Do you want to practice yoga regularly but don't know which asanas you can safely perform at home? Here are 10 asanas that will strengthen your body, improve your well-being, and show you the value of a regular practice.
The true beauty of yoga is that it is for everyone. Regardless of your body weight or level of fitness, regularly practiced yoga asanas gradually strengthen individual parts of the body, bringing relief from chronic pain and improving your mood. So, unroll your FLOW mat, decorated with original nature-inspired motifs, and discover 10 asanas that even a beginner can perform!
1. Balasana – Child's Pose
A relaxing pose that allows you to rest physically and emotionally after a practice or catch your breath between more demanding asanas. It stretches the thighs, shoulders, and chest while strengthening the ankles, thighs, and spine.
Contraindications
Balasana is not recommended for people with knee or ankle injuries, high blood pressure, or for pregnant women.
Modifications
Rest your head on a pillow or yoga block. If you feel pain in your ankles, place a rolled-up yoga towel or blanket under them.
2. Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward-Facing Dog
One of the fundamental yoga poses – Downward-Facing Dog – helps strengthen the shoulders and back, alleviating pain in these areas. It also stretches the hamstrings, calves, and arches of the feet.
Contraindications
Adho Mukha Svanasana is not recommended for people with carpal tunnel syndrome or other issues with the wrists, individuals with high blood pressure, or women in their third trimester of pregnancy.
Modifications
To relieve the wrists, you can perform a version of this asana with your elbows on the floor or your hands on blocks. A well-chosen yoga mat, such as the FLOW, is also helpful as it provides excellent grip, even during very intense practice.
3. Kumbhakasana – Plank Pose
The plank is one of the simplest yet most effective asanas in yoga, also popular in other physical workouts. It develops the muscles of the core, shoulders, and legs, and prepares them for more advanced balancing asanas. When doing the plank, try to lengthen your spine and the back of your neck, keeping your body straight and firm so that it forms a single line.
Contraindications
Kumbhakasana is not recommended for those suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome or lower back pain.
Modifications
If you experience pain in the lumbar region, it is worth modifying the pose by placing your knees on the floor.
4. Chaturanga Dandasana – Four-Limbed Staff Pose
Similar to the previous asana, the staff pose strengthens the shoulders and wrists while toning the abdomen. It is a transitional pose in the sun salutation sequence and allows for the gradual strengthening of the body, facilitating the execution of balancing asanas.
Contraindications
Do not perform this asana if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, lower back pain, shoulder injuries, or are in advanced stages of pregnancy.
Modifications
Beginners can perform it with their knees on the floor, pressing their hands evenly into the ground and lifting through the shoulders.
5. Bhujangasana – Cobra Pose
The cobra asana is a simple backbend that strengthens the back muscles, increases spinal flexibility, and stretches the chest, shoulders, and abdomen. When performing Bhujangasana, focus on lifting the navel area off the floor and relaxing the glutes.
Contraindications
The cobra is a simple pose even for beginners, but it is not recommended in cases of arthritis in the spine or neck, following a back injury, or with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Modifications
Lift the front of the torso without fully straightening the arms.
6. Vrksasana – Tree Pose
One of the most recognizable asanas in modern yoga, the tree pose quickly teaches how to effectively lengthen the spine and corrects posture. It also strengthens the ankles, calves, thighs, and spine. Focusing on your inhalations and exhalations during the pose will help you find not only physical but also mental balance.
Contraindications
Low blood pressure or any problems with the ankle joints.
Modifications
If you initially have trouble balancing, you can perform Vrksasana by leaning your back or one hand against a wall while standing sideways to it.
7. Utthita Trikonasana – Triangle Pose
Part of many sequences in modern yoga, the triangle is a standing pose that helps build leg strength while stretching the spine, chest, groin, hamstrings, and calves. Performing this asana regularly will also increase flexibility in the hips and neck. Keep in mind that the triangle asana should be performed on an empty stomach, so your last meal should be consumed at least four hours before practice.
Contraindications
This asana is not recommended for people with low blood pressure or if you are experiencing a headache.
Modifications
With high blood pressure, it is advisable to perform a modified version of the triangle, with the head looking down in the final position. If you have neck problems, do not turn your head to look up; keep it straight, looking forward, and lengthen both sides of the neck.
8. Marichyasana – Seated Twist
This is one of the most popular asanas in the twist group that increases back flexibility, stretches the shoulders, hips, and chest, and helps reduce tension in the middle of the back. It is beneficial for anyone who suffers from pain in this area due to spending long hours in a seated position. Remember to lift your torso with every inhalation and twist more intensely during each exhalation.
Contraindications
Do not perform this asana after serious back injuries.
Modifications
A modified version is performed with the leg straight in front of you if you experience pain when bending your knee.
9. Urdhva Dhanurasana – Wheel Pose (for chest opening)
The wheel pose is one of the more difficult yoga asanas in the backbend category. However, it has a wonderful impact not only on opening the chest, back, and neck, but also on improving well-being by stimulating the thyroid and pituitary glands. It is recommended for people who work in a seated position for most of the day.
When performing this asana, stabilization of the hands and legs is particularly important. A rubber FLOW yoga mat will provide this for you; its thickness enhances joint cushioning, and its dynamic grip activates with more intense practice on the mat.
Contraindications
Do not perform this asana after neck injuries.
Modifications
If you are just beginning your yoga journey, perform this asana in a simpler version by keeping your bent legs on the ground, lifting your chest and bringing the sternum towards your chin, while keeping your clasped and straightened arms under your lifted back. You can also place a block between your thighs to help keep your feet and legs at the correct distance, or place it under your pelvis if you feel pain in your lower back.
10. Savasana – Corpse Pose
A relaxing asana performed at the end of every yoga session, though some consider it one of the most difficult. Difficulty may initially arise from letting the body relax completely and maintaining that state. However, the longer you practice yoga, the easier it will be to achieve true relaxation.
Remember to ensure your body is comfortable by placing a blanket under your head and neck and covering yourself with another blanket if you get cold easily. Lie down in a comfortable position and gently enter Savasana, feeling as if your body is sinking deeper and deeper into the mat under its own weight.
Contraindications
None
Modifications
Place a yoga bolster under your knees if you feel pain in your lower back or sacrum.
