12 Easy Yoga Poses For Beginners

So we’re going to jump in while using the best poses for building stabilizer muscles and form.

These poses are something that anyone – even advanced yogis – can benefit from. They build muscle, lubricate joints, improve posture, aid digestion, and improve energy. And you can safely perform the whole routine every day without being hard on your body.

Beginner Yoga Poses

1. Childs pose

This is one of my favorite beginner poses because it helps you form a mind-muscle connection to the state of your spine. When you’re in the pose, focus on lengthening the spine, releasing tension, and building the flexibility needed for a healthy back.

Performing Childs pose: 

• Begin by sitting on your heels with your legs together.
• Extend your arms up to the sky keeping them shoulder-width or slightly wider.
• Now roll forward bringing your chest to your thighs and your forehead to the mat.
• Lower your chest as close to your knees/the yoga mat as you can.
• Hold the pose for as long as you like. Do your best to focus on breathing and releasing that tension throughout your shoulders and spine.

2. Downward dog

This is one of the better poses for building strength in your shoulders while at the same time releasing tension along your entire posterior chain. The Downward Dog requires that you’re on a surface with excellent grip and stability so make sure you have a quality yoga mat, yoga gloves, and socks, or a sticky surface to practice on.

It’s okay to bend your knees if your hamstrings and glutes are tight. Just keep working on your pose and you’ll eventually lengthen those muscles and straighten them out.

Performing Downward Dog: 

• Begin on all fours with your hands directly below your shoulders and your knees hip-width apart.
• Now walk your hands out just slightly above that position.
• Spread your fingers so they’re like roots going into the ground and providing you with a stable base.
• Bring your toes under so you’re on the balls of your feet and move up into an “A” frame.
• Engage your core to solidify the position.
• Take a few deep breaths and focus on releasing the tension in your back, shoulders, hamstrings, and glutes.

To see the other 10 poses (and helpful videos) click here.