Some people believe you have to be super fit and flexible to start practicing yoga. You don’t! Those things come with time and with experience. Everyone starts as a beginner, so don’t be afraid to just give it a go.

You don’t have to be young to do yoga either; it’s something you can start at any age to reap all the exciting benefits.

We’ve create a list of 4 poses you can start with, that are very suitable for beginners. You can take your time to learn them. It’s a good idea to be comfortable with completing at least a few sets of these 4 before you move on to the next poses.

Yoga Poses for Beginners

Cobra Pose

Lie on your stomach on the floor. The top of your feet should be against the floor. Spread your hands under your shoulders, and keep your elbows tight to your body.

Push your thighs, tops of your feet and your pubis firmly into the floor.

Inhale and straighten your arms to lift your upper body off the floor. Your pubis and legs should still be touching the floor. It can help to tighten the glutes in this pose.

Push your shoulder blades together and breathe. Hold Cobra pose for up to 30 seconds.

Cat-Cow Pose

Start on your hands and knees, keeping your spine neutral. To move into cow pose, inhale and lift your pelvis upwards, press your chest forward and let your belly sink.

Loosen your shoulders, lift your head and look forward.

To move into cat pose, exhale, round your spine upwards, tuck in your pelvis, and pull it towards your abdominals. Put your chin towards your chest.

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Start on your hands and knees. Firmly place your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.

Spread your hands wide; this will help with your balance. Now, lift your tailbone and press your glutes up and back towards the ceiling.

Straighten your legs as much as you can with your heels on the floor; you may need to bend your knees. Make sure your back stays flat.

Your head will be between your arms, looking towards your knees.

Bridge Pose

Lie on your back with your knees bent and hip-distance apart.

Move your feet closer to your glutes. Press through your feet and inhale. Lift your hips from your pelvis.

Engage your inner thighs to make sure your knees don’t spread out wide.

Lengthen your tailbone and keep your neck neutral.

Other Good Beginner Yoga Poses To Learn

• Half-Pigeon Pose
• Plank
• Child’s Pose
• Crescent Lunge
• Triangle
• Warrior 1
• Warrior 2
• Corpse

Types of Yoga

Yoga was invented in ancient India, and there are references to Yogic practices extending all the way back to 1200BC. Since then, it’s spread throughout the world, and many have embraced it and learn yoga as exercise and meditation.

There are ten major yoga variants:

• Vinyasa
• Ashtanga
• Bikram
• Iyengar
• Hatha
• Anusara
• Kundalini
• Yin
• Prenatal
• Restorative