5 Basic Yoga Poses and their alignment breakdowns. Preparing you to jump into any yoga class prepared.

Let’s face it: jumping into your first yoga class can be intimidating. I remember my first class over 13 years ago knowing nothing and absolutely hating it.

My, times have changed. I realized finding the right yoga for each of us required three things:

• the right teacher
• the right kind of yoga
• the right alignment and posture

The first two took me time, and it may take you time too! However, the last one — the right alignment and posture — I’ve got you covered in this post.

We’re breaking down the five basic postures in a yoga practice to get you prepared for any yoga class you’re ready to jump into.

 1. DOWNWARD FACING DOG

The Posture:

Plant your palms flat to the ground, and then allow for a little bit of space underneath the palms pressing down through the fingertips and the heels of the hands. Now allow for bending the knees, you can start to extend your hips all the way up towards the sky.

The most important part in downward dog is your back is straight. Over time as your legs begin to open up specifically your hamstrings, if you can start to straighten your legs out a little bit. Pedaling the feet out, keeping your spine is straight, hips and upper arms are straight.

Alignment Tips:

• Straight arms
• Small pocket of space in palms
• Hips high to the sky
• Soft bend in the knees, to start

via GIPHY

 2. WARRIOR ONE

The Posture:

First into warrior one, have the front leg with a 90 degree angle, keeping the knee directly stacked over your ankle. The back leg is straight, and your back heel is firm down towards the floor or the mat.

Now notice what’s going on with your hips. It’s okay starting out if they’re open to the side a little bit over time as your hips open, you can begin to square them forward, how the bend in the right need back leg is straight and you’re going to feel a spiral of energy from the back of your left thigh rapping forward. That’s going to give that energy of the hip moving forward.

Lift up tall through the spine. Lastly, extend those arms up overhead, reaching long through the fingertips, and breathe.

Alignment Tips:

• Back leg straight
• Back foot 45 degree angle
• Front knee stacked over ankle
• Slight backbend
• Arms long and extended

via GIPHY

3. WARRIOR TWO

The Posture:

Now we’re going to take it into a Warrior Two. The difference in warrior two compared to a warrior one, your right heel aligns with the left inner arch. The space between the heels here, it intersects. Same thing with your right knee or your front leg. The knees stacks over the ankle and the back leg is straight.

Extend the arms out long and reach through the fingertips. Your wrist are aligned with your shoulders. Flip the palms up. This is going to allow your shoulder blades to drop down your back. Let the palms come back down. Keep that back leg straight and the outer edge of your left foot firm down towards the floor. Have a slight engagement in the core. And, here we breathe.

Alignment Tips:

• Back leg straight
• Front heel aligns with back arch
• Front knee stacked over ankle
• Arms long and extended
• Gaze over front middle finger

via GIPHY

4. HIGH LUNGE

The Posture:

There’s two different variations of the lunge: you can have the back knee down, or lifted.

We’re going to focus on a lifted knee variation, so be on the ball of your back foot. The front foot hasn’t changed, the knee is still over the ankle, back bending, hips are level. Lift up tall through the spine, and reach up through the fingertips.

Similar to our warrior one, their space between the heels. Arms are extended straight up overhead.

Alignment Tips:

• One the ball of the back foot
• Soft bend in the knees, to start
• Front knee stacked over the ankle
• Abs slightly engaged
• Arms extended long overhead

via GIPHY

5. CHILD’S POSE

The Posture:

This is an important one. You’re going to want to reference this posture anytime you need a little break throughout the practice: Child’s pose.

Come into child’s pose from your knees, and extend the arms out in front of you. The knees can have space between them. Let your chest drop through the thighs and reach your arms out in front. Your arms will be straight. Sit back through your hips. Then, the option, to relax your forehead down towards the floor.

Alignment Tips:

• Bent knees
• Chest falls between the thighs
• Arms extend out in front
• Forehead relaxed to the mat
• Focus on your breathing

via GIPHY

Without mentioning any favorites, maybe that last one is your favorite too!

There are five basic yoga postures to prepare you for any yoga class you want to practice.

Watch the full video linked here: