Yoga Postures made Easy in Three Steps

Not all Yoga postures seem easy written down when in fact they could be very easy to do if you had the benefit of viewing the posture in practice. Here are some quick three step guides to some of the more troublesome postures.

Vrksasana – Standing Pose 1. Stand in the Tadasana pose (See starting poses for absolute beginners), and then bend the right leg to the side being careful not to disturb your left leg. Catch the right ankle with your right side hand and wedge your foot at the top of the inner thigh of your left leg. 2. Inhale as you bring your arms upwards over your head and stretch them straight up with the palms facing each other. 3. Join the palms together without bending your elbows and hold for 20-30 seconds before switching sides.

The difficulty with the Vrksasana Yoga pose is keeping your balance. Once you master your balance you’ll have little problem completing this posture. Keep practicing and you will notice steady improvements.

Virabhadrasana – Standing Pose 1. Stand in the Tadasana pose (See starting poses for absolute beginners). 2. Inhale and jump or stand with legs apart and arms outstretched and at shoulder level (similar to doing a star jump). 3. Turn your left foot inwards slightly to allow you room to twist your right food round to the right 90 degrees. Make sure your right leg turns with your right foot. Then exhale and bend your right leg to form a right angle at the knee. Turn your head to the right and look over your hand both of which should be palm face down. Hold for 20-30 seconds and switches sides.

The twisting in this pose may be too difficult for absolute beginners. If you feel any discomfort during this pose you should discontinue and finish off with Tadasana ocne again.

Virasana – Sitting Pose 1. Kneel down with your knees together and your feet apart aside your hips. For beginners, fold some blankets and place them underneath you for some extra support. 2. Stretch your torso upwards taking the shoulder back. 3. Roll your inner thighs outwards to allow your outer thighs to move downward. Then place your hands on your legs above the knees. Hold this position for approximately 1-2 minutes.

With this posture remember to carefully straighten out your legs afterwards and stretch them a little. Do not strain your legs or move them too quickly after this position. This posture is not recommended for people with knee injuries or problems.

Virasana Forward bend – Sitting Pose This is a variation of the Virasana pose (or hero pose). Follow step one of Viarsana first and then spread the knees out a little. Then lower yourself down stretching out your chest. Spread out your arms straight in front of you resting on the ground. Your head should meet the ground as you bend forward. Don’t spread your legs too far apart, just enough to allow your body to fit between them and touch the sides.

For more information about yoga postures, visit Your Easy Yoga.