Yoga Asanas For Beginners

Yoga poses (asanas) come in a variety of types.



All contemporary schools of yoga, including Iyengar Yoga, Viniyoga Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga as well as Vinyasa Yoga have their own notions about how to sequence an asana practice. Most of the series are linear.



This means to say that one pose follows another in a logical gradual direction. In so doing, you the beginner moves from less difficult poses to the tougher ones and back to less challenging poses.



On the whole, a series of asanas such as this starts with simple warm-up exercises that set a theme for the practice. They then build up to more challenging poses, slow down to cooling poses and end with relaxation. This, ideally, is what the program for beginners is like. And the model sequence of asanas for beginners is as follows:

• Surya Namaskar -- 3 Rounds – Sun Salutations
• Sukhasana – Easy Pose
• Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward-Facing Dog Pose
• Vrksasana – Tree Pose
• Trikonasana – Triangle pose
• Utthita Trikonasana – Extended Triangle Pose
• Utthita Parsvakonasana – Extended Side Angle Pose
• Dandasana – Staff Pose
• Paschimottanasana – Seated Forward Bend
• Navasana – Boat Pose
• Salabhasana – Locust Pose
• Sethu Bandha – Bridge Pose
• Viparita Karani – Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
• Shavasana – Corpse Pose

This, by the way, is just one way to sequence. By and large, all poses in a sequence are performed only. Then again, there is no saying you can’t perform each pose 2 to 3 times. Each time you pay attention to a different aspect of the pose. Take, for instance, Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose). You can first do the pose concentrating on your feet or back, and then repeat it while focusing on your spine or hands.

Alternately, some Yoga beginners also tend to build a whole sequence around only one pose, such as Viparita Karani, returning to it time and again. The make use of the other poses in the sequence merely to explore characteristics of the main pose.