Well being Author & Editor
By Kristine Thomason
Well being Author & Editor
Kristine is a author, editor, and editorial guide who lives in Lengthy Seaside, CA.
Picture by Andreas von Scheele
June 02, 2025
In the event you’re brand-new to yoga, welcome! It is a wonderful apply that mixes breathwork, meditation, and motion—which may do wonders to your well-being.
Whether or not you are drawn to yoga for the bodily, psychological, or non secular advantages, having a fundamental understanding of widespread postures could make your apply circulate a lot smoother.
Whereas there are various kinds of yoga, you will see a lot of comparable commonplace poses in every apply.
Beneath, we have compiled 17 fundamental yoga poses—with each their English and Sanskrit names—demonstrated by yoga instructors Phyllicia Bonnano and Juanina Kocher.
Circulate by means of these poses to familiarize your physique and thoughts with every one, and so they’re positive to turn into second nature very quickly.
1.
Mountain pose (tadasana)
- Rise up tall, and permit your shoulders to drop again.
- Really feel grounded as your crown stretches towards the sky.
- Take a deep breath in; attain your arms upward.
2.
Ahead fold (uttanasana)
- Rise up tall together with your arms reaching as much as the sky.
- As you exhale, hinge at your hips and fold your higher physique ahead, bending your knees if wanted.
- Inhale, and are available right into a half raise. Then exhale and decrease again down.
3.
Kid’s pose (balasana)
- From a tabletop place, sit again onto your heels.
- Peel your knees open. Attain and lengthen your fingertips ahead, permitting your chest to relaxation in your mat.
4.
Cat-cow (chakravakasana)
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- Place your fingers in your mat, coming right into a tabletop place.
- As you inhale, carry your stomach towards the bottom, bend your again, and permit your gaze to come back up.
- Exhale as you curl and spherical your backbone, bringing your gaze towards your stomach button.
5.
Downward canine (adho mukha svanasana)
- Come right into a plank place in your mat.
- Inhale as you hinge at your hips, and raise them up excessive, coming right into a downward-dog place.
- Floor down by means of the soles of your ft and your fingers, permitting your hips to be the best level. You can even pedal out your canine right here, lifting one heel, then the opposite.
6.
Plank (phalakasana)
- Place your fingers and ft on the mat, rising up so your shoulders are stacked over your wrists.
- Have interaction your core, and maintain for a few breaths.
7.
Chaturanga (chaturanga dandasana)
- Come into your plank pose, participating your core to stabilize your physique.
- Slowly bend your elbows, hug them in towards your ribs, and decrease right down to your mat.
8.
Chaturanga (chaturanga dandasana)
- Begin by mendacity in your abdomen.
- Inhale, press your fingers into the bottom, and your push chest ahead.
- Exhale as you slowly launch again to the mat.
9.
Cobra pose (bhujangasana)
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- Begin by mendacity in your abdomen.
- Deliver your fingers beneath your shoulders. Pull your elbows in towards your physique.
- Holding your elbows bent, raise your chest up. Slowly decrease again to the mat.
10.
Low lunge (anjaneyasana)
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- Plant one foot between your fingers on the mat. Deliver your different knee right down to the bottom.
- Rise to an upright place, together with your fingers resting in your entrance thigh.
- Lengthen your arms, reaching them as much as the sky.
11.
Crescent lunge (ashta chandrasana)
- Deliver one foot in between your fingers, conserving your different leg prolonged backward.
- Floor down by means of your entrance foot, and raise onto your again toes.
- Slowly stand up right into a excessive lunge, bringing your arms overhead and conserving the gaze in entrance of you.
12.
Warrior 1 (virabhadrasana I)
- From a excessive lunge, pivot your again foot down, and raise your torso up, coming right into a warrior 1.
- Bend your entrance knee, and raise your arms towards the sky.
13.
Warrior 2 (virabhadrasana II)
- From a excessive lunge, pivot your again heel down, and open your physique to the facet. Your again foot ought to be turned in barely. Your entrance knee ought to be proper over your ankle.
- Energetically stretch your arms in reverse instructions, conserving a smooth gaze over your fingertips.
14.
Peaceable warrior (viparita virabhadrasana)
- From warrior 2 pose, flip your entrance palm, carry the left hand down behind you, and permit it to relaxation on the again of the left thigh.
- Holding the precise biceps by your ear, attain your arm backward. Gently bend your backbone, gazing towards your fingertips.
15.
Triangle pose (utthita trikonasana)
- From peaceable warrior, straighten your entrance leg.
- Deliver your arms right into a “T” place, then shift your physique ahead and convey your proper hand to relaxation in your proper foot or shin.
- Elevate your left arm up towards the sky.
16.
Tree pose (vrksansana)
- Begin in a standing place.
- Floor down by means of your left foot. Bend your proper knee, and convey your proper foot to your left ankle, decrease a part of your leg, or thigh (no matter you favor).
- Stretch your arms as much as the sky, or carry your fingers to the center heart.
17.
Pigeon pose (kapotasana)
- Begin in a downward-dog place, then attain your proper foot as much as the sky.
- Bend your knee and convey it according to your proper arm. Deliver your proper foot to the left facet, and permit your shin to relaxation on the bottom.
- Deliver your again leg right down to the mat, and raise your chest.
- Maintain for a breath, then slowly decrease your torso to the bottom so it folds over your proper leg.
- You might have the choice to carry your brow to the mat.
- Maintain for as many breaths as you need, then peel your physique again up. Come again right into a downward canine, then repeat on the alternative facet.
