What are the 5 basic yoga poses to improve your health?

If you are new to yoga, there can seem like a lot to learn. But rest easy in your decision, you are about to pick up the very essence of ancient wellbeing wisdom. Yoga postures, or asanas, form a system of complete complementary health that looks after every aspect of your physical and mental wellness. Since many students feel overwhelmed when embarking on the practice, we are going to detail some of the main postures in yoga, in order that you know what you are doing and why!

The following 5 postures make up parts of the yoga warm-up used in most schools: the ‘Sun Salutation’. They form part of this dynamic sequence, but also stand alone as postures that can be held for longer periods of time.

Standing forward bend – the legs and back should remain straight in this posture. It is important to judge your own success by the relaxation you feel in the stretch, instead of the distance between your nose and knees! The posture is excellent for the abdomen and provides a good massage for the digestive organs. It also stretches and tones the muscles at the back of the thighs.

Low lunge – from standing forward bend, you step back into the low lunge as the second move in the sequence. You should relax in this pose and feel the stretch in the hip and pelvis. This does wonders for your joint and makes your hips flexible for future asanas.

Plank – this is really a power position! Keeping your arms, body and legs straight, hold this push-up position for as long as is comfortable. It provides a great toning effect on your arms and your core muscles, which you have to use to keep your body in a straight line.

Downward dog – this classic pose gives a full stretch to the back of the legs, as well as the back. You should aim to work towards getting your feet firmly on the floor, but this may take years of practice. To start with, alternate the feet; it is possible to have one foot flat on the floor and the other on tiptoe. This will deepen the stretch and take you closer to your goal.

Cobra – from prone position, raise and open your chest. This provides excellent benefits to your lung capacity, and opens the heart chakra. The cobra asana also strengthens your lower back muscles, an important area to work on for developing your all-round yoga ability!