Today’s follow-along routine includes yoga poses for flexibility attainable for beginners. Furthermore, we will spend less time in each pose since beginners tend to feel discomfort faster. I will give all the basic cueing that beginners need and some cueing that those who are more advanced will find helpful to make each yoga pose more challenging and interesting.
Yoga Poses for Flexibility Beginners
What makes yoga poses for flexibility appropriate for beginners? After all, most yoga poses can be modified for beginners. I picked today’s poses by looking back at my flexibility journey and remembering which poses were most helpful for gaining overall flexibility and learning the basics of proper yoga alignment. That simple!
If you enjoy my approach to flexibility training, don’t forget to check out my full-body flexibility program Moving With Intention.
Why should you work on your flexibility? Read Top 5 Flexibility Benefits I Personally Experienced After 40 to learn more.
1. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Start on all four and lift to downward facing dog as you exhale by straightening your legs as much as possible without compensating by tucking your tailbone down. Instead, make sure your pelvis feels nice and wide. Your tailbone is lifted. Feel your weight on the outside edge of your hands (closer to your pinkie finger) and lift through your shoulders. Your heels don’t have to be on the ground, and your knees can remain bent. Push your chest towards your thighs, but still feel your heart open by keeping your shoulders wide and lifted. Feel the inside of your ankles lifting as you engage your kneecaps.
2. Dolphin Pose (Catur Svanasana)
Lower your forearms on the mat. Feel your weight pushing forward from your elbows to the palms of your hands. Engage your arms inwards. Keep lifting through your shoulders and engaging your kneecaps. Keep your neck relaxed and your spine long. Bend your knees more if you need to.
3. Forward Fold (Uttasana)
Straighten your arms and walk your feet up to the top of your mat. Inhale and lift your torso as you extend your arms to the sky. Exhale and lower back down. Bend your knees to keep your spine straight and your tailbone lifted. Breathe wide into your pelvis, and lift the inside of your ankles. Feel your thighbones pulling back. Relax your neck and shoulders.
4. Pyramid (Ardha Parsvottanasana)
Inhale and lift your torso. Step your left foot back. Imagine standing on a railroad track with your right leg in front of you and your left leg back. Push your right thigh back and left thigh forward as you bend your torso forward and down. Use yoga blocks under your hands if you can’t reach the mat. Repeat with the left leg in front.
5. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Tuck your right toes and lower your right knee to the mat. Untuck your toes. Feel your left hip pulling back and your right hip pulling forward. Inhale and lift your arms. Lift your chest and draw your shoulder blades back. Repeat on the other side.
6. Extended Puppy Pose (Uttana Shishosana)
Come back on all fours on the mat. Untuck your toes. Exhale and walk your fingers forward in front of you. Allow your chest to melt into the mat. Broaden your shoulders as you feel your triceps wrapping down.
7. Sphinx (Salamba Bhujangasana)
Lift back up to all fours and extend your legs back with your elbows at a 90-degree angle in front of you. Feel your chest lifting as you draw your shoulder blades back. Tuck in your chin slightly.
8. Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
Come down on your back. Bend your legs and rest your feet hip distance apart, close to your buttocks. Inhale and lift through your heels to raise your hips. Clasp your hands under you, keep your chest wide open, and lift your hips even higher.
9. Cow Face Forward Bend (Adho Mukha Gomukhasana)
Sit with your legs outstretched in front of you. Bend your right leg over your left. Keep your butt back. Lift your chest and stretch your left tricep as you fold forward. Bend your left leg under the right if you feel open enough.
10 Wide-Legged Seated Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana)
Sit with your legs wide apart. Hinge at the hips to lower your upper body forward.