chest and drawing your navel towards your spine.

Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

You will feel young once again by regularly practising this pose, as it builds upper-body strength and enhances flexibility in the spine. Downward-facing dog creates an inverted V-shaped pose that stretches your hamstrings, shoulders, and calves while energizing the body.

Furthermore, you can add this pose to your routine to relieve back tension and improve circulation by gently inverting the torso.

Downward-Facing Dog

How to Do it:

1. Start on your hands and knees, with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-width apart.
2. Tuck your toes and lift your hips up and back, forming an inverted V-shape.
3. Press firmly into your hands, drawing your chest towards your thighs.

Double Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This is one of the most energetic yoga poses for 2 people that builds shoulder strength and improves balance. Since it is an extension of the basic downward-facing dog pose, it strengthens your calves, hamstrings, and back.

How to Do it:

1. One partner starts by getting into the basic downward-facing pose.
2. The other partner places their hands ahead and feet on the first one’s lower back.
3. Hold the pose and then switch roles.

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Like the above poses, Uttanasana stretches your hamstrings, calves, and lower back while calming the mind and relieving stress. You should also adopt this pose in your routine if you have problems with digestion and often feel fatigued. When you practice it regularly, it improves flexibility and posture, especially if you’re someone who sits for long hours.

Standing Forward Bend

How to Do it:

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, then fold forward at the hips.
2. Inhale and raise your arms.
3. Exhale, hinge from hips, fold forward.
4. Let your head and arms hang naturally.
5. Hold the pose and breathe deeply.

Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)

A powerful standing pose that strengthens the legs, opens tight hips, and improves core strength. Additionally, it opens the hip flexors and chest, and improves stamina and focus. Since it also activates abdominal organs, you get the additional benefit of improved digestion.

Warrior I

How to do it:

1. Step one foot forward and bend the front knee.
2. Angle the back foot slightly out and ground the heel.
3. Lift arms overhead and keep hips facing forward.

Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

As a continuation of Warrior I, this pose enhances endurance and stretches the inner thighs and groin. Furthermore, it improves balance and concentration while toning the legs and arms. Due to its sideways stance, you also get a stronger core and proper spinal alignment.

Warrior II

How to Do it:

1. Start by getting into the Warrior I pose and opening your torso to the side.
2. Extend your arms parallel to the floor and gaze at your front hand.

Tree Pose (Vrikshasana)

With this yoga pose, you can improve your balance, in addition to strengthening your ankles, calves, and core. Before taking any serious business or tactical decisions, you can try this yoga exercise, as it improves mental focus.

Simple Tree Pose Yoga

How to Do it:

1. Stand on one foot and shift your weight onto it.
2. Place the other foot on your inner calf or thigh. (Avoid the knee)
3. Bring your hands to a prayer position or overhead.

Double Tree Pose (Dvi Vrikshasana)

This partner variation of Tree Pose enhances balance, coordination, and trust between partners. Additionally, it strengthens the legs and core while improving focus and posture. When you try this yoga pose with your partner, it increases mutual support and also deepens the stretch in the hips and shoulders.

How to Do it:

1. Stand side by side with your inner arms around each other’s waist.
2. Each person lifts the outer leg into the tree pose, resting the foot on the opposite leg.
3. The outer arms can reach up together or can make a prayer position.

Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)

This pose stretches the hamstrings and lower back, as well as the calves, while calming the mind. Like the Warrior yoga poses, it also aids digestion in addition to activating the kidneys and liver when held for a few breaths.

Seated Forward Fold

How to Do it:

1. Extend your legs while sitting.
2. Inhale to lengthen your spine.
3. Exhale and fold forward from the hips while reaching toward your feet.

Partner Seated Forward Fold

This calming partner variation is one of those yoga poses for 2 partners that increases your forward fold stretch by using gentle resistance. It targets tight hamstrings, shoulders, and the spine while promoting relaxation and trust.

How to Do it:

1. Sit facing your partner with legs extended and feet touching.
2. Hold each other’s wrists or hands.
3. One partner gently leans back, helping the other fold forward.
4. Switch after a few breaths.

Why Should You Do Yoga?

Let me first share a few benefits of doing yoga before moving on to discussing the poses:

• Increases Flexibility: Yoga relaxes your tight muscles and joints, which makes daily movements easier and smoother. With regular practice, you’ll notice improved mobility in your spine, hips, and hamstrings.
• Reduces Stress: Trying different yoga poses lowers cortisol levels by considerable margins, which promotes relaxation. A few minutes on the mat can help you feel mentally recharged.
• Strength Without Weights: Poses like Plank and Warrior build muscle endurance without weights. Over time, this helps you develop functional strength, especially in your core and lower body.
• Improves Posture and Balance: These exercises teach you to move with better posture by focusing on alignment and stability. As a result, it reduces strain on your joints and muscles.
• Proper Breathing: Breath is at the core of all yoga poses. When you learn to breathe deeply and intentionally, your mind calms down and your body follows.

How Often Should Beginners Practice Yoga?

Every time we suggest doing yoga poses to someone, their immediate question is how often they should practice them. The only thing we suggest to them is that consistency is more important than intensity in this field. Instead of trying to do long and complex sessions every day, it’s better to build a steady habit that fits your lifestyle.

Depending on your schedule, we believe a good starting point is practising yoga 2 to 3 times per week. This frequency allows your body to gradually adapt to the new movements and breathing techniques without feeling overwhelmed. Due to this frequency, you can also find time from your busy schedule to perform yoga.

However, as you become more comfortable, you can slowly increase the number of sessions or the length of each one.