Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine life without yoga. Whether as a workout, to get into the day, or to wind down in the evening. The practice from the East is becoming increasingly popular also in the West. And rightly so, as more and more studies show. We will certainly dedicate a separate article to these results in the “research corner” section. Today, however, we would like to encourage you to try yoga for yourself if you have not yet done so.
Many people, often older or with limited flexibility, shy away from yoga because they have the image of athletes twisting themselves upside down in their minds. Yet yoga in particular is a very individual practice that can be adapted to one’s own needs and possibilities. Many exercises have different variations, allowing you to perform them at your own level. And even if you have more than 300 poses (so-called asanas) at your disposal, there are basic and simple exercises that make it easier to get started. So today we present 5 yoga exercises for beginners and show you how to do them correctly.
Mountain pose (Tadasana)
Referred to as the ‘mother of all postures’, mountain pose is the first step in your training. What for many at first looks like ‘just standing’ is the foundation on which many other exercises are built. The purpose of the exercise is good grounding and balance.
For the mountain pose, stand with your feet directly next to each other. Distribute your weight evenly on the balls of your feet. Hold your hands next to your body, palms facing forward. Now imagine that your head is being pulled upwards by a string. Pull in your tailbone while tensing your thigh muscles. Activate your abdominal muscles as well. Now pull your shoulders up once towards your ears and then roll your shoulder blades back and down. Your gaze should be forward, chin straight. Maintain this focused and upright posture for 5-10 breaths.
- An easier variation:
If you are having trouble with your balance, you can also place your legs hip-width apart. This should give you more stability. - A more difficult variation:
If you want a little challenge, you can also close your eyes during the exercise. This will challenge your sense of balance even more.
You can find a picture here: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/mountain-pose/
Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)
Warrior is a pose that stretches the hips and thighs. At the same time, your balance is also promoted here.
You can transition directly into Virabhadra from the mountain pose. To do this, lunge backwards. The knee of your front leg should be directly above your ankle. The foot is facing forward (as are your upper body and hips). Now turn your back foot outwards for a good grip. As you inhale, raise your hands to the sky. Your biceps should be at your ears and your gaze is directed upwards. You can let your shoulders circle back again so that your chest opens and your shoulder blades are directed downwards. Hold this position for a few breaths.
- An easier variation:
If you have neck problems, you do not need to point your head upwards for this exercise. In this case you can also look forward. As with the mountain pose, make sure you do not pull your chin down. - A more difficult variation:
To engage your chest and shoulders more, you can also bend forward with the same leg position. Put your arms behind your body and interlace your fingers. Now stretch your arms up to the sky again and go deeper into the bend. Your head should hang down relaxed.
You can find a picture here: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/warrior-i-pose/
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
The second warrior pose, offers a variation of the first. Often the two positions are used in succession and thus form part of a whole movement sequence.
The basic position is very similar. You start with a lunge backwards. Your front knee should be above your ankle. The back leg is extended and the foot is turned outwards at a 90 degree angle. Unlike Warrior I, however, here the hips and chest are not facing forward but are parallel to the mat. Now stretch one arm forward, one arm back and look straight ahead.
- An easier variation:
The basic posture of Warrior II is already the simplest variation. Slowly approach the position and secure your balance with the back foot. - A more difficult variation:
Starting from the basic position, you can now lean backwards and form a half moon with your arm and leg. Alternatively, you can stretch forward so that the arm and leg form a line. These movements can be used to stretch your sides.
You can find a picture here: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/warrior-ii-pose/
Child pose (Balasana)
Child’s pose serves as a resting point where your nervous system can shut down. In this position your body is moderately stretched without being challenged. Use this position when you want to take a break in your yoga session.
Start in a kneeling position with your feet flat on the floor. Stretch your arms upwards and slowly bend forward until your forehead rests on the floor. Your abdomen is resting calmly on your thighs. Your buttocks should also rest on your legs and not go up in the air!
- An easier variation:
As this position can be very demanding on the knees, you should approach the exercise very slowly. Blankets underneath can provide some relief. If your upper body lies higher on the blanket, your knees will be exposed to less stress. If you don’t want to get on the floor at all, you can also do this pose at a table. To do this, bend over a table at waist height in a standing position. Your upper body should be relaxed. - A more difficult variation:
To take full advantage of the stretch of the child’s pose, you can also turn the upper body to the right or left. This stretches the sides as well as the back and shoulders. If you move your knees further apart, the hips will also be stretched more.
You can find a picture here: https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/asana-by-appointment/
Corpse pose (Shavasana)
As with the mountain pose, the corpse pose also seems quite simple at first glance. At first you might think, “You just lie on your back. But if the mountain pose begins a yoga session, then the corpse pose is its conclusion. It is an essential part of every routine.
Lie on your back with your legs hip-width apart. Place your arms beside your body with the palms facing upwards. As always, your shoulder blades are turned back and down so that you are lying well on them. If it is cool in your practice room, you might want to use a blanket. This is because in Shavasana you lie down for about ten minutes, so that your body can shut down after the yoga session. This time is good to combine with meditation to keep the attention in your body.
You can find a picture here: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/corpse-pose-2/
Concluding words
Even if yoga seems too challenging for some at first, the many different exercises are often easily adaptable. The different movement sequences mean that you can use it as a workout, but it can also help you wind down in the evening. It is just as suitable as a stretch after a long day at the desk as it is to start the day fresh in the morning. We hope that you can get started with the first 5 exercises to build up initial body tension and balance. And for those who are willing to keep at it, we will soon be adding 5 more yoga exercises that are super easy for beginners to do.