B.K.S Iyengar – the founder of Iyengar yoga – gave the world one of the best forms of yoga to bring health, wellness, and spirituality to our lives. However, a lot of people are still not aware of the yoga form that focuses on precision, detail, and alignment. That’s why we decided to create this post to share the top Iyengar yoga pose for beginners.
In this post, we will share the best Iyengar yoga poses and their benefits to help beginners explore this yoga form.
Note: Besides other things, Iyengar yoga is known for sequence. In this post, we will only share easy yoga poses to help beginners get started in the right direction. To master the yoga form, consider enrolling in offline or online yoga classes at Alpesh Yoga!
Iyengar yoga poses for beginners
Let’s start with the easiest yet critical yoga poses of Iyengar Yoga:
Mountain pose
Mountain pose is one of the easiest standing Iyengar yoga poses to practice. This yoga pose helps in straightening the back and getting rid of backache. Follow below steps to practice Mountain pose:
- Stand erect with your feet together. Make sure your both heels and toes are touching the ground.
- Keep your feet 2-3 inches away if you are struggling to keep them together.
- Press heels and balls of your feet to equally distribute the weight of your body.
- Breathe normally while practicing this yoga pose.
- Practice Mountain pose for about 1-2 minutes.
Mountain pose has huge benefits for practitioners. Practice Mountain pose regularly to get the maximum benefit from this Iyengar yoga posture:
- Improves the body posture
- Checks flat feet
- Strengthens the knees, ankles, and thighs.
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Think steps are not enough to learn this yoga pose? Watching this video will help you learn Mountain pose!
Cobra pose
Cobra pose strengthens the spine and helps in getting rid of back pain. This Iyengar yoga pose is perfect for yoga beginners who want to take small steps towards yoga. Follow below steps to practice this Iyegar yoga pose:
- Lie down on the floor pressing the belly against the mat.
- Bend your elbows and push your upper body towards the ceiling.
- Straighten your elbows with legs straight on the mat.
- Keep your elbows away from the ear.
- Inhale and exhale for 6 breaths and give rest to your body.
There are many benefits of practicing Cobra pose. Below are some of its benefits:
- Helps in relieving stress and fatigue.
- Stimulates the abdominal organs.
- Opens the heart and lungs.
- Stretches lungs, shoulders, and chest.
- Strengthens the spine.
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Watch this video to perform Cobra pose correctly.
Lotus pose
Lotus pose is also known as Padmasana. Some people find it hard to practice this Iyengar yoga pose as it needs strong joints but with some practice, it is not that difficult to perform. Following below steps will help you in practicing the Lotus yoga pose:
- Sit on your yoga mat with legs stretched in front of you.
- Bend your right knee and place your right leg on your left thigh.
- Now, take your left leg on your right thigh with your spine erect.
- Place both hands on your thighs.
- Keep the head straight. Inhale and exhale a few breaths.
This yoga pose might look difficult but following the above steps will help you practice this yoga pose easily. Below are the major benefits of practicing Iyengar Lotus pose:
- Opens the hips
- Stretches the ankles and knees
- Help in developing good body posture.
- Stimulate the spine, bladder, and pelvis.
- Increases awareness and attentiveness
Check out this video to master the Iyengar yoga posture.
Hero pose
Hero yoga pose is also known as Virasana. This yoga pose is an alternative to Lotus pose and is perfect for people who struggle in practicing Lotus pose. If you have already mastered the above poses, then, Hero pose won’t seem that difficult. Here’s how to perform this Iyengar yoga pose:
- Kneel on the floor with your thighs perpendicular to the floor.
- Slide your feet apart from the hips and keep the top of your feet on the floor.
- Exhale and sit back between your legs.
- Keep your spine straight.
- If you are struggling to keep your buttocks on the ground, then, keep your legs close and sit on them or place a small cushion between them.
Below are the major benefits of practicing Hero pose:
- Strengthens the arches.
- Improves digestion system
- Help in reducing swelling of legs during pregnancy.
- Perfect yoga poses for asthma and high blood pressure.
Here’s the best video to learn about this Iyengar yoga posture.
Child pose
Also known as Balasana, it is a restful yoga pose. This yoga pose can be practiced between yoga poses to take a break. Follow below steps to practice child pose:
- Kneel down on the mat with thighs apart.
- Place your buttocks on your feet
- Curl your spine as you fold the body forward.
- Draw your forehead on the ground.
- Extend your arms far from you and breathe deeply for a few seconds.
The above steps will help you practice Child pose in the right way. Below are the major benefits of practicing Balasana:
- Releases tension in back, chest, & shoulders.
- Stretches the thighs and hips
- Lengthens and stretches the spine.
- Flexes many internal organs of the body
- Helps in normalizing the flow of blood in the body.
Learn Iyengar yoga in Dharamshala
Above are the easiest Iyengar yoga poses for beginners to start their yoga journey. Become a professional yoga teacher by joining our 200-hour yoga teacher training course in Dharamshala.
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