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Hatha yoga for beginners is the perfect practice to gain control over balance and flexibility as it requires more time. Not only is it slower, allowing you to transition easily between poses, but it also focuses on your breathing and core. Here are 20 easy Hatha yoga poses for beginners in two sequences, adjusted for lower intensity.
Hatha Yoga For Beginners Sequence 1
1. Knees To Chest Pose
- Start by lying flat on the ground, straightening your legs, and flexing your feet.
- Inhale, bring your right leg and hold it from behind the thigh where your hamstrings are. Keep the other leg straight.
- Breathe deeply while you hug your leg to the chest. Exhale and release.
- Do the same process with the opposite leg.
- Release both legs.
- Now hug and hold both while breathing deeply.
- Roll over now and lie down flat, placing your forehead on the floor.
- Bring your hands flat on the ground next to your ribs and point your elbows up.
- Inhale and lift your head and chest off the ground, looking ahead.
- Hold your breath in and go still. Exhale, and you can slowly bring yourself down.
- Let’s slowly see you arch once more using your upper back muscles.
3. Locust Pose
- Go back to lying down with your hands on either side.
- This time lift yourself up slowly through the chest and feet without the support of your arms.
- Let your arms come up behind you and legs as high as you comfortably again.
- Keep your body engaged for three seconds. Hold your core.
- To reduce intensity, you can just lift your chest instead of your legs too.
4. Child's Pose
- Next, press yourself up and get on your knees to get into a child’s pose.
- Touch your big toes together as you separate your knees.
- Sit your hips on your heels.
- Relax your torso over your thighs and bring your forehead to the floor.
- Let your arms reach out in front of you.
- Relax your limbs and hold here to breathe in very deeply.
5. Thread the Needle Pose
- Then to bring this variation into the child pose,
- Lift your head slightly, take your left arm, thread it underneath your right, and bring the left side of your temple to the floor.
- Then let’s hold this twist in child pose.
- Breathe deeply.
- Untwist to twist on the other side.
- Let your right arm thread under your left, and let your left temple meet the ground.
- Hold to breathe deeply and let go.
6. Low Lunge Pose
- Come up!
- Take your right leg a step forward in between your hands, bringing your right knee directly above the right ankle.
- Keep your left knee on the ground.
- Have your hands rest on the floor or in the air.
- Looking down, send your hips down towards the floor and breathe into this low lunge
- Slowly bring the right leg back underneath your hips and switch sides to and hold your breath
- After you are done, gently stand up.
7. Warrior Two
- Step your feet out to a wide-leg position.
- Turn your right toes in at 45 degrees on the ground and your left toes all the way out.
- Align your left heel with your right arch, and then reach your arms all the way out to the side, palms facing the floor.
- Bend your left knee, looking down, and make sure your left knee is tracking directly above the left ankle.
- Slowly bring your arms up and straighten one leg. Hold here, and then do it on the other side.
- Hold here.
8. Chair Pose
- Bring your feet together and stand straight.
- Lift your hands above your head and bend your knees.
- Let your knees stay parallel to the floor.
- Shift your body weight to your heels.
- Keep your back straight, and lift your chest while engaging your core.
- Hold this bent knee pose for five seconds.
- Then let yourself stand and exhale. Try this again if it is comfortable for you!
9. Bending Forward Pose
- Stand straight again. Take a deep breath.
- Place your hands on your hips and push your chest forward.
- Slowly hinge your hips while keeping your back straight.
- Fold your body without collapsing to put your hands on your calves or knees.
- Keep your back straight and engaged.
- Look forward while maintaining this position.
- Take a deep breath and make sure to stop if you get dizzy.
10. Corpse
- For this pose, you lie down on your back. You don’t have to do anything.
- Let go of your limbs, loosen your jaw and release the tension into the ground. Just be.
- You can imagine the ground holding your weight. You are being supported.
- Slowly release your breath to its natural state
- Let your mind rest
- This will complete your yoga sequence!
Hatha Yoga For Beginners Sequence 2
11. Mountain Pose
- For this, stand with your toes pointing forward, your feet apart hips-width distance.
- Engage your thigh muscles by tensing and releasing them.
- Relax and roll your shoulders for a bit. Let your palms face forward.
- Keep your chest open and keep your neck straight.
- Stand and concentrate on taking a big deep breath.
12. Tree Pose
- Stand and lift your left knee to open it to the left side of the room.
- Keep your right leg straight and balanced.
- Put your left sole above or below your right knee.
- Stabilise and balance yourself while keeping your kneecap up.
- Concentrate on your right sole, pressing into the ground.
- Place your palms together. Your thumbs should align with the middle of your chest.
- Hold this pose.
- Do it on the other side.
13. Cat Cow Pose
- Have your knees and hands on your mat.
- Ensure your hands are aligned under your shoulders and your knees are right under your hips.
- Spread your finger wide and ensure ample space between your knees.
- In each inhale, arch your back and lift your chin away from your chest.
- Exhale and draw your stomach in and tuck your chin inward.
- Repeat these breaths five times.
14. Downward Dog Pose
- Have your knees and hands on the mat.
- Walk your hands forward and keep your fingers spread.
- Get yourself up on your feet while pushing your hips forward. You can bend your knees here if this gets hard.
- Lengthen your spine and keep your gaze toward your belly button.
- Keep your feet rooted on the mat.
- Take deep breaths here.
15. Half-Plank Pose
- You probably know about the plank, but this is an even easier one,
- For this pose, let your knees stay on the mat. Some people prefer to intertwine their legs for support.
- Spread your fingers under the mat, ensuring they align with your shoulders.
- Hold yourself up on your forearms and engage your belly.
- Keep your shoulder and back squeezed.
- Push the ground away from you and keep yourself strong.
16. Thunderbolt Pose
- To remove the weight from your knees, sit first on your knees and then your ankles.
- Put your hands on each knee and straighten your back.
- Raise your hands to make the psalm meet and breathe.
17. Gracious Pose
- Sit in this position and extend your legs outward.
- Legs should be bent at the knee and positioned to touch the feet.
- The soles of the feet should be against one another.
- Put your thighs gently on your calves. Keep your back relaxed and straight.
- Your hands should be on each knee. Hold on to this position for a short while.
18. Triangle Pose
- Stand with your feet two feet apart, and your arms stretched out at shoulder height.
- Bend the upper body at the waist toward the leading foot, in this case, the right one.
- The left arm is raised while the right-hand holds the right ankle.
- Additionally, the neck muscles are twisted to look at the left hand.
- Release in the opposite sequence. Follow the exact instructions to bend to the left.
19. Back Stretching Pose
- Sit on the ground and stretch your legs.
- Sit with stretched legs in front of you.
- Put your hands on your knees, even if they have to move above your head.
- Hold your back straight while you bend forward at the hips, and keep your head down between.
- Hold this position for five breaths.
20. Tortoise Pose
- From the previous pose, slowly move your legs apart.
- Maintain your hand at your hip’s side.
- Lean your torso forward and slowly slide your hands underneath your knees, moving outwards.
- Put your head between your legs to look like you are in the turtle position.
- Let your face touch the ground, if possible.
- With time your legs will slowly grow more flexible.
A Hatha yoga sequence can increase flexibility, reduce stress, and provide core strength. It centers the mind and the consciousness while bringing your body into balance and restoring energy. Each one of these poses will help you build stamina! Hatha yoga balances feminine and masculine energy, making you a master of your energy.
Have you questioned yourself: “what is the difference between Hatha yoga and Yin yoga?”. Here is the complete answer.
Jennie T.
Jennie is a long time yogi, a vegetarian and a blogger. Her morning routine starts with a glass of lukewarm lemon water, 1-hour yoga or cardio exercise, then an organic smoothie, and a cup of green tea or milk tea. Besides yoga and blogging, she likes to meditate in the morning or at lunch break. She is a Seinfeld's fan (sorry Friends)
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