Well being Author & Editor
By Kristine Thomason
Well being Author & Editor
Kristine is a author, editor, and editorial advisor who lives in Lengthy Seaside, CA.
Picture by Andreas von Scheele
June 02, 2025
When you’re brand-new to yoga, welcome! It is a wonderful observe that mixes breathwork, meditation, and motion—which might do wonders in your well-being.
Whether or not you are drawn to yoga for the bodily, psychological, or religious advantages, having a fundamental understanding of widespread postures could make your observe stream a lot smoother.
Whereas there are a lot of sorts of yoga, you may see plenty of related normal poses in every observe.
Beneath, we have compiled 17 fundamental yoga poses—with each their English and Sanskrit names—demonstrated by yoga instructors Phyllicia Bonnano and Juanina Kocher.
Circulation via these poses to familiarize your physique and thoughts with each, they usually’re positive to grow to be 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 carry. 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 prolong 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, deliver your stomach towards the bottom, bend your again, and permit your gaze to return 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 carry them up excessive, coming right into a downward-dog place.
- Floor down via the soles of your toes and your fingers, permitting your hips to be the best level. You may as well pedal out your canine right here, lifting one heel, then the opposite.
6.
Plank (phalakasana)
- Place your fingers and toes 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, partaking 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.
- Retaining your elbows bent, carry 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, retaining your different leg prolonged backward.
- Floor down via your entrance foot, and carry onto your again toes.
- Slowly stand up right into a excessive lunge, bringing your arms overhead and retaining the gaze in entrance of you.
12.
Warrior 1Â (virabhadrasana I)
- From a excessive lunge, pivot your again foot down, and carry your torso up, coming right into a warrior 1.
- Bend your entrance knee, and carry your arms towards the sky.
13.
Warrior 2Â (virabhadrasana II)
- From a excessive lunge, pivot your again heel down, and open your physique to the aspect. Your again foot must be turned in barely. Your entrance knee must be proper over your ankle.
- Energetically stretch your arms in reverse instructions, retaining a delicate gaze over your fingertips.
14.
Peaceable warrior (viparita virabhadrasana)
- From warrior 2 pose, flip your entrance palm, deliver the left hand down behind you, and permit it to relaxation on the again of the left thigh.
- Retaining the correct 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 via 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 like).
- Stretch your arms as much as the sky, or deliver your fingers to the guts middle.
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 in keeping with your proper arm. Deliver your proper foot to the left aspect, and permit your shin to relaxation on the bottom.
- Deliver your again leg right down to the mat, and carry your chest.
- Maintain for a breath, then slowly decrease your torso to the bottom so it folds over your proper leg.
- You’ve got the choice to deliver your brow to the mat.
- Maintain for as many breaths as you want, then peel your physique again up. Come again right into a downward canine, then repeat on the alternative aspect.
