5 Yoga Practices for Beginners. Health Benefits of Yoga

 Early morning yoga is a great way to start the day with mindfulness and calm. Perfect for beginners, it helps to improve flexibility, reduce stress, and build strength. Incorporating simple poses and breathing techniques boosts energy levels and enhances mental clarity. Practicing yoga in the morning sets a positive tone for the rest of the day.

Here's a basic 15–20 minute yoga sequence ideal for early mornings:

1. Parivrtta Sukhasana

SEATED SPINAL TWIST

Instructions:

  • Sit in sukhasana or a simple crossed-leg position.
  • Inhale and raise the left arm.
  • Exhale, place the left hand on the right knee and the right hand on the hip for support.
  • Inhale and return to the center facing forward.
  • Repeat on the other side.

Contraindications: Severe neck or back injuries

2. Supta Parivrtta Sukhasana

HAMSTRING STRETCH WITH BELT

Instructions:

  • Lying on the back, raise the left leg and place the center of a belt or towel around the arch of the left foot.
  • Keeping the right leg on the floor, raise the left leg toward the ceiling as high as you comfortably can.
  • Hold for 5 breaths.
  • Repeat on the other side.

Contraindications: Knee injuries, ligament injuries (leg)

3. Shavasana

CORPSE POSE

Instructions:

  • Lie face up, bringing your legs to the outer edges of your mat, like a starfish. 
  • Splay your feet out to the sides. 
  • Place arms along sides, palms facing up. 
  • Close your eyes and relax.

Contraindications: Relaxes the whole body.

4. Uttana shishosana

DOWN DOG ON CHAIR

Instructions:
  • Place your hands on the back of a chair with palms shoulder-distance apart.
  • Step your feet back until they align under your hips, creating a right angle with your body, spine parallel with the floor.
  • Ground through your feet and lift through your thighs.
  • Reach your hips away from your hands to lengthen the sides of your torso.
  • Firm your outer arms in and lengthen through the crown of your head.
Contraindications: Stretching the hamstrings, opening the shoulders, and creating length in the spine.

5. Kumbhakasana

PLANK POSE

Instructions:
  • Start in Downward-Facing Dog. Shift forward so your shoulders are stacked over your wrists.
  • Draw your navel in toward your spine and keep your hips from dropping.
  • Reach heels back as you lengthen the crown of your head forward.
  • Ground down into hands, pushing the floor away beneath you. Lengthen through the arms and broaden your chest.
Contraindications: Strengthens your abdominals and promotes stability.

Health benefits of yoga

Whether it’s improving your mood or strengthening your muscles, there’s plenty of evidence that yoga is good for your mind and your body.
The physical benefits of yoga include improving balance, flexibility, strength and posture, especially for people aged 60 and over.
There’s growing evidence to show that regular yoga practice may also help to prevent:
  • Headaches 
  • Lower back pain 
  • Heart disease 
  • High blood pressure
Mentally, yoga can promote relaxation, improve your mood and help relieve stress. It has even been used to help people with depression and anxiety. But there aren’t many studies looking at how effective this is.
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