Introduction To Yoga Poses For Beginners
Yoga is an ancient scientific discipline that brings total healing to the mind, body, and spirit. Always omnipresent, this science has raised interest for centuries. Those who never practiced yoga before, have started doing it with full enthusiasm after knowing about its applications and benefits. Yoga suits people of all ages, backgrounds, or religions. Most of you may have seen the picture of Padmasana splashed across tabloids and magazines. Most websites have it as one of the representative images of yoga.
However, yoga is not just about the body. It affects your very existence. If you are a beginner, you can start with simple poses. Yoga helps in endowing the practitioner with stability, flexibility, fitness, and agility. The best part about yoga is that, all these are not just limited to your physical body, but extend to mental capabilities as well.
Tree pose (Vrksasana)
The Tree pose is a balancing and grounding pose. Moreover, it helps in maintaining proper equilibrium. It is a beginner’s pose. You start in a standing position, with the feet firmly grounded. Make sure to distribute the weight of your body on both feet. Slowly, you can start shifting your body weight to the right foot.
Lift the left foot, bend it at the knee, and place the sole of the left foot on the inner thigh of the opposite leg. Make sure that your hip does not jut out, in the process. Focus on any object in front of you. You can hold the hands in a ‘Namaste’ or ‘Anjali mudra’. This pose will help you to maintain stability. Do 5-10 breath counts and then slowly lower the feet. Return to the initial position and relax. Repeat on the other side.
Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
This is an intermediate pose in yoga, but beginners can also practice it easily, with some guidance. It mainly replicates the posture of a dog, bending forward. You have to move into the table-top position, at first. Support your body weight on your palms and knees. Exhale and lift the hip up, straightening the legs in the process. You also need to straighten your hands. The body, at this point, must resemble an inverted.
The hands are spaced according to the shoulder width, and the legs are hip-width apart. The toes point toward the front. You have to press your palms into the ground while widening the shoulder blades. Lengthen the neck, while keeping the ears and inner arms in close contact. You can focus on your navel in this pose. Hold the pose for at least 5-10 breath counts. Then, exhale and bend the knees like before and return to the original position. This yoga asana helps in increasing the length of the spine and also tones the muscles. The blood circulation towards the brain also increases.
Warrior I Pose (Virabhadrasana I)
This is an excellent asana for the spine, hips, thighs, and arms. It is named Virabhadra, after the fierce warrior incarnation of Lord Shiva. This posture improves the balance of the body and also cures frozen shoulders. You will also gain a lot of courage if you do this asana on a regular basis. You can navigate into the pose easily, from Tadasana.
Separate the legs and create a space of 3-4 feet, while exhaling. You need to raise both hands to the level of the shoulders. The palms should be facing downward. Rotate the forward foot, so that it is perpendicular to your body. The back foot can rotate 45 degrees. Try to lift the ribs away from the pelvis. You will experience a lift in several parts of the body, once you do that. Hold the position for a few breath counts. Breathe normally throughout. Slowly, return to the original posture. Perform the same steps on the other side of the body.
Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
The Mountain pose is one of the most fundamental poses, which you can practice today. It has the power to strengthen the leg muscles, core muscles, and back muscles, as well. You will be practicing this pose at the beginning of a yoga session. It has the power to ground you and prepare the body for the tough conditions ahead. You learn to become resilient like the mountain.
You must start in a simple standing position, with the feet a few inches apart. Stand straight, inhale, and lift your arms above your head. Lock the fingers of both hands. While lifting the arms, you must lift the heels off the ground, simultaneously. The entire body rests on the toes. You can hold this posture for 5-10 breath counts. Exhale, relax and slowly come down while releasing your finger lock. Place the hands by your side, as in the beginning.
Child’s Pose (Balasana)
The Child’s pose is a very gentle and therapeutic pose. Anyone who is recuperating from surgery or illness can also practice this asana. It stretches the lower back, hips, and thighs. You will be breathing deeply while doing this asana, and that is what lends a certain calmness to your state of being. You can start in a kneel down position, and from there, slowly bend forward, bringing your thighs and chest in contact.
The hands have to be stretched and placed on the floor, in front. Your head will be supported by the ground. Breathe normally, while practicing this asana. You can connect with the hidden child inside you, through the regular practice of this pose.
Swaraj Ji is an experienced practitioner of Nada Yoga. He is specialised in music therapy, speech therapy, sound and chakra healing. Additionally he is a teacher of Meditation in the Bhakti Tradition as well as a Yoga Alliance certified teacher of hatha and Kundalini Yoga System.
