{"id":1900,"date":"2025-01-27T05:23:47","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T05:23:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/8-beginner-friendly-yoga-poses.html"},"modified":"2025-01-27T05:23:47","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T05:23:47","slug":"8-beginner-friendly-yoga-poses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/8-beginner-friendly-yoga-poses.html","title":{"rendered":"8 Beginner-Friendly Yoga Poses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are many reasons to try yoga, such as to\u00a0increase\u00a0flexibility, build strength,\u00a0relieve muscle tightness,\u00a0reduce stress, and much more. The best part is, you can receive these benefits even with beginner yoga poses. A great place to start is OzHelp\u2019s 3 Week Yoga Retreat.\u00a0In this beginner yoga program, four\u00a0yoga experts\u00a0guide you through the fundamentals of yoga.<\/p>\n<h2>8\u00a0Easy Yoga Poses and How To Do Them:<\/h2>\n<h2><strong>1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It doesn\u2019t look like much, but mountain pose is a very important pose since it\u2019s alignment is the blueprint for many other poses in yoga.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stand with your big toes touching and heels slightly apart, or feet parallel and hip-width apart.<\/li>\n<li>Flex the quadriceps upward and rotate the upper thigh muscles inward.<\/li>\n<li>Engage abdominals toward the\u00a0spine\u00a0and tilt\u00a0your tailbone downward.<\/li>\n<li>Expand the chest and\u00a0pull your shoulders back and down.<\/li>\n<li>Bring chin\u00a0parallel to the floor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe title=\"How To Do Mountain Pose | Beachbody\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DKPuVlwZFHo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>2. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Standing forward bend\u00a0is a natural transition from mountain pose and stretches the entire back of the body \u2014 from the calves and hamstrings, to the lower and upper back.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Begin with feet hip-width apart.<\/li>\n<li>Hinge forward from the\u00a0hips\u00a0and bring the\u00a0torso toward the\u00a0legs, keeping the spine straight.<\/li>\n<li>Bend your knees slightly\u00a0so that your stomach\u00a0touches your thighs.<\/li>\n<li>Reach your hands\u00a0toward the floor, and let your head hang.<\/li>\n<li>Slowly try to straighten the knees while keeping your stomach\u00a0on your thighs.<\/li>\n<li>With your hands on the floor or your ankles, hold the pose\u00a0and take five\u00a0full breaths.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10170230727\" title=\"Standing Yoga Poses\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Forward-Bend-roundup.jpg\" alt=\"Standing Yoga Poses Forward Bend\" width=\"500\" height=\"667\"\/><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"How to do Standing Forward Fold | Beachbody\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IR6P23o822s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>3. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Warrior II strengthens and stretches the body at the same time, giving you the feeling of a strong, fierce warrior.\u00a0This pose strengthens your ankles, legs, glutes, core, back, and shoulders.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Stand with feet 3-4 feet apart with the front foot pointing straight ahead and the back foot at 45 degrees or parallel to the back edge of the mat. Align the front foot\u2019s heel with the back foot\u2019s arch.<\/li>\n<li>Keeping your back\u00a0leg straight, bend your front\u00a0knee so that it is directly above the ankle and creating a 90-degree angle at the knee.<\/li>\n<li>Engage abdominals toward the spine and tilt\u00a0your tailbone downward.<\/li>\n<li>Align your shoulders over\u00a0your hips and reach arms out so they are parallel to\u00a0the floor.<\/li>\n<li>Draw shoulders down and back away from the\u00a0ears, lengthen your neck and look over your front hand.<\/li>\n<li>Hold for five breaths, then repeat on the other side.<img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10170230724\" title=\"Standing Yoga Poses\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Warrior-II-roundup.jpg\" alt=\"Standing Yoga Poses Warrior II\" width=\"600\" height=\"444\"\/><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe title=\"How To Do Warrior II\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0hHY9gXKXa4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>4. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Tree pose is the perfect beginner yoga pose for balancing \u2014 once you\u2019ve mastered tree pose, you can move on to more complicated balancing poses.\u00a0<span class=\"s1\">Tree pose strengthens the muscles of the standing leg, ankle, and foot. Tree pose also helps calm the mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start in mountain pose with your feet hip-distance apart.<\/li>\n<li>Keeping your hands at your hips, slowly press the sole of one\u00a0foot into the standing ankle,\u00a0calf muscle, or inner thigh (avoid the knee).<\/li>\n<li>To help with balance, press the\u00a0foot into the\u00a0leg and the\u00a0leg into the\u00a0foot, and focus your gaze on a\u00a0non-moving spot on the ground.<\/li>\n<li>Once you feel stable, press your hands together in front of your chest or raise them above your head.<\/li>\n<li>Hold for five full breaths, then repeat on the other side.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10170230733\" title=\"Standing Yoga Poses\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Tree-Pose-roundup.jpg\" alt=\"Standing Yoga Poses Tree\" width=\"500\" height=\"705\"\/><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"How To Do Tree Pose\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PVIDFv_qpm4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>5. Reverse Warrior (Viparita Virabhadrasana)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This pose is similar to Warrior II, except there\u2019s\u00a0an added stretch for the side of the body.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start in warrior II pose.<\/li>\n<li>Engage abdominals toward the spine and tilt\u00a0your tailbone downward.<\/li>\n<li>Place the\u00a0back hand on your back thigh as you reach\u00a0your front\u00a0arm up and over the head without bending the elbow.<\/li>\n<li>Hold for five full breaths, then repeat on the other side.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10170230718\" title=\"Standing Yoga Poses\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Reverse-Warrior-roundup.jpg\" alt=\"Standing Yoga Poses Reverse Warrior\" width=\"500\" height=\"448\"\/><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"How To Do Reverse Warrior\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/f_wjI8GdcNQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>6. Extended Side Angle (Utthita Parsvakonasana)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Extended side angle is a good pose to perform right after\u00a0reverse warrior since it stretches the opposite\u00a0side of the body.\u00a0This pose strengthens\u00a0the calves, quads, hamstrings, and groin, while stretching the legs, hips, waist, shoulders, and arms.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start in reverse warrior or warrior II pose.<\/li>\n<li>Place\u00a0your front\u00a0elbow onto your front\u00a0quad, palm faced up.<\/li>\n<li>Engage abdominals toward the spine and tilt\u00a0your tailbone downward.<\/li>\n<li>Reach the back\u00a0arm directly over your head without bending the elbow, keeping your bicep close to your ear.<\/li>\n<li>Draw the shoulders back and down to create space between shoulders and ears.<\/li>\n<li>Create\u00a0a straight line from the outer edge of the back\u00a0foot to the fingertips of the top hand.<\/li>\n<li>Hold for five full breaths, then repeat on other side.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10170230721\" title=\"Standing Yoga Poses\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Extended-Side-Angle-Pose-roundup.jpg\" alt=\"Standing Yoga Poses Extended Side Angle\" width=\"500\" height=\"323\"\/><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"How To Do Extended Side Angle Pose\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Dz8XZ_-f510?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>7. Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Triangle pose may look easy, but if you have tight hamstrings or hips, you may find it challenging. That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not for beginners. It just may take some time to perfect.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Start\u00a0with your feet 3 feet apart (a slightly shorter stance than warrior II). Point\u00a0the front foot straight ahead and the back foot at 45 degrees or parallel to the back edge of the mat. Align the front foot\u2019s heel with the back foot\u2019s arch.<\/li>\n<li>Reach your arms straight out in a \u201cT\u201d formation and straighten both legs.<\/li>\n<li>Press into your feet, engage the quads, engage abdominals toward the spine, and tilt\u00a0your tailbone downward.<\/li>\n<li>Shift your rib cage forward, extending\u00a0your front arm\u00a0as far as you can reach in front of you.<\/li>\n<li>Tilt sideways from the waist, bringing your front fingertips toward your front ankle and your back arm up to the ceiling.<\/li>\n<li>Rotate the chest open to stack the shoulders and bring the arms into a straight line.<\/li>\n<li>The front hand may\u00a0be placed on the shin, ankle, in front or in back of the calf, or on a block.<\/li>\n<li>Turn your head to look at your top hand.<\/li>\n<li>Hold for five full breaths, then repeat on other side.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10170230715\" title=\"Standing Yoga Poses\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Triangle-Pose-roundup.jpg\" alt=\"Standing Yoga Poses Triangle Pose\" width=\"600\" height=\"489\"\/><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"How To Do Triangle Pose\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sIS-B2a6KtQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>8. Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This classic beginner\u00a0yoga pose is one of the first poses that\u00a0new yogis learn. Downdog is part of the warm up for most yoga classes and\u00a0provides a great stretch for the back and\u00a0the legs, while building strength in the shoulders and arms.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Begin on your hands and knees, with shoulders over wrists and hips over knees.<\/li>\n<li>Press into your hands and lift\u00a0your hips up and back. Keep a slight bend in the knees.<\/li>\n<li>Spread your fingers, straighten your arms, rotate your shoulders outward and away from the ears, engage the\u00a0core, and lift the hips high.<\/li>\n<li>Rotate your upper thighs inward, straighten the legs and lower your heels toward the floor.<\/li>\n<li>Relax the neck and let the head hang. Hold for five full breaths.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10170230712\" title=\"Standing Yoga Poses\" src=\"https:\/\/bod-blog-assets.prod.cd.beachbodyondemand.com\/bod-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Downward-Dog-roundup.jpg\" alt=\"Standing Yoga Poses Downward Dog\" width=\"600\" height=\"414\"\/><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"How To Do Downward Dog | Beachbody\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cKms4O3qy1c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Photos by Lulu Lam<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are many reasons to try yoga, such as to\u00a0increase\u00a0flexibility, build strength,\u00a0relieve muscle tightness,\u00a0reduce stress, and much more. The best part is, you can receive these benefits even with beginner yoga poses. A great place to start is OzHelp\u2019s 3 Week Yoga Retreat.\u00a0In this beginner yoga program, four\u00a0yoga experts\u00a0guide you through the fundamentals of yoga. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1909,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[95,194],"class_list":["post-1900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-flexibility","tag-yoga"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1900"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}