Essential Yoga Poses for Beginners: A Complete Guide to 13 Foundational Poses with Names and Key Points
Basic Yoga Movement Lazybones Catalog
- Cat and Cow Pose (Difficulty 1/5)
- Standing Forward Bend (Difficulty 2/5)
- Cobra Pose (Difficulty 3/5)
- Downward Facing Dog (Difficulty 2/5)
- Low lunge (degree of difficulty 2/5)
- Triangular (3/5 degree of difficulty)
- Side Angle (Difficulty 2/5)
- Standing Forward Bend (Difficulty 3/5)
- Reversed sitting (Difficulty 1/5)
- Pigeon (Difficulty 3/5)
- Mermaid Pose (Difficulty 4/5)
- Camelot (Difficulty 3/5)
- Baby Style (Difficulty 1/5)
Cat and Cow Pose (Difficulty 1/5)
Cat and Cow Style Function:
- Improve spinal flexibility, align pelvis, stretch neck and back, regulate breathing, and release stress.
Cat-and-cow maneuver:
- Kneeling on all fours, palms under shoulders, knees at pelvic width, toes on the ground.
- First, do the "cow pose", when inhaling, slowly lower the navel down and tilt the pelvis forward, like a concave back movement, and look upwards to stretch the spine.
- Then do the "Cat Pose". When you exhale, imagine that your navel is being slowly lifted from above and your pelvis is tilted backward, push your palms against the ground, look at your navel, and make an arching back movement.
- Repeat Cat Pose and Cow Pose about 5-10 times.
Cat and Cow Attention
- This basic yoga pose is ideal for beginners who are stiff, and practicing Cat Cow Pose more often can increase spinal and pelvic mobility.
- Beginners should focus on the rhythm of breathing and movement, keeping breathing calm and finding a neutral spine position, and proceeding at a slow pace throughout the exercise.
- Special attention should be paid to the fact that the cow pose should not be performed with the waist folded, but with the pelvic rotation to allow the waist to sink naturally. The same applies to Cat Pose, where the abdomen is lifted upward through pelvic rotation and core contraction.
Cat and Cow Instructional Videos
Standing Forward Bend (Difficulty 2/5)
Standing forward bending function:
- Relax your back, stretch your legs, and regulate your breathing.
Bend forward in a standing position:
- Stand with your feet close together, lift your chest and inhale, and raise your hands together.
- Breathe in again and visualize a rope pulling at the top of your head, extending your spine.
- On the exhale, bend down and fold forward from the hips, visualize the abdomen close to the thighs, relax the shoulders and neck, and let the head hang naturally.
- Stay for 5-10 breaths, visualizing the spine extending on each inhalation, and letting the body sink downward in a more relaxed manner on the exhalation.
- Slightly bend your knees when you rise up, exert force on your core, slowly roll your spine back to the standing position when you inhale, and finally raise your head again.
Points to note when bending before standing
- Avoid arching the back: fold from the hips, not from the waist to minimize lumbar spine stress.
- Bend your knees slightly: If the back of your thighs are tight, don't hold on, bend your knees to allow your upper body to be more relaxed.
- Avoid stretching: you don't need to force yourself to touch the ground, the point is to give your body a comfortable stretch, not an extreme stretch.
- Exercise Advanced: As flexibility increases, try gripping your hands around your ankles or pressing your palms into the ground to deepen the stretch.
Standing Forward Bend Instructional Video
Cobra Pose (Difficulty 3/5)
Cobra Style Features:
- Opens the chest, strengthens the back, promotes blood circulation, and improves kyphosis.
Cobra move:
- At the end of the forward bend from the standing position, support the ground with both hands and extend the right and left feet back in a plank position.
- Kneel on the ground (advanced people may not kneel) and move your body forward to the limit
- Bend your elbows, sink your body like a push-up, then push the ground with the palms of your hands, lift your chest up, lift your chin slightly, and keep your feet on the ground.
- Exhale, look up, tilt your head back to open the breathing channel, keep your core out and back tight, stay 3-5 Individual Breathing
Notes on Cobra Pose
- This basic yoga pose focuses on opening up the thoracic spine and the entire front side of the body, with the spine extending skyward, not forward.
- The most common mistake that beginners make is to shrug their shoulders. If you find that you have shrugged your shoulders, first relax your shoulders, then push your palms down to support your upper body, and you will usually be able to improve the situation!
Cobra Instructional Videos
Downward Facing Dog (Difficulty 2/5)
Downward Facing Dog Function:
- Stretches spine, relieves back pain, stretches calves
Downward dog action:
- From the end of Cobra Pose, move your butt back to your heels (advanced people can skip this), inhale, and push out of your core to lift your butt up!
- You can also start with baby pose, it's easier to find the right distance, then kneel on your knees and move your buttocks back to your heels (advanced people can skip it), inhale and then core out and push your buttocks up!
- Exhale with your feet firmly on the ground, thighs out but shoulders relaxed, let your arms extend and let your body appearmove backwards V-shaped
- Stay for 5-10 breaths, feeling your spine stretching with each inhalation and relaxing your body with each exhalation.
- When you're done, go back to kneeling on all fours or baby pose.
Downward Facing Dog
- When you first try this basic yoga pose, it's okay if you can't get your heels on the ground, so you can repeat lifting up and stepping down on your left and right feet to relax the back of your calves.
- Open your palm to the limit, spread your fingers, stabilize your palm on the ground to avoid excessive pressure on your wrist, and keep your elbow slightly bent to avoid locking up.
- Keep your shoulders away from your ears, don't shrug your shoulders, let your shoulder blades sink and keep your neck relaxed.
Downward Facing Dog Instructional Movie
Low lunge (degree of difficulty 2/5)
Low lunge style function:
- Stretches hips and quadriceps, stabilizes the pelvis, relieves lower back pressure, and improves hip stiffness caused by sedentary lifestyle.
Low lunge maneuver:
- Standing preparation: From a standing position, inhale and stride your right foot backward, keeping your left knee bent and letting your right knee land gently on the ground with the back of your foot on the ground.
- Adjustment: Make sure your left foot is firmly on the ground, your left knee is directly above your ankle, and your hands can be placed on your left knee to stabilize your body.
- Inhale: Raise your hands upward, extend your spine, tighten your core, and slightly tuck in your tailbone to stabilize your hips without compressing your lumbar spine.
- Exhale: gently sink forward into the posture, feel the stretching of the hips and the front side of the thighs, keep the chest open, and the eyes can be facing forward or slightly upward.
- Stay for 5-10 breaths, extending the spine with each inhalation and relaxing the body with each exhalation.
Changing sides: Inhale slowly out of the stance, return to the standing position and change sides.
Notes on the Low Lunge Pose
- Hip drop without compression: This basic yoga pose focuses on stretching the hip and the front of the leg, rather than compressing the knee too far forward.
- Keep the knee in line with the ankle: Avoid letting the knee of the front leg go over the toes to avoid increasing the load on the knee joints
- Core tightening and tailbone adduction: maintain core stability to avoid excessive compression or collapse of the lumbar spine.
- Shoulder relaxation: Avoid shrugging your shoulders when raising your hands, let your shoulders sink naturally and keep your neck relaxed.
- Use a yoga block as an aid: if your hips are tight, place a yoga block on either side of your leg and place your hands on the block for support to minimize pressure and increase stability.
Low Lunge Instructional Movie
Triangular (3/5 degree of difficulty)
Triangular function:
- Open the hips, strengthen the legs, stretch the spine and flanks, and improve balance.
Triangular movement:
- Standing preparation: feet open about a leg's length apart, right foot pointing forward, left foot slightly tucked in about 15 degrees.
- Pelvic Adjustment: Raise your hands sideways at shoulder height, palms facing down, core tight, feel your body stabilize.
- Inhale: Extend the spine upward and prepare to extend to the right side.
- Exhale: Tilt the upper body to the right side and place the right hand down on the calf, ankle or, if flexibility permits, on the floor (depending on one's flexibility). The left hand is extended upward, and the vision can be directed upward to the fingertips of the left hand, or forward if the neck is uncomfortable.
- Hold for 5-10 breaths and feel the extension of the legs, side lumbar and spine.
- Adjust your breathing and change sides.
Note on Triangle Pose
- Stabilize the leg: it's okay if the whole leg can't be straightened, don't press the knee cap.
- Keep your feet on the ground evenly to avoid tilting or losing balance.
- Tighten the core to avoid lower back stress: excessive sinking can put pressure on the lower back, keep the core activated to support the body
- Don't force your hands to touch the ground: if you don't have enough flexibility, it's okay to put your hands on your calves, yoga bricks, or ankles, but the main point is to keep your spine extended.
Triangular Teaching Movie
Side Angle (Difficulty 2/5)
Side angle feature:
- Strengthens the legs and core, stretches the lower back and hips, and improves stability.
Side angle action:
- Standing preparation: feet open about a leg's length apart, right foot pointing forward, left foot slightly tucked in about 15 degrees.
- Bend the right knee to 90 degrees so that the thigh is parallel to the ground, making sure the right knee does not go over the toes, and the left leg is straight and stable.
- Inhale: Raise your hands to the side, feel your spine extend and your core tighten.
- Exhale: Tilt your upper body to the right side, place your right elbow gently on your right thigh or the palm of your right hand on the inside of your foot (depending on the degree of flexibility), and extend your left hand upwards or forwards, showing a straight line.
- Choice of sight: you can choose to look upwards at the fingertips of your left hand or, if your neck is uncomfortable, to look forward or to the ground.
- Hold for 5-10 breaths and feel the stretch in the side waist, hips and legs.
Return to the right position and switch sides: Inhale and use your core to drive your upper body back to the standing position, switch sides and perform the same steps.
Side Angle Attention
- Keep the thighs stable: the knee cap of the front leg should be aligned with the ankle, not over the toes, to avoid excessive pressure on the knee joint.
- Core and Lateral Lumbar Power: Instead of just letting your hands support your thighs, use your core and lateral lumbar muscles to stabilize your posture and avoid over-reliance on your hands for support.
- Arms extended in line with the body: the upper arms should be in line with the body, imagine a long line from the heels to the fingertips to maximize the stretching of the body.
Side Angle Instructional Videos
Standing Forward Bend (Difficulty 3/5)
Stance forward bending function:
- Stretches the spine, relieves back pain, and relaxes the muscles in the back of the thighs (tight thighs can also cause back pain)
Standing forward bending maneuver:
- Standing preparation: feet open, about one leg width apart, palms of the feet evenly on the ground, back straight, core gently closed
- Inhale: Raise your hands upwards, extend your spine and feel your body lengthening upwards.
- Exhale: Fold the upper body forward from the hips, avoiding bending directly from the waist and keeping the spine extended.
- Hand position options: palms can be placed on the ground, ankles, calves, allowing the upper body to hang naturally
- Hold for 5-10 breaths, feeling the spine extend forward on each inhalation and letting the body sink down more relaxed on the exhalation.
- Return to standing position: Inhale and slightly bend your knees, tighten your core, roll back to the standing position from the lower back, one section at a time, and finally lift your head.
Points to note for standing forward bend
- Avoid arched backs: Bend forward from the hips, not directly from the waist, to minimize stress on the lumbar spine.
- Slightly bend the knee: If the back of the leg is tight, you don't need to straighten the knee, but bend it slightly to make your body more relaxed.
- Avoid stretching: no need to hit the ground with a hard brace, it's important to feel the stretch in the back of the legs and the back, not the extreme stretching.
Standing Forward Bend Instructional Video
Reversed sitting (Difficulty 1/5)
Reversed sitting function:
- Improves spinal mobility, releases back and shoulder tension, and relieves back pain.
Reverse the sitting motion:
- Sit on a yoga mat, legs straight ahead, spine extended, core tightened.
- Bend the right knee: Place the right foot on the outside of the left leg, making sure the palm of the foot is stable on the ground. The left leg can be kept straight or you can choose to bend the left knee with the palm of the foot close to the right hip (this variation is available for those with more flexibility).
- Inhale: Extend your spine, hold your hands gently on your knees and feel your body lengthening upwards.
- Exhale: twist your body to the right side, left elbow against the outside of the right knee, right hand behind your body for support.
- Sight Options: can look toward right shoulder or keep sight forward (if neck discomfort)
- Stay for 5-10 breaths, extending the spine on each inhalation and deepening the twist on the exhalation.
- Return to center and switch sides: slowly return to center while inhaling, switch sides and do the same.
Reversing your sitting position
- Spine extension before twisting: avoid kyphosis or direct twisting, you should first lengthen the spine upward, then twisting, which can reduce the pressure on the lower back.
- Tighten the core to avoid over-exertion: twisting should be driven by the core muscles rather than forced by the arms to avoid causing back stress.
- Pelvic stabilization: Keep both hips evenly on the ground when twisting, avoiding one hip hanging over the other, which makes spinal twisting safer and more effective.
Instructional Video on Reversed Sitting
Pigeon (Difficulty 3/5)
Pigeon Function:
- Deeply stretches hips, relaxes hips and lower back, improves stiffness caused by sedentary lifestyle, and releases stress.
Pigeon action:
- Preparation: From a four-legged kneeling position, hands shoulder-width apart, knees in line with hips
- Bring the right leg forward: bend the right knee so that the right calf is in front of the body, the knee is facing to the right, and the ankle falls near the left hip (depending on one's flexibility)
- Left Leg Extension: Keep your left leg completely straight back, with the instep on the ground and the hip (pelvis) centered, not tilted to one side.
- Inhale: Extend your spine, support your upper body with your hands on the ground, and keep your chest open.
- Exhale: Slowly let your upper body lean forward, place your forehead on the mat and stretch your arms forward to completely relax your upper body.
- Stay for 5-10 breaths, stabilizing the hips on each inhalation and trying to sink the hips more into the ground on the exhalation.
- Return to four-legged kneeling position and change sides: slowly support your body while inhaling, return to the starting position and change sides.
Pigeon Style Notes
- Don't force your hips to be completely on the ground: If your hips are too tight, place a yoga block or folded towel under your hips to reduce pressure and keep them stable.
- Avoid tilting of the back leg: The back leg should be straight back, not turned outward, to ensure proper pelvic positioning and to avoid misapplication of force.
Pigeon Movie
Mermaid Pose (Difficulty 4/5)
Mermaid-style feature:
- Deeply stretches hips, lifts chest expansion, and relaxes thigh muscles (tight thighs can also lead to back pain)
Mermaid action:
- Prepare for the start: don't rush to retract the legs after the pigeon pose.
- Hook the straight leg (back leg) and grab the left leg with your left hand.
- Each time you exhale, press the calf towards the thigh, but don't overdo it.
- Pause for 5-10 breaths and feel the expansion of the chest and the stretching of the front of the thighs.
- At the end of the exercise, slowly release the arms and legs and return to the four-legged kneeling position.
Mermaid Style
- Leg Flexibility Adjustment: If you can't bend your back legs easily, stay in Pigeon Pose and slowly increase your flexibility before trying to enter Mermaid Pose.
- Hand changes: If the shoulders and arms are tight, you can first grab the ankles with one hand, or use the elbow against the ankles, and gradually progress to the mermaid gesture of the hands clasped together
- Avoid excessive lower back stress: don't overbend, focus on core stabilization, and make sure your spine is extended, not over-arched.
- Ensure that the hip is centered: avoid tilting the body to the side, the hip (pelvis) should be kept stable and evenly distributed.
Mermaid Instructional Videos
Camelot (Difficulty 3/5)
Camelot style features:
- Relaxes the neck and shoulders, relieves lower back pain, opens the airway, and improves rounded shoulders and kyphosis.
Camel movements:
- Kneeling high, legs pelvic-width apart, parallel to yoga mat, hands on lower back ready to go
- Inhale, stabilize your core muscles, clench your shoulder blades and open your chest.
- On the exhale, slowly lean back to open your chest more and lower your hands on your heels, slowly tilt your head back and stay for 5 breaths.
Notes on Camel Pose
- Beginners do not need to rush to tilt their necks back, if the body is relatively tense, stay in the hands on the waist, the line of sight to the top of the diagonal position is good!
- The beginning and end of this basic yoga pose must be done slowly and at an angle that allows you to stabilize your breathing; do not rush through the pose in order to backbend more to avoid injury!
Camelot Instructional Videos
Baby Style (Difficulty 1/5)
Infantile features:
- Relaxes the lower back, promotes digestion and bowel movement, improves insomnia, and relieves menstrual pain.
Baby move:
- Kneel on the mat with knees slightly open and thumbs touching each other.
- Walk your hands in front of the mat until your forehead is on the ground and your chest is against your thighs, then hold for 5 breaths.
- Each time you inhale, visualize breathing into your lower back, and when you exhale, visualize your torso sinking into the floor.
Baby Style Notes
- Many people have tight muscles and may not be able to sit on their heels or forehead. If this is the case, it is recommended to place a yoga block or fold a blanket underneath the buttocks or forehead to assist in the exercise.
- This basic yoga pose is often used as an end-of-workout relief pose, so it is recommended that after practicing the above asanas, you practice Baby Pose last!
Infant Instructional Videos
Conclusion
Above for this basic yoga poses lazy pack, this time two-sevenths of the quest to organize the 13 basic yoga asana, beginners can easily master, modern people long head down with a cell phone, hunchback playing computer, these basic yoga poses to relieve back pain and soreness is very effective and novice friendly, as long as there is a yoga mat at home can practice on their own, now get up to follow a move it!
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