The Top 20 Yoga Poses for Complete Beginners

Are you a complete beginner to yoga and looking for the perfect poses to get started? Well, look no further! This article is going to outline the top 20 yoga poses that are perfect for those just starting out with this wonderful form of exercise. Not only will it explain each pose in-depth, but provide helpful tips so that you can be sure to do them safely and effectively. So if you’re ready to begin your journey in taking up this relaxing yet powerful practice, let’s dive right into our list of the best poses available!

The Top 20 Yoga Poses for Complete Beginners:

1. Standing Forward Bend – Uttanasana
2. Chair Pose – Utkatasana
3. Triangle Pose  – Triconasana
4. Mountain Pose – Tadasana
5. Thunderbolt Pose – Vajrasana
6. Downward Facing Dog Pose – Adho Mukha Svanasana
7. Cow / Cat Pose – Viralasana
8. Child Pose – Balasana
9. Warrior 1 Pose – Virabhadrasana I
10. Warrior 2 Pose – Virabhadrasana II
11. Extended Side Angle Pose – Parsvakonasana
12. Boat Pose – Navasana
13. Camel Pose – Ustrasana
14. Bridge Pose – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
15. Cobra Pose – Bhujangasana
16. Bow Pose – Dhanurasana
17. Plank Pose – Kumbhakasana
18. Forward Fold Pose – Pascimotanasana
19. Lord Of The Fishes Pose – Ardha Matsyendrasana
20. Reclined Twist Pose – Jathara Parivartanasana

1. Standing Forward Bend – Uttanasana

Standing Forward Bend is a great way to relieve neck, shoulders, and back tension while improving flexibility and range of motion.

How to do:

• From the standing position bring both feet together. Then raise both arms up overhead. Inhale and extend the spine and arms up.
• On exhalation folding forward from the hips, keeping the back straight. Extending out and down and bringing the head toward the legs.
• While in pose relax the back and keep the knees straight. Breathe normally and hold the pose for 20 seconds to 1 min.

Modifications: If there is tightness in the hamstrings or this bothers your lower back, bend your knees while in the pose.

2. Chair Pose – Utkatasana

The Chair Pose is an exercise that resembles a squat, but in reality, differs from it. Your feet are close together as you lift your upper body while keeping your lower body firmly grounded. This requires balance and concentration. Practicing this pose will help strengthen the core and leg muscles essential for more challenging poses.

How to do:

• Stand straight on your mat.
• Bend your knees and drop your hips as if you’re sitting back in a chair.
• Reach your arms up alongside your ears. Lift your chest and look straight.
• Engage your core and lift up through your chest, keeping a straight back and letting the shoulder fall away from your ears.
• Hold for 10 breaths.

3. Triangle Pose – Triconasana

Triangle Pose is a basic posture for yogis of any level. You’ll want to make sure your body is aligned. It’s particularly great for opening the chest and hips and stretching the hamstrings.

How to do:

• Begin with a comfortable wide stand. Turn your right foot 90 degrees out and your left foot slightly in. Bring the right heel in line with the left heel.
• On the exhalation shift your hips to the left and tilt your torso to the right while reaching to the right side as far as you can. Let your right palm come down to rest either on your thigh, shin, or on the floor.
• Reach straight up with your other hand. Keep the torso aligned with the hips. The back heel is pressing to the floor. Keep the knees straight and lift the kneecaps up. Gaze towards the raised hand.
• Lengthen through both sides of your waist. Bring awareness to the hip and side of the torso. Take 10 breaths. Repeat on the other side.

4. Mountain Pose – Tadasana

Yoga Mountain Pose (Tadasana) is a pose for complete beginners, and it’s an excellent way to learn the basics of Yoga. This pose will help you to feel grounded in your feet while also consciously engaging different parts of the body. Regularly practicing Mountain Pose can help improve posture and relieve pain, as well as provide correct alignment for the rest of your yoga practice.

In addition to its physical benefits, Mountain Pose is a great way to bring calmness and steadiness to your body, mind, and spirit. It can also be used as a starting point for other standing poses, allowing you to check in with your alignment before moving into the next pose. Spend several breaths here focusing on grounding yourself in the present moment before transitioning into the next posture.

How to do:

• Begin in Mountain Pose by standing with your feet touching, grounding all ten toes and the edges of the feet into the floor.
• Engage your quadriceps so that the knees and top of the thighs draw up and back slightly rotating inward.
• Activate your core to ensure a neutral pelvis position pointing forward rather than downward.
• Slightly tuck in the tailbone while keeping the spine neutral, not rounded or arched. The glutes should be relaxed but the back of the thighs engage enough to lift them.
• Lift up through the chest, pressing shoulder blades back and let shoulders fall down from ears for extra neck elongation. Arms should hang straight down by your sides slightly engaged and internally rotated with fingers together and extended.

5. Thunderbold Pose – Vajrasana

Thunderbolt is an excellent seated pose to stretch the thighs, ankles, and knees as well as improve posture. Although it can take some practice for those who have tight ankles and knees, it’s a great pose to use during restful moments in yoga, breathing exercises, and meditation.

How to do:

• Begin in a kneeling position with your torso straight and upright. You may find it more comfortable to place a blanket underneath your knees.
• Gently push your hips back to sit on your feet, and put your hands on the knees while keeping a straight back, pulling in the shoulders, and lifting the chest.
• Your buttocks will rest on your heels and your thighs will rest on your calves.
• Put your hands on your thighs and adjust your pelvis slightly backward and forward until you’re comfortable.
• Breathe in and out slowly as you position yourself to sit up straight by straightening your spine. Use your head to pull your body upward and press your tailbone toward the floor.

6. Downward Facing Dog Pose – Adho Mukha Svanasana

By practicing this pose regularly, you will not only benefit from its physical advantages but also from its mental benefits. The Downward Facing Dog pose will help you to stay present and grounded in the moment. This pose encourages strength and confidence, allowing you to move through life with a sense of empowerment! This pose calms the mind and helps to relieve stress. It also stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, and calves. Enjoy the wonderful benefits that Downward Facing Dog has to offer.

How to do:

• Start in a tabletop position with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your knees aligned beneath your hips.
• Tuck your toes, then lift the hips to move into the pose.
• With arms slightly rotated inwards, press away from the floor with the hands and engage the core to evenly distribute the weight of the body.
• Your heels may not touch the ground at first, and that’s ok – stay focused on maintaining proper alignment and feeling the stretch.

• To deepen the pose, bend one leg at a time while pushing the other leg towards the mat. This stretches out your hamstrings as well as strengthens your upper body and core.
• Hold for 5-10 breaths, and repeat several times as desired! Downward Facing Dog is a great pose for relieving tension in your shoulders, back, and legs.

7. Cow / Cat Pose – Viralasana

Practicing this poses stretches your torso, shoulders, and neck. The cow/cat pose improves blood circulation between the vertebrae of your spine and helps in relieving back pain and stress.

How to do:

• Come to your hands and knees. Place your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. As you inhale drop your belly. Let your tailbone reach toward the ceiling and keep your chest wide. This is Cow – the image on the left.
• To come into Cat from Cow, exhale. Press into your hands evenly and round through your upper back. Draw your chin to your chest and round through your spine.
• Continue to move with your breath, alternating between Cat and Cow to create movement in your spine. Keep the awareness on the spine. Do this for at least 1 minute.

8. Child Pose

Child pose calms the mind and draws attention inward. If you need a break at any point during your practice, return to this pose. It lengthens and stretches your spine, promoting flexibility in your hips, thighs, and lower back.

How to do:

• Begin by coming to your hands and knees. Separate your knees wider than your hips and bring your big toes together. Sit back onto your heels.
• Allow your belly to drop between your thighs as your ribs rest on the inner thighs. Bring your forehead to the floor. Keep your arms alongside you.
• Close your eyes and bring awareness inward. Hold for 5 minutes.

Modifications: If it is difficult to sit back on your heels, place a rolled towel or blanket under the ankles and sit on that. You can also place a cushion or bolster under your thighs, chest, and forehead to create better support.

9. Warrior 1 Pose – Virabhadrasana I

The Warrior I strengthens the legs and back. It is also a centering pose that trains the mind to be focused.

How to do:

• Stand at the front of your mat. Take a big step back with your right foot, align your heels and square your hips. Turn your right foot slightly forward and make sure your left toes point straight ahead.
• Bend your left knee to a 90-degree angle so your left thigh is parallel to the floor. At the same time, press the right foot into the mat and keep straightening the right leg.
• Extend your arms overhead. If elbows are straight, then touch your palms together and look up. Spin your left ribs forward to square off your chest with the front of the room. Repeat on the other side.
• Hold the position for 10 breaths and repeat on another side.

10. Warrior 2 Pose – Virabhadrasana II

The Warrior II pose increases endurance and strengthen the legs and arms. Creates a sense of braveness.

How to do:

• Starting from the previous pose (Warrior I) turn your torso so it faces the sidewall of the room. Right toes to face forward and your left toes at a slightly in. Line up your front heel with the arch of your back foot.
• Keep your knee bend at 90-degree angle. Press through the outer edge of your back foot and straighten the back leg.
• Raise arms to shoulder height and reach them forward and back. Keep your torso directly over your hips.
• Hold for 10 breaths and repeat on the other side.

11. Extended Side Angle Pose – Parsvakonasana

The pose stretches the torso and lower back and strengthens the legs, opens the hips, and lengthens the side body. The pose improves sciatica, menstrual discomfort, constipation, low backache, and osteoporosis.

How to do:

• Starting from the previous pose (Warrior II) reach your front arm forward and place the elbow on the bended knee or place your hand on the outside of the front foot for a more intense stretch. f you are just starting you can place the palm on the block (image on the left).
• Turn your top palm toward the front of the room and reach it forward alongside your ear.
• Open the chest towards the sidewall and look up.
• Hold for 10 breaths and switch the sides.

12. Boat Pose – Navasana

Boat Pose tones and strengthens your abdominal muscles, improves balance and digestion, strengthens your spine and hip flexors, stimulates the kidneys, thyroid and prostate glands, and intestines, and aids in stress relief.

How to do:

• Sit with the knees bent, heels in towards the buttock.
• With the hand holding the backs of the thighs just below the knees, lower the torso backward and slowly raise the feet to establish balance.
• when you ready let go of legs and straighten them. Stretch the arms alongside the knees.
• When in pose lengthen the spine all the way up through the neck, lower back bring forward, and lift the chest. Hold the position for 15 seconds and repeat after a short break.

13. Camel Pose

The Camel pose energizes the body and opens the chest, and the hips, stretching deep hip flexors, shoulders, and back, improves digestion and elimination, and relieves lower back pain.

How to do:

• Kneel and place your hands on the back of your pelvis. Draw your elbows close to each other, so they point straight back.

• Bring your thighs and hips forward and open chest upward. Look up. Breath normally. Bring shoulder blades together.

14. Bridge Pose – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

The pose is alleviating back pain, opens the chest and shoulders, strengthens glutes and quads. It also stimulates the thyroid gland.

How to do:

• Lie on your back. Bend your knees. Place your feet flat on the ground, hip-distance apart and parallel to the side of the mat. Stack your knees directly over your ankles. Place your arms alongside you; palms face down.

• Inhale, press down into your feet to lift your hips toward the ceiling.

• Roll your shoulders toward each other underneath you. Interlace your fingers. Open chest toward the ceiling. Engage buttocks.

Modifications: If you have lower back issues, try turning this into a restorative pose. To do so, place a block on its low or medium height underneath your sacrum, the boniest part of the back of your pelvis.

15. Cobra Pose – Bhujangasana

The pose opens the shoulder blades, neck, and collar bones, improves spinal posture, flexibility, and alignment, reduces back pain, improves circulation, and opens the lungs. Cobra Pose also stimulates the abdominal and digestive organs, improving digestion.

How to do:

• Lie facedown on your mat. Bend your elbows and place your palms flat on the floor alongside your lower ribs so that your elbows are stacked directly over your wrists. Keep legs together.

• On an inhalation, press into your hands and use the muscles of your lower back to lift your chest off the ground. Keep your shoulders relaxed away from your ears as you draw them back and down.

• Start to work your arms straight, but stop as soon as you feel your shoulders raising toward your ears. Take 5 to 8 breaths and come down. Repeat 2 more times.

16. Bow Pose – Dhanurasana

This pose is great for digestive problems as it stimulates internal organs. It also stretches and opens the chest, shoulders, and quads, and strengthens the back and glutes.

How to do:

• To start lie facedown on your mat. Bring your forehead to the floor. Bend the knees and bring the heels toward the buttocks. Reach back and take hold of the ankles. Knees and heals should be parallel and kept apart.
• On the next inhalation press the legs into the hands lifting the lower half of the body. Then slowly extend the chin and raise the head, neck, and chest.
• Continue pressing the feet into palms and allow shoulders to release and arch the entire spine. Hold the position for 15-30 seconds.

17. Plank Pose – Kumbhakasana

The Plank Pose strengthens the upper body and core, improving spinal stability, and strength of forearms, wrists, and hands.

How to do:

• Come to your hands and knees. Tighten your belly muscles so that your back is flat and parallel to the ground. Extend your legs behind you. Tuck your toes under so that you end up in a push-up position.
• Press the hands down evenly through all fingers. Straighten elbows and roll them out. Draw your lower belly in to avoid dropping your hips.
• Press your heels back as if you’re trying to step on the wall behind you. At the same time, draw your chest forward to lengthen your spine. Hold for 10 breaths. Repeat after a short break.

18. Forward Fold Pose – Pascimotanasana

The Forward Fold pose stimulates the liver and kidneys while enhancing digestion. It also calms the mind, and reduces stress and blood pressure.

How to do:

• Start in seating on the floor with legs straight in front of you. Inhale and reach your arms up alongside your ears.
• On an exhalation, hinge from the hips and start to reaching forward. Lead with your chest and do not round your back.
• When you can’t reach any further, let your hands come down either to the ground or the outside of your legs or clasp your feet. Hold the position for 10 breaths. Repeat after a short break.

19. Lord Of The Fishes Pose – Ardha Matsyendrasana

The pose tones and strengthens abs, stretches and energizes the spine, opens the shoulders, neck, and hips, cleanses the internal organs, and improves digestion, and elimination.

How to do:

• Seat straight with legs extended in front of you. Bend your right knee and place your right foot over your left thigh and set it on the outside of your left leg.
• Bend your left leg and the heel toward right sit bone. Sit tall.
• Place your right hand behind you and lift left hand to the ceiling. As you exhale, twist to the right and bring your left elbow to the outside of your right knee.
• Repeat on the other side.

20. Reclined Twist Pose – Jathara Parivartanasana

This restorative pose helps with mobility in the spine and back. It stretches the spine, back, and shoulders. Practicing this pose can help relieve pain and stiffness in your back and hips.

How to do:

• Lie on your back. Draw your both knees to the chest.
• Have your arms extended to the side.
• Slowly bring both legs to the left side while keeping your knees as close together as possible.
• Turn your head and look to the right.
• Focus on breathing deeply in this position.
• Hold this pose for at least 30 seconds.
• Repeat on the opposite side.

In conclusion, Yoga is an ancient practice that can offer many physical, mental, and spiritual benefits to those who practice it regularly. As a complete beginner, the 20 yoga poses listed in this blog post can help you develop a basic familiarity with the different poses available. Additionally, you should remember always to go at your own pace and modify any poses that require more flexibility or strength than what you have. With regular practice and patience, you will be rewarded with improved strength, balance, posture, and overall well-being. Finally, do not forget to listen to your body’s feedback during each session; breathing slowly and steadily will help you retain good form through each pose and experience the full benefits of what yoga has to offer!

Jola is a co-founder of YolaYoga, a certified yoga teacher, and a passionate practitioner of yoga for over 20 years. She specializes in therapeutic yoga for students with brain injuries. She loves sharing the wisdom of yoga with clients and assisting them on their journey to recovery, healing, and peace. If you want to schedule a yoga session contact her here.