Health & Fitness Tools

Find Out The 5 Basic Yoga Positions For Beginners

7th September, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

When you want to be at peace and harmony with your mind, body and spirit then yoga is perhaps the best traditional approach to it. When you do yoga you will instantly feel the various health benefits that it gives us. Some of these benefits include relieving the stress from our body, giving us a better posture whenever we stand or sit down, and stretching our muscles to keep them free from injuries. While these may sound fun and relaxing, yoga positions can be sometimes overwhelming for most beginners. In reality they should not feel this as there are many yoga positions designed for beginners.

These beginner yoga poses will help anyone to get easily acquainted with yoga. This will get them started on the right foot, allowing for the gradual move to more intricate yoga positions. Nevertheless, easy or hard, every yoga pose has a corresponding health benefit to give to you.

1. Child’s Pose

This one is also called the Balasana and it aims to stretch your lower muscles such as the thighs, hips and ankles. This position can help relive back pain. To do this you must start by kneeling on the floor and then stretching out your upper body on the mat. Both of your arms should also be stretched out above your head with both palms resting on the mat. Your belly should be touching your knees.

2. The Tadasana

This yoga position is called the Mountain Pose and it will greatly help with your posture. To do this you must stand straight on your mat with your head and neck properly aligned to your spine. Make sure that your big toes are touching each other. When you do this position your knees will naturally be pressed on each other which may cause some discomfort to most people. To relieve this pressure, spread out your knees a little bit on the sides allowing for a little space between them.

3. The Cat Stretch

This yoga position will help improve your abdominal strength while stretching the spine. To achieve this, you must drop on all fours just like a cat, hence the name. Now imagine that there is a line drawn on your back. It should be straight, starting from your head all the way down to your spine. Keep this imaginary line straight. Hold this position for a few seconds or a couple of minutes.

4. The Uttanasana

Also called the Uttanasana, this is a pretty straight forward position. This will stretch your hamstrings, providing for more flexibility. To do this pose, stand straight on your mat then bend down with your hands reaching the sides of your feet. Make sure to flatten your palms on mat. Put all your weight on the balls of your feet. When you do this you will quickly feel your hamstrings being stretched. Hold your position for as long as you can.

5. Raised Hands Pose

This position is also called the Urdhva Hastasana and it will help improve your posture as well as strengthen your thigh muscles. To do this position, stand straight and then stretch out both of your arms upward way above your head. Put your palms together touching each other flat while keeping both arms straight. Pull back your shoulder blades.