6 Yoga Poses That Should Be in Your Practice

Yoga poses (Image via Unsplash/ Benjamin Child)

Yoga poses have become mainstream, from your favorite celebrities to coworkers getting on the mat for all the good reasons.

Yoga is an ancient practice entailing several health benefits, including better mental health, reduced inflammation, strengthened body, and enhanced cardiovascular health. These poses also help you get healthy skin and improve your physical fitness.

Simple Yoga Poses

Here, we have created a list of six simple yoga poses that can help you relax and should be done daily:

1) Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

It's one of the best yoga poses to strengthen the abs, boost blood circulation, and elevate heart rate. This pose can also help you get strong legs.

How to do the yoga pose?

Bring your body into a conventional mountain pose, with your hands raised straight to the ceiling.
Bend your knees as if you're sitting in an invisible chair, maintaining good posture. Bring your thighs parallel to the floor, with your head to the ceiling.
Gently release and repeat.

2) Down Dog (Uttana Shishosana)

It can help enhance flexibility and enable you to perform the standard downward facing dog pose.

How to do this yoga pose?

Begin in a straight standing position, with a chair in front of you.
Position your palms at the back of the chair, with your arms apart at shoulder distance, and bring your feet in proper alignment with your hips.
In this position, your body should be angled at 90 degrees. Drive your hands and hips away from each other
Hold before gently releasing.

3) Standing Half Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana)

This is a lengthening yoga pose that can improve your hamstring flexibility and improve back health.

How to do this yoga pose?

Begin by bringing your body in a conventional mountain pose.
With your back upright, bend your body halfway downward.
You can position your palms on the shins, floor, or thighs depending upon the overall flexibility of the body.
Hold before gently rolling back to the mountain pose.

4) Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)

It can alleviate tight muscles due to the prolonged sitting and open up the hamstrings, quads, and hips.

How to do this yoga pose?

Begin a low lunge in a tall standing position, with your back upright and core tight.
Take a wide step forward with one leg, and bend it so that the front thigh is parallel to the floor while dropping the rear knee on the ground.
Position your hands either side of the front leg. Hold before swapping sides and repeating.

5) Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

This is a highly effective yoga poses to improve posture by counteracting the effects of hunching and slouching.

How to do this yoga pose?

Start in a seated position on the ground, with your legs in front.
Bend your knees to the sides, and bring your feet inward, with the soles of your feet touching each other.
Bring your feet as close to your hips as you can, and relax your knees to the ground. Hold for some time before gently releasing. People with tight hamstrings and hips can make use of a blanket to elevate their hips.

6) Lion Pose (Simhasana)

It's a simple yoga poses to relieve tension and engage the smaller muscles.

How to do this yoga pose?

Begin by sitting in a kneeling position on the ground with your chest lifted.
Reach forward with your palms on the ground and upper torso leaning forward to the floor. Make sure your back is straight.
Stretch open your mouth wide before sticking your tongue out. Make a ‘haa’ sound. Repeat.
Keep your breathing steady throughout.

Bottom Line

The aforementioned yoga poses can provide you a multitude of benefits and should be included in your daily practice. These poses can keep you grounded and enhance overall well-being.

Other tips beginners can follow for yoga are wearing comfortable clothes that allow the body to move freely, staying hydrated by drinking enough water, and starting with slow and deliberate poses.