Yoga workouts for beginners that can be done at home

Yoga is an ancient Indian philosophy that aims to achieve perfect harmony of the body and mind for a healthy, ethical and purposeful life. To this end, the discipline has many branches that deal with various aspects of healthy living, such as physical exercise, quest for knowledge, and strict adherence to moral standards. However, yoga workouts for beginners usually involve daily sessions of postures, breath control and meditation.

There are nearly 200 postures, called asanas, and several breath control techniques, called pranayamas, in yoga. Not all of these are suitable for beginners because the more advanced ones need considerable skill and practice. If improperly done, they can be more harmful than beneficial. But the basic techniques can be learned from books and websites, and done at home without expert guidance. Here are some popular yoga workouts for beginners that can be done at home:

Standing posture:

Standing posture is one of the simplest postures, but do not make the mistake of dismissing it as child’s play. This is a very important posture that helps eliminate body aches and pains, and also improve digestion, blood circulation and kidney function. Stand erect on both feet, align your shoulders with your hips, drop your hands straight down against your thighs, stretch your neck and look straight ahead. Remain in this position for a few minutes. There are many other variations of this posture.

Forward bend:

This is another easy but important exercise. It helps improve blood circulation and digestion, and also calms your mind. Stand erect on both feet, take a deep breath and then bend your torso forward. While doing this let your head and hands hang down and try to touch your feet with your hands.

Backward bend:

This is another important posture. It stimulates your internal organs including kidneys, liver and stomach. It also helps provide relief from back pain. Stand erect on both feet, take a deep breath, and then bend your torso backward. You may either let your hands hang lose or put them behind your head.

Reclining posture:

Reclining postures are the popular yoga workouts for beginners as they rejuvenate and re-energize the body and also help strengthen your arms and back. It involves either lying face down with the support of your arms and knees or on your stomach, or lying on your back. There are many variations of this posture, each with a specific purpose.