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
Should you’re brand-new to yoga, welcome! It is a phenomenal observe that mixes breathwork, meditation, and motion—which might do wonders on your well-being.
Whether or not you are drawn to yoga for the bodily, psychological, or religious advantages, having a primary understanding of widespread postures could make your observe circulation a lot smoother.
Whereas there are numerous varieties of yoga, you will see quite a few comparable customary poses in every observe.
Beneath, we have compiled 17 primary yoga poses—with each their English and Sanskrit names—demonstrated by yoga instructors Phyllicia Bonnano and Juanina Kocher.
Circulate via these poses to familiarize your physique and thoughts with each, they usually’re positive to turn out to be second nature very quickly.
1.
Mountain pose (tadasana)
- Arise 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)
- Arise 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)
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- Place your palms in your mat, coming right into a tabletop place.
- As you inhale, convey 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 via the soles of your toes and your palms, permitting your hips to be the best level. You may also pedal out your canine right here, lifting one heel, then the opposite.
6.
Plank (phalakasana)
- Place your palms and toes on the mat, rising up so your shoulders are stacked over your wrists.
- Interact 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 palms 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.
- Convey your palms beneath your shoulders. Pull your elbows in towards your physique.
- Maintaining your elbows bent, elevate your chest up. Slowly decrease again to the mat.
10.
Low lunge (anjaneyasana)
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- Plant one foot between your palms on the mat. Convey your different knee right down to the bottom.
- Rise to an upright place, along with your palms resting in your entrance thigh.
- Prolong your arms, reaching them as much as the sky.
11.
Crescent lunge (ashta chandrasana)
- Convey one foot in between your palms, conserving your different leg prolonged backward.
- Floor down via your entrance foot, and elevate 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 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 must be turned in barely. Your entrance knee must 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, convey the left hand down behind you, and permit it to relaxation on the again of the left thigh.
- Maintaining 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.
- Convey 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.
- Raise 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 convey your palms 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 in step with your proper arm. Convey your proper foot to the left facet, and permit your shin to relaxation on the bottom.
- Convey 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 might have the choice to convey 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 facet.
