Yoga comes from two different words in Sanskrit: Yuj’ which means to join and yoke which means to unite. It is believed that through Yoga Asana one can unite mind and body or reach a higher level of consciousness. According to spirituality, yoga has been with us for as long as the creation of the universe. Lord Shiva is considered to be the first yogi (one who practices yoga) and is also popularly known as Adiyogi or adi guru.
Current trends on popular social media show a very advanced level of yoga which can scare an individual who has never practiced yoga before to a great extent. But we are here to tell you, that one does not always need to start yoga from that advanced level where you can bend the body as such it is made of only muscles and no bones.
We are going to share a few basic yoga asanas that one can master very easily and practice to reach a higher level of awareness or just because of health benefits or maybe just because you wanted to know what all the hype about yoga asana was about.
Sukhasana
This is a yoga asana that we might already be practicing without much thought. This posture helps with a calming effect on the mind, relieving exhaustion and mental stress. Not only this, but yoga asana can also help with maintaining a good body posture
Steps to perform this yoga asana
- Start with sitting cross-legged on the floor or yoga mat
- Straighten the shoulder blades
- Keep the foot under the shin of the other foot.
- Balance the body and look ahead
- Put the hands-on knees in a mudra or simply downard
- Close your eyes, inhale and exhale for 2-3 minutes.
- Repeat the same but this time change the leg coordination.
Balasana
This yoga asana is also known as a child’s pose is all about improving our nervous system and lymphatic system. Using this asana we can ease our stress and fatigue and at the same time get a calm and peaceful mind.
Steps to perform this yoga asana
- Kneel on the floor with knees slightly apart from each other and toes together while resting our hands on our thighs.
- While exhaling lower the torso in such a way that our belly would be resting on our thighs while our head would be touching the mat or floor.
- Stretch the hands in front and hold this posture for 10-20 seconds before returning to normal posture
Tadasana
This is also called mountain pose as the name suggests this asana teaches us to be steady as a mountain. This is the core of most of the standing postures and helps us in increasing breadth control while at the same time making us feel more secure and grounded.
Steps to perform this yoga asana
- Keep the arms beside the torso, and stand on the toes together but heels slightly apart.
- Balance the weight, rotating inwards we can firm our thighs and also keep rolling back and down to relax the shoulders.
- When you inhale, extend the torso and when you exhale loosen the shoulder blades.
- Hold this posture for 3-4 counts.
Setubandasana
Also known as bridge pose, Setu Bandhasana can be used to get relief for individuals suffering from insomnia, anxiety, and migraines. If you had backaches these days, one can try this yoga asana to get immediate relief.
Steps to perform this yoga asana
- Bend the knees and lie on the back
- Feet should be hip-width apart and under the knees
- The arms should be beside the body with palms facing down
- Inhale and lift the hips, all the while keeping the feet on the floor and knees in not moving position.
- Hold the position till the count of five and then exhale and release the position.
Shavasana
Popularly known as corpse pose this yoga asana is here to teach all about relaxation but please do not fall asleep while practicing this yoga asana. Mostly we perform this asana at the end of the yoga session to give some relaxation to our muscles before wrapping our yoga session.
Steps to perform this yoga asana
- Lie on the back with legs slightly apart, arms inches away from the body, palm facing upward.
- Fina comfortable position for the head and keep the posture.
- Take deep breaths and let all the muscles, mind, and overall body relax.
Yoga is easy and simple once you understand the meaning and usefulness of the asanas. It is not necessary to begin with complex posture, one can always start with a simple and easy yoga routine which can later on go to an advanced stage.
We have given a few postures of yoga asanas but if you need an in-depth understanding of yoga, please read our article on Swati Singh Rajput and her yoga journey.