So Many Yoga Poses, So Much Time
As a beginning yoga student, don’t feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of yoga poses. Hopefully, your practice will be a lifelong pursuit, giving you plenty of time to learn scores of postures. As your practice progresses, you will feel comfortable taking on more challenging poses, but when you are just starting out, keep things simple. Below (in both English and Sanskrit), are the poses that are most appropriate for new yoga students.
Standing Poses
Standing pose are usually the most strenuous for beginners. They are often done first in a yoga class to build heat. In vinyasa/flow style yoga, standing poses are strung together to form long sequences. In hatha classes, the standing poses may be worked on individually with rest between each pose.
- Downward Facing Dog – Adho Mukha Svanasana
- Downward Facing Dog Split
- Extended Side Angle Pose – Utthita Parsvakonasana
- Garland Pose – Malasana
- Half Forward Bend – Ardha Uttanasana
- Mountain Pose – Tadasana
- Lunge Pose
- Pyramid Pose – Parsvottonasana
- Raised Hands Pose – Urdhva Hastasana
- Standing Forward Bend – Uttanasana
- Standing Straddle Forward Bend – Prasarita Padottanasana
- Triangle Pose – Trikonasana
- Warrior I – Virabhadrasana I
- Warrior II – Virabhadrasana II