By Cealia Brannan
Beginner yoga stretches increase flexibility, encourage lengthening of the muscles, detoxify the body through incorporating breath work and calm the nervous system.
And that’s just the beginning!
Beginner yoga stretches can increase physical body awareness as well as the release of emotions like anxiety, stress, overwhelm, depression, listlessness and more.
Moving through yoga postures, holding sustained stretches and breathing evenly all work together to bring you into a more centered state of being.
If you’re new to yoga, it can be hard to know where and how to begin.
Even a brief Google or YouTube search might leave you feeling more clueless and less equipped, but with a few key tips, several beginner yoga stretches and an easy beginner sequence, you’ll be rolling out your mat in no time.
How to Get Started
According to behavioral experts interviewed by the New York Times, there are four ways to effectively develop a new habit:
- Stack habits: Pair the new habit with an existing one. For example, you could do a few seated stretches while drinking your morning coffee.
- Start small: Approach your new habit in the easiest way possible. In this case, you could start with just one of your favorite stretches.
- Do it daily: Your habit will stick much faster if you practice each day. Coffee + one morning stretch each day = new stretching habit!
- Remove obstacles: If there’s anything in the way of you popping down to the ground to stretch, make it easy to overcome. Maybe you leave your yoga mat out and ready to be stretched on the night before.
In addition to these habit-formation steps, take note of how your body feels––even after just one stretch!
Stretching helps calm the body and mind, and you’ll likely feel accomplished mentally, as well.
Keeping an even inhale and exhale throughout your stretching practice will also bring a sense of release and centeredness.
Counting to four on your inhales and exhales is an easy place to start.
You can deepen the breath for more counts or just elongate the exhales for an extra calming effect.
Beginner Yoga Stretches
Now that you’re ready to approach your own stretching habit, what stretches should you do?
These beginner yoga stretches are not super difficult and will leave you feeling refreshed.
They’ll also promote flexibility and recovery no matter your lifestyle!
Let’s get started…
Head-to-Knee Forward Bend
An approachable hamstring stretch, this forward bend involves pulling one foot to the inside of the other leg’s thigh.
Square up the hips to face the extended leg, flex the toes and hinge at the hips to slowly fold your body toward your knee.
Reverse Tabletop
From a seated position, place palms behind the hips, fingertips facing toward the hips.
Extend legs straight out in front of you. (If you need support, feel free to bend the knees.)
Dig into extended heels and press into your hands to lift the hips up high. Neck stays muscularly engaged and neutral.
This pose provides an effective shoulder stretch. Hold for a few breaths before lowering and repeating.
Cat/Cow Poses
Flowing through both of these poses is a gentle way to warm the spine and experience rhythmic breath and movement.
Start in Cow Pose by dipping your belly towards the mat and arching the tailbone and chest upward on your inhale.
As you begin to exhale, curl the tailbone under and round gently through the spine––like a cat’s arched back––and let your head hang toward the chest for Cat Pose.
Eye of the Needle
From your hands and knees, lift your right arm up toward the ceiling and exhale as you thread it under the left arm and side of your body.
Gently lower onto the back of your right arm and rest on the side of your head while keeping your hips high and directly above your knees.
Hold for as long as you’d like before switching sides. This pose brings on a slight backbending sensation and subtle twist.
Seated Twist
In a criss-cross leg position, simply bring your right foot and cross it over your left thigh.
Keep your right knee high and your spine straight.
Inhale and bring your left elbow across the right thigh. Exhale to twist back, planting your right hand behind your hips.
Engage through your core to twist your torso as one unit rather than cranking the body through your leg arm only.
Enjoy a few breaths and find a way to relax your effort at the peak of the twist.
Downward Facing Dog
Downward Facing Dog might surprise you with the intense hamstring and calf stretch it brings along.
Keeping your hips high, allow your chest to fall through your arms and send weight from the hands up to the hips.
With a small lower back arch and heels pressing down toward the mat, your hamstrings will certainly feel it!
Play with bending the knees toward the chest and pressing up and back into the hips even more to straighten out your back.
Then, press the heels down once more and work slowly into the stretch.
Child’s Pose
Hello, restorative pose!
Child’s Pose is a go-to for re-engaging with a calm, full flow of breath, allowing the body to rest and opening up gently through the hips and spine.
With knees bent and as wide as your mat, keep big toes together and reach arms straight out in front.
Hinge at the hips to fold over, and between, the thighs.
Allow your hips to fall into the heels and your chest to press toward the mat. Resting your forehead in the mat can feel grounding and safe, too.
Prop Possibilities
There are several different types of yoga props that make yoga poses more accessible to the body without losing form.
–Blocks: Yoga blocks can help you reach further. Stack these in any pose that you feel you need a little extra length in your arms.
–Straps: Wrap a yoga strap around your foot in head-to-knee forward bend, and you’ll be able to ease your body into this stretch with a straight spine rather than having to round through the back to reach your leg.
–Blankets: Place a yoga blanket under your low back for support in a lying position or place it under your hips in a seated position for extra lift and range motion in the hips.
–Mats: Yoga mats range in quality and cost. To get started, you don’t need to invest in an expensive one right away until you know what you want. Here’s a good place to start.
Easy Yoga Stretching Routine
So, you’ve got your effective habit-forming steps in the bag, ideal yoga stretches outlined and explained, and prop suggestions ready for your choosing.
Now, all you need is an easy yoga routine to bring it all together.
We’ve got you!
Here’s a routine you can do daily or weekly and modify as you’d like. Let’s get stretchy:
•Child’s Pose: Start slow with deep inhales and exhales to settle the body. •Tabletop Pose: Roll forward to your hands and knees.
•Cat/Cows: Flow through as many as you’d like.
•Eye of the Needle: Both sides.
•Downward Facing Dog: Wiggle your knees and take your time stretching your hamstrings.
•Tabletop Pose
•Child’s Pose
•Seated Twist: Roll up to a criss-cross leg position and move into your twist on each side.
•Reverse Tabletop: Flow into and out of this pose a few times, holding for a few even breaths at the top.
•Head-to-Knee Forward Bend: Lower hips to a seated position to move with ease into this stretch on each side. Challenge yourself to breath evenly throughout a slightly longer hold.
*Option to repeat this sequence as many times as you’d like.*
•Savasana: Roll down onto your back when you’re finished stretching and rest for at least five minutes, relaxing through every muscle of your body.
Leave us a comment and let us know how you like your new stretching routine!
