5 Must-Know Yoga Stretches for Beginners

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5 Must-Know Yoga Stretches for Beginners
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• According to American Osteopathic Association,
  incorporating yoga into your daily life has
  physical as well as mental health benefits.
  Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity,
  relieves chronic stress patterns, and helps calm
  and relax the mind.1
• It is important to maintain a good posture during
  yoga and yoga straps or yoga belts help to do
  exactly the same. The yoga straps can help less
  flexible beginners to enjoy the various yoga
  stretches easily.

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Benefits of Yoga Stretches

• Yoga exercises help you improve your flexibility,
  muscle strength, and balance. Yoga also offers
  physical and mental health benefits for people of
  all ages. Here are some of the benefits of yoga
  stretches
• Yoga helps ease back pain and improves mobility
  in people with lower back pain issues.
• According to Johns Hopkinss recent studies, yoga
  helps to ease the discomfort of tender and
  swollen joints for people with arthritis.2

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• Another study indicates that yoga helps lower
  blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood
  glucose levels. That leads to lower blood levels
  of markers for inflammation which reduces the
  chances of heart disease.3
• Yoga helps in stress management, mental health,
  mindfulness, healthy eating habits, and quality
  sleep.

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Yoga Stretches for Beginners

• If you want to loosen up tight muscles, yoga
  stretches are the right solution to your problem.
  For beginners accessories like yoga straps can
  help to dive deeper into practice and enable you
  to find the stretch you need. Here are a few yoga
  poses that beginners can try.
• Hamstring Stretch
• The hamstring stretch can be performed in a
  standing or sitting position and it targets the
  hamstring muscle group located at the back of the
  thigh and is responsible for knee bending or
  flexing.

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Simple Hamstring Stretch (Paschimottanasana)

• It is suggested that beginners start with a
  simple hamstring stretch. Follow the steps below
• Sit on the floor with both legs out straight.
• Keep your knees straight at all times, extend
  your arms and reach forward by bending at the
  waist.
• Hold the position for 15-30 seconds.
• Relax back into the starting position.
• Repeat three times.

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Standing Hamstring Stretch (Uttanasana)

• As the name suggests, it is to be done in a
  standing position.
• Stand and cross your right foot in front of your
  left foot.
• Lower your forehead slowly towards your right
  knee bending at your waist.
• Keeping your knees straight.
• Hold the position for 15-30 seconds. Relax and
  repeat on the other side by crossing your left
  foot in front of your right foot.

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One-Legged Standing Hamstring Stretch 

• It is considered one of the easiest stretches.
• Stand up straight with one heel resting on the
  yoga block, if that is not available, a small
  stack of books. 
• Keep your knees straight and lift both arms so
  that they are even with your ears.
• Bend forward slightly from your hips.
• Hold the position for 15-30 sec. Relax and repeat
  with the other leg.

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Side Stretch (Parsvottanasana)

• Follow the steps mentioned below to practice side
  stretch
• Stand straight with your feet slightly wider than
  your shoulders.
• Slowly lift your left arm up and sideways over
  your head. Simultaneously, reach down with your
  right arm and bend your upper body to the
  right-hand side.
• Hold the position for 10-15 seconds. Relax and do
  the same for the other side.

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Crow Pose (Bakasana)

• As a beginner, you should use yoga straps for
  crow pose, it helps to maintain proper distance
  between your arms by placing tension on the
  elbows.
• Start with the tabletop position with arms
  shoulder-width apart.
• Wear the strap around your arms just below the
  elbows.
• Pull your shoulders away from your ears.

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• Move onto the balls of your feet and lift your
  hip into the air.
• Bring your feet closer to your body so that the
  knees fit into the space created by your armpits.
• Slightly shift your weight towards your
  fingertips and float your toes in the air.
• Hold the position for a few seconds and increase
  the time as your body grows stronger. 

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Cow Face (Gomukhasana)

• The Cow Face pose helps to stretch the hips,
  ankles, shoulders, arms, and chest. This yoga
  pose helps you to correct your posture and
  equalize your flexibility. A tip for beginners is
  to protect the neck by broadening across your
  shoulder blades and drawing your shoulders down,
  away from your ears.
• Begin in the tabletop position, keeping your hips
  directly over your knees. Your hands should be
  placed slightly ahead of your shoulders, shoulder
  distance apart.

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• Press down firmly through your hands.
• Arch your back by lowering your belly, lifting
  your chin, and broadening your collarbones.
• Keep your back long and core toned to find more
  movement in the mid and upper back.
• To release the pose, slightly return to the
  neutral spine.

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Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

• Cobra Pose helps you strengthen your arms and
  shoulders. It decreases the stiffness of the
  lower back and increases flexibility. Follow the
  steps below to practice Cobra Pose
• Place your palms on the ground directly under
  your shoulders. Bend your elbows straight back
  and hug them into your sides.
• Anchor your pubic bone to the floor.

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• Inhale to lift your chest off the floor. Roll
  your shoulders back and keep your low ribs on the
  floor.
• Keep your neck neutral. Your gaze should stay on
  the floor.