What better time is there to discover the popular practice of yoga than International Yoga Day? 

Whether you are young or old, overweight or fit, yoga can be beneficial for everyone.

It is much more than just a physical workout, yoga is a full mind and body exercise that can (according to studies) reduce back pain, reduce stress, relieve depression, improve balance and strengthen bones. 

If you are brand new to yoga, try not to feel overwhelmed by the mass amount of poses there are (there are said to be over 300 in the physical practice) and their often strange-sounding names. There are certain postures that are essential to and said to be the building blocks of yoga so that you can build up and move on to more advanced poses and sequences.

It is not a bad idea to keep things simple to start with as a beginner, the main thing to remember is to start and stay consistent with carrying out the practice. Make sure to move slowly through each pose, at your own pace, and continue to breathe as you move. Take a brief or even long pause after any pose you find particularly challenging, especially if you are out of breath. The idea is to hold each pose for a few, slow breaths before moving on to the next.

With that said, here are our 5 must-know yoga poses for beginners to get you on the right path...

 

 

Downward-Facing Dog
Pose type: Standing

Downward-Facing Dog is able to help relieve any back pain since it strengthens the back, shoulders, and arms while stretching the hamstrings, calves, and arches of your feet. When doing this pose, focus on keeping your spine long, even if you need to bend your knees a little to facilitate the move. 

You can help keep the pressure off of your wrists by doing the pose with your elbows on the ground or simply spreading your fingers wide and gripping whatever surface you are on with your fingertips. You can also use blocks under your hands for additional comfort.

 

Mountain Pose
Pose type: Standing

Don’t be fooled by the Mountain pose, it is not simply standing as there is a lot going on when assuming this position. It is every bit as important as the other poses included in this post. 

Mountain pose is the foundation of all standing poses (that you may go on to include in your sequences) and gives you a real sense of the earth below you. In this pose, the alignment draws a straight line from the very top of your head to your heels, with the shoulders and pelvis stacked. Focus on rooting down your feet and lengthening up with your spine!

 

Child’s Pose
Pose type: Resting


When you want to have a nice gentle stretch through your neck, spine, hips, and ankles, child’s pose is a great position to assume. Be mindful of relaxing the muscles of the spine and lower back as you breathe.It is particularly useful when you need a rest during your session before continuing on to the next pose. It does not challenge your strength or balance however it is a good default position for not only beginners but for practitioners of all levels.

To modify this pose for comfort, rest your head on a cushion or a block. You could also place a rolled towel under your ankles if needs be.

 

Seated Forward Bend
Pose type: Seated



Incorporate a forward bend into your yoga practice to stretch the hamstrings, lower and upper back, and sides. Hamstrings tend to get short and tight in people who sit a lot and this then contributes towards back pain. Make sure to bend at your hips, not your waist, and keep your spine long and flat. 

Don’t worry if your knees are bent whilst doing the pose as long as your feet stay flexed and together. Should you feel any sharp pain, you need to back up but if you feel the tension when you fold, keep breathing through and you will start to loosen up and let go.

 

Corpse Pose
Pose type: Resting



Yoga classes tend to end with the corpse pose and similar to mountain pose, this may seem like just lying down but some people actually find it difficult to stay still and truly relax. However, the more you try it, the easier it is to sink into your mat and defeat the challenge of maintaining your mind’s calmness.

To make this more comfortable for you, try placing a blanket under your head or rolling one up to put it under your knees to assist your lower back if sensitive.

 


Grab your Gear

If you want to start to practice yoga in your own home (or even outside in mother nature), make sure to choose a towel or mat that prevents you from slipping and sliding. This will help you to hold a pose more easily and transition from one to the next.

Why not try our NEW Brentfords travel towel, it is soft, lightweight, and durable, coming folded and packed into its compact bag. The towel has been expertly crafted in a combination of polyester and polyamide which gives it super quick dry, absorbent properties, making it perfect for soaking up any perspiration whilst exercising in the warmer weather.

You can either use this handy towel as the surface for your sequence or help make things more comfortable for you when carrying out the poses...

 

Clothing

Comfortable clothing is generally recommended to be worn during yoga practice, preferably pieces that are not too loose-fitting as they could get in the way if you become more of a pro and progress into headstand or handstand poses.

If you’re lacking in that category of clothing, we have got you covered with our own range of OHS loungewear which you can either coordinate or mix up to create your own cosy combo. As usual, most of these pieces are available in our signature shades of silver grey and blush pink so you can even match with our Brentfords travel towel and stretch it out in style. We are obsessed with our scoop neck sleeveless crop tops in both the jersey marl fabric and the soft brushed rib knit material. You can team up or combine these with the high waisted, elasticated flared trousers, again in either soft jersey or soft brushed rib, or the stretchy leggings in brushed rib...