Basic yoga poses for beginners: alignment cues and common mistakes to avoid

TUREFF• •0

Most beginner classes return again and again to the same handful of poses. Learn these properly and you will be able to follow almost any introductory session. For each pose below you will find how to get into it, the key alignment cues, and the mistakes teachers see most often. Move slowly, breathe through your nose if you can, and back off anything that causes pain.

Mountain pose (Tadasana)

Standing still sounds easy, but mountain is the base of every standing pose.

Stand with feet hip-width apart or big toes touching, weight spread evenly across both feet.
Soften the knees slightly so they are not locked.
Lengthen up through the crown of the head; let the shoulders draw gently back and down.
Arms rest by your sides, palms facing in or forward.

Common mistakes: locking the knees, sticking the ribs forward, and leaning back into the heels. Imagine your ears, shoulders, hips and ankles stacked in a line.

Cat-cow

A gentle way to warm up the spine, done on hands and knees.

Hands under shoulders, knees under hips.
Cow: as you breathe in, let the belly drop, lift the chest and tailbone, and look slightly forward.
Cat: as you breathe out, round the back towards the ceiling, tuck the tailbone and let the head hang.
Repeat slowly five to ten times.

Common mistakes: rushing, and cranking the neck back in cow. Move the whole spine, not just the neck and lower back. Fold a blanket under the knees if they are sensitive.

Downward-facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

The pose you will meet more than any other.

From hands and knees, tuck the toes and lift the hips up and back, making an upside-down V.
Spread the fingers wide and press through the whole hand, especially the base of the index finger.
Bend the knees as much as you need to keep the back long; the heels do not need to touch the floor.
Let the head hang between the upper arms.

Common mistakes: rounding the back to force straight legs, sinking into the shoulders, and having the hands and feet too close together. A long spine matters more than straight legs.

Child's pose (Balasana)

Your resting position in any class.

Kneel, bring the big toes together and sit the hips back towards the heels.
Knees can be together or wide apart, whichever feels better.
Fold forward, forehead on the mat or on a block, arms forward or alongside the body.

Common mistakes: forcing the hips down. Put a cushion or folded blanket between the hips and heels, or under the forehead, if anything strains.

Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I)

From standing, step one foot back a generous stride. Turn the back foot out slightly, around 45 degrees.
Bend the front knee over the ankle; keep the back leg strong.
Turn the hips to face forward as much as is comfortable, and raise the arms overhead.

Common mistakes: a front knee drifting inwards or past the toes, and a stance so narrow that balance wobbles. Widen the stance sideways, as if standing on two railway tracks rather than a tightrope.

Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

Take a wide stance. Turn the front foot to point forward and the back foot slightly in.
Bend the front knee over the ankle, tracking towards the middle toes.
Open the hips and chest to the side and stretch the arms out at shoulder height, looking over the front hand.

Common mistakes: leaning the torso towards the front leg, letting the front knee collapse inwards, and lifting the shoulders up to the ears. Keep the torso upright over the hips.

Tree pose (Vrksasana)

Stand in mountain. Shift your weight onto one foot.
Place the other foot on the inner ankle, calf or inner thigh, never on the side of the knee.
Press foot and leg into each other; hands at the chest or overhead.
Fix your gaze on one still point in front of you.

Common mistakes: pressing the foot into the knee joint, and hitching the hip of the standing leg out to the side. Keep a hand on a wall at first; wobbling is normal and part of the practice.

Practising them together

Try a short practice: mountain, cat-cow, child's pose, downward dog, warrior I and II on each side, tree on each side, and finish lying on your back for a couple of minutes. Hold each pose for three to five slow breaths. Pain is a signal to stop, not to push through. If you have an injury, joint problems, high blood pressure or are pregnant, ask a doctor, physiotherapist or qualified teacher which poses to adapt. Which pose gives you the most trouble? Ask in the comments.