Do you remember when you set out to sign up for yoga? And then when you sat down at the back of the yoga class and the teacher said ridiculous things, something like “say hello to the sun” and you wondered what the hell you were doing?
Well, here we are to help.
Yoga does not have to be wrapped in mystery. Lisa Sochocki, owner of the Yoga Loft Hawaii yoga center on the island of Oahu, has explained to the American edition of The Huffington Post how to achieve perfection in each basic yoga position.
Sochocki has spent the last 16 years practicing yoga all over the world and teaching it for the past 10. He has helped hundreds of aspiring yogis transform their awkwardly rigid dogs face down into proud half moons, so know all the mistakes that a Novice yogi commits on the mat.
“Many people think that to start doing yoga one has to be super flexible. But in reality, everyone starts from different points,” Sochocki told The Huffington Post. “And normally everything starts with the first breath. If you remember to breathe, then everything else will end in place.”
So breathe, relax and let this expert yogi guide you through the yoga poses for beginners that you should know to perfect your practice. Your bent column for so much computer will thank you.
Hold each position for three to five slow and deep breaths, inspire and exhale through the nose.
1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
Stand up, keep the spine firm with the feet parallel and the thumbs in contact. Look forward.
Common mistakes
Ribs and buttocks should not protrude too much. Try to keep the spine in a straight line.
Sochocki says
“Unlike when you usually stand, now stand up with a purpose, feel the four corners of your feet, raise the kneecaps, distribute the weight between the legs and turn them inwards, bring the coccyx back and up the belly button up and in. Relax your shoulders in the direction of your lower back and turn your palms forward. Imagine that you carry heavy stones on your hands, look straight ahead and feel the power of the mountain!”
2. Chair posture (Utkatasana)
The basic yoga poses for beginners The knees flexed at the ankle, the thighs as parallel to the floor as possible. The torso should form a right angle with the thighs. Bring your feet close to form a more advanced posture. Inspire as you raise your hands.
Common mistakes
The knees should not be ahead of the feet.
Sochocki says
“Move more weight to the heels to pull the knees and not to go in front of the feet.”
Foot clamp (Uttanasana)
(The photo above for beginners, the one below for advanced students.)
The basic yoga poses for beginners This posture opens the back of the legs, facilitates the decompression of the spine and allows oxygenated blood to move from the heart to the head.
Start with the mountain posture. Fold along the vertex of your waist and exhale as you descend the torso, keeping the spine as straight as you can. Let the head hang by its own weight and relax the jaw. Keep your feet apart at hip level, if you are a beginner, or your feet together if you are an intermediate or advanced student.
Common mistakes
Keeping the spine firm is more important than having straight legs. Bend your knees as much as necessary to keep your back straight and your chest in contact with your thighs.
Sochocki says
“Perseverance in yoga is important and, over time, the back side of the legs will open with this foot clamp. Keep your knees soft and don’t block them.”
Dog pose down (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
(La foto de arriba para principiantes, la de abajo para estudiantes avanzados.)
This inversion opens the body completely. yoga poses for beginners Starting with an iron position, keep your arms straight at the height of your shoulders and feet at the width of your hips. Lift your hip toward the sky and exhale until your body reaches the position of an inverted V. The eyes look between the legs and towards the belly. Pull the belly and ribs inward.
Common mistakes
People with hamstrings and tight calves tend to form box-shaped poses. To correct this, bend your knees further and direct your chest toward the beginning of your thighs, while pressing your hands firmly against the floor to pull your hips back.
Sochocki says
“It is more important to keep your back straight than your legs.” You should not hesitate to bend your knees or lift your heels if necessary. “Imagine that you are a fish, that you have been hooked by the tailbone and that they pull you towards the ship. This will help you lift your hips up and back.”
5. Posición del guerrero 1 (Virabhadrasana 1)
From the dog down, forward your right foot between your hands, turn your left heel inward and lift your torso and arms up. Inhale The heel of the front foot should be aligned with the arch of the back foot, with the front of the knee directly on the ankle.yoga poses for beginners Direct both hips forward, bend the coccyx and pull the ribs inwards. Repeat the posture with the opposite part of the body.
Common mistakes
The entire waist should face forward, not outward, and the rear foot should approach at an angle of 45 degrees and not at one of 90.
Sochocki
says: “Imagine that your hips are your two headlights. You want your headlights to look forward.”
Warrior posture (Virabhadrasana 2)
Similar to warrior one, but with arms stretched in opposite directions, parallel to the ground and in line with the shoulders. Raise your arms and torso and inhale. yoga poses for beginners The back foot should form a 90 degree angle and the front thigh should be parallel to the floor, with the knee directly on the ankle. The eyes should look over the middle finger. Repeat the posture with the opposite side of the body.
Common mistakes
The ass and belly should not protrude and an arch should not form at the end of the back. Alignment of the feet is also a common mistake. Make sure the heel of your front foot aligns with the arch of your back foot.
Sochocki says
“Imagine you’re stretching your mat. To align your hips, put your hands on them to make sure you don’t lean too much on any hips.”
Triangle posture (Trikonasana)
Separate the feet well creating a triangle from the feet to the pelvic bone. Start by turning one foot 90 degrees outward and the other in 15 degrees. Stretch your arms in line with your shoulders and, while exhaling, lower your torso towards the foot you have turned outward. For beginners, the fingers should touch the shin; For more advanced, you should touch the ground lightly. The other arm should stretch upward with the eyes looking at the tip of the elongated fingers; keep the neck long and separate from the shoulders. Shoulders and arms must be in line.
Common mistakes
The front hip should not stand out and the rear hip should not fall.
Sochocki says
“To ensure a good alignment, perform the posture very slowly.”
Child’s position (Balasana)
The child’s posture is a pose of submission. Starting from a kneeling position, with the tips of the feet touching and the knees at shoulder height, lower the waist to the ankles while extending the arms forward, on the floor, and lower the forehead also towards the ground. Close your eyes and rest your forehead on the floor. Breathe in the way that is most comfortable for you.
Sochocki says
“There is no wrong way to do the child’s posture. However, if you have tight thighs, it may be helpful to place a blanket or pillow between your thighs and ankles and something to recline your forehead.”
Half cobra (Ardha Bhujangasana)
This posture is executed on the belly, with the pubic bone and the insteps pressing against the ground. The feet stretch well back and apart at the height of the hips. The hands are deposited on both sides of the ribcage and the elbows are pressed back, as if moving towards each other. Using the strength of the lumbar muscles, the chest and upper ribs take off from the floor. Inhale while you wake up, breathe a few times and exhale while you descend.
Common mistakes
The hands should not go forward to the shoulders and the shoulders should not be next to the ears. To correct it, pull these back and away from your ears.
Sochocki says
The shoulders should form a 45-degree angle and you should use the lower back to exert force – with minimal impulse of the hands – to detach your torso from the ground.
Marichi Pose (Marichyasana)
A rotation posture with an extended leg, dedicated to the wise Hindu Marichi. Rotating the column in the sitting position neutralizes the column. Start from a sitting position, with your ass on the floor and both legs in parallel in front of you. Fully extend your left leg and flex your foot towards you. Bend your right knee and cross your right foot over the extended left leg. The left elbow pushes against the outside of the right knee, the right hand is placed on the floor in the right part of the body. The right hand should be planted behind the right side of the spine, giving support. Look over your shoulder or as much as your neck allows. Repeat the pose with the opposite side of the body.
Common mistakes
Do not bend your back. Stretch the spine by raising your back. Make sure the back hand is helping to raise the spine.
Sochocki says
“Exhale as you rotate the column. Inhale to create space [in your torso] and exhalation will introduce you more into the space you have created.”
Dog pose up * (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
Our asterisk says it can be dangerous to assume that the upward dog is a posture for beginners. In fact, it is an intermediate to advanced level position, since it implies a deep inclination that requires a lot of strength. Sochocki suggests that beginners begin with half a cobra and progress to the dog upwards.
From an iron position, with your feet apart at the height of your hips and your arms apart under your shoulders, exhale and use your arms so that the body slowly descends until the elbows form a 90 degree angle. Use the tip of your feet to lean your body forward and then turn your feet so that the instep rests flat on the floor. While you inhale, force your elbows so that the entire torso, knees and thighs are lifted off the floor. The hands and feet should be the only parts of the body in contact with the ground. Look up slightly, beyond the tip of the nose. Exit the position while exhaling.
Common mistakes
“I often see students jump into this position before their back is ready for it. It shows well when their shoulders are high and at the height of their ears. I recommend that beginners begin with the cobra’s posture, which is closer to the ground. The cobra barely carries weight on the hands and will slowly reinforce the back. “
Sochocki says
“For those determined to dominate the dog up, make sure that you put enough pressure down with your feet and that you get your chest well using your arms. Get up from the center of the heart while pulling your shoulders down the back”.
