Well being Author & Editor
By Kristine Thomason
Well being Author & Editor
Kristine is a author, editor, and editorial marketing consultant who lives in Lengthy Seaside, CA.
Picture by Andreas von Scheele
June 02, 2025
If you happen to’re brand-new to yoga, welcome! It is a wonderful observe that mixes breathwork, meditation, and motion—which may 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 circulate a lot smoother.
Whereas there are a lot of varieties of yoga, you may see a variety 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 by way of these poses to familiarize your physique and thoughts with every one, and so they’re positive to change 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 along 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 elevate. 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)
Picture by mbg Artistic / mbg Artistic
- Place your arms 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 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 elevate them up excessive, coming right into a downward-dog place.
- Floor down by way of the soles of your toes and your arms, permitting your hips to be the best level. You too can pedal out your canine right here, lifting one heel, then the opposite.
6.
Plank (phalakasana)
- Place your arms 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 arms into the bottom, and your push chest ahead.
- Exhale as you slowly launch again to the mat.
9.
Cobra pose (bhujangasana)
Picture by mbg Artistic / mbg Artistic
- Begin by mendacity in your abdomen.
- Carry your arms beneath your shoulders. Pull your elbows in towards your physique.
- Preserving your elbows bent, elevate your chest up. Slowly decrease again to the mat.
10.
Low lunge (anjaneyasana)
Picture by mbg Artistic / mbg Artistic
- Plant one foot between your arms on the mat. Carry your different knee right down to the bottom.
- Rise to an upright place, along with your arms resting in your entrance thigh.
- Prolong your arms, reaching them as much as the sky.
11.
Crescent lunge (ashta chandrasana)
- Carry one foot in between your arms, maintaining your different leg prolonged backward.
- Floor down by way of your entrance foot, and elevate onto your again toes.
- Slowly stand up right into a excessive lunge, bringing your arms overhead and maintaining the gaze in entrance of you.
12.
Warrior 1Â (virabhadrasana I)
- From a excessive lunge, pivot your again foot down, and elevate your torso up, coming right into a warrior 1.
- Bend your entrance knee, and elevate 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 facet. Your again foot needs to be turned in barely. Your entrance knee needs to be proper over your ankle.
- Energetically stretch your arms in reverse instructions, maintaining a mushy 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.
- Preserving 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.
- Carry your arms right into a “T” place, then shift your physique ahead and produce your proper hand to relaxation in your proper foot or shin.
- Carry your left arm up towards the sky.
16.
Tree pose (vrksansana)
- Begin in a standing place.
- Floor down by way of your left foot. Bend your proper knee, and produce 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 carry your arms to the guts 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 produce it in keeping with your proper arm. Carry your proper foot to the left facet, and permit your shin to relaxation on the bottom.
- Carry your again leg right down to the mat, and elevate your chest.
- Maintain for a breath, then slowly decrease your torso to the bottom so it folds over your proper leg.
- You will 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.
