Yoga Asanas for Beginners

Here you will find the basic asanas that anyone can practise, whether you are a beginner or an advanced yogi. You may know these asanas from your yoga class or the online yoga course you follow.

The sun salutation A – a sequence of basic yoga exercises

Image source: Yoga Experience

Yoga Asanas described and explained in detail.

Mountain pose (Tadasana)

  • Place your legs hip-width apart
  • The tailbone is long and the lower abdomen pulls up slightly
  • The shoulders sink downwards
  • Bring the palms together
  • The crown of the head pulls upwards
  • The gaze is at eye level
  • The breath flows

Chair pose (Utkatasana)

  1. Feet hip-width apart.
  2. Bend your knees and start to lower your hips.
  3. Open your chest and stretch your arms over your head.
  4. Activate your feet by lifting your toes off the floor.
  5. Push your knees away from each other
  6. Bend back slightly in the upper body so that you create length in the front.
  7. Lift your chest and shoulder blades upwards.
  8. Inhalation

Stretched mountain pose (Urdha Hastasana)

  1. Stretch your arms far upwards
  2. The upper arms rotate outwards
  3. The gaze goes to the thumbs
  4. Inhalation

Full forward bend (Uttanasana)

  1. Beginners bend their upper body downwards with their knees bent. Advanced practitioners can stretch the legs
  2. The back and head relax towards the floor
  3. The hands are either on the floor, on blocks or on the shins
  4. The upper abdomen is active
  5. Gaze towards the tip of the nose
  6. Exhalation

Half forward bend (Ardha Uttanasana)

  1. Knees either bent or extended
  2. The hands are on the floor, shins, blocks or thighs as in the full forward bend
  3. The spine is stretched long
  4. The crown of the head reaches forward
  5. The lower abdomen is active
  6. The gaze goes to the tip of the nose
  7. Inhalation

Yoga push-up (Chaturanga Dandasana) or Knee-Chest-Chin (Ashtanga Namaskar)

  1. Traditionally, you jump directly from the half forward bend into Chaturanga.
  2. Both legs are active
  3. The abdomen is firm and the tailbone pulls slightly towards the heels
  4. The hands are spread apart on the mat next to the chest and the elbows are at a right angle
  5. The neck is long
  6. The gaze goes to the tip of the nose
  7. Exhalation

Upward-Facing Dog (Urdha Mukha Svanasana) or Cobra (Bhujangasana)

  1. Upward facing dog is an advanced backbend
  2. The backs of the feet press into the floor
  3. The legs rotate slightly inwards
  4. The lower back is long
  5. Lift the sternum forwards and upwards while the shoulders rotate downwards
  6. Press your hands into the floor
  7. The crown of the head pulls towards the ceiling
  8. Look towards the tip of the nose
  9. Inhale

Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

  1. From Downward-Facing Dog, roll back over the toes into Downward-Facing Dog
  2. Beginners or people with shortened backs of the legs bend the knees to stretch the lower back
  3. The ischial bones pull backwards and upwards
  4. The lower abdomen is firm, the ribs pull slightly inwards
  5. The shoulder blades are wide
  6. The upper arms rotate outwards
  7. The hands press powerfully into the floor
  8. The gaze is directed towards the belly button
  9. Inhale and exhale

Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)

  1. Step with the left foot forward
  2. Your right toes will point diagonally to your left foot. Your knee is 45° to your left foot.
  3. Lift your chest and shoulder blades upwards.
  4. Inhalation

Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

  1. Starting in mountain pose
  2. Take a big lunge backwarts with your left foot.
  3. Place your left foot in line with the back foot which is turned out by approx. 45°
  4. The front foot points forwards.
  5. Your knee is bent (45°) until your thigh is parallel to the mat and your knee is above your ankle.
  6. The pelvic bones are facing forward on both sides.
  7. Both arms are straight up
  8. Look towards your hands.
  9. Inhale

Warrior III (Virabhadrasana III)

  1. Place your left foot forward
  2. Breathe in and lift your right foot as far behind you as possible.
  3. Stretch your arms forward parallel to the floor and look down.
  4. Exhale fully in the pose and stretch your body outwards in both extremes.

Child Pose (Balasana)

  1. Sit up on your heels. Straighten your upper body and lengthen your back.
  2. Bend forward in a long stretch and rest your forehead on the floor.
  3. Place the backs of your hands on the floor to the left and right of your buttocks. Let your shoulders sink heavily.
  4. Remain in this position for 5 breaths.

Other yoga asanas that can be incorporated into the sun salutation

Tree pose – a balance act

Start in the mountain pose. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and stable, your shoulders sink back and down and your chest is open. Your muscles are activated and your pelvis is tilted slightly forward to prevent a hollow back. Your thighs are active and your knees are slightly bent. Now balance on one leg and bring the sole of the foot into the inner thigh. Bring your hands to your chest in prayer position Anjali Mudra.

Twisting pose – promotes back flexibility

Starting from a cross-legged position, place your right foot next to your left knee. Reach your left arm around your right knee and straighten up. As you exhale, rotate your upper body to the right and place your right hand on the floor with the palm facing down. With each inhalation you try to create length in your back and with each exhalation you go deeper into the twist. Try to feel exactly where your spine still has some space and enjoy a few breaths in this asana.

King pigeon asana

Starting from a 4-legged stance, bring your right leg onto the mat, keeping your left leg straight as it reaches the floor. Bring your right knee out so that it is further to the right than your hips and make sure your right foot is flexed (bent towards your shin). Gently lower your right buttock towards the floor, but make sure you distribute your weight evenly on both hips. If this is too difficult, place a folded towel under your right buttock. With your right leg bent and your left leg extended, bend your left knee to bring your left foot back. Make sure that your toe remains plantar flexed. Next, raise your left arm towards the sky, slowly bend your elbow backwards and grab your left foot.

If you want to achieve perfect alignment and posture, you can practice this in various yoga poses. By practicing yoga regularly, you will become calmer and make great progress.