Yoga exercises: popular asanas for beginners and advanced users

Get on all fours. The wrists are level with the shoulders, the same applies to the knees and hips. As you breathe in, lift your head and look forward, while your back arches – slowly and in a controlled manner. As you exhale, you lower your gaze and slowly come to a cat's hump. Repeat this sequence of movements as often as you like.

This basic yoga exercise is e.g. B. often used to warm up in Hatha Yoga. It stretches and mobilizes your entire back. If you tend to have tension or pain in the back of your body, this exercise is a real relief!

The Triangle (Trikonasana)

Place your legs about one meter apart. As you inhale, lift one arm, and as you exhale, bend to the other side and guide the other arm along the leg. Maybe you can reach your thigh, maybe even your foot. After 30-60 seconds, switch to the other side.

With this posture you stretch the entire side of your body and open your chest.

The Tree (Vrikshasana)

Stand straight with your legs together. Extend your arms to the sides and shift your weight onto one leg. Bring the foot of the other leg to your upper or lower leg (not your knee). Reach your arms up or bring your hands in front of your heart, palms touching. Repeat the yoga position on the other side.

This basic yoga exercise trains your balance and ability to concentrate.

The Bow (Dhanurasana)

Lying on your stomach, bend your legs and grab your ankles with your hands. Lift your thighs and head off the floor and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Depending on how far you backbend and lift your body off the floor, the more intense the exercise.

With this yoga exercise you open the chest and intensively stretch the abdominal wall as well as the arms and front thighs. At the same time, the spine is mobilized.

The Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskara)

After the static yoga positions, the most famous dynamic series of exercises should of course not be missing: the sun salutation. The sun salutation consists of 12 individual yoga positions that flow smoothly into one another and are carried out in harmony with breathing. The following applies: one breath – one movement.

There are different variations of the sun salutation. We'll show you the most common sequence of asanas:

• Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
• Stretched Mountain Pose (Urdhva Hastasana)
• standing forward bend (Uttanasana)
• half forward bend (Ardha Uttanasana)
• Downward-Facing Dog (Adhomukha Shvanasana)
• Yoga push-ups (Chaturanga Dandasana)
• Cobra (Bhujangasana) or Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana)
• downward dog
• half forward bend
• whole prevention
• stretched mountain pose
• Mountain stance

Which yoga exercises are suitable for advanced students?

Have you been practicing yoga for a while and would like to try some more difficult yoga figures? Then we have popular advanced yoga exercises for you here.

Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II)

Place your legs wide apart and extend your arms parallel to the floor. The back foot is positioned diagonally, the front foot points towards the beginning of the mat. Both heels are firmly on the ground. Bend your front leg until your knee and ankle are at the same height. Keep your back and entire upper body straight and then repeat the yoga position on the other side.

With the warrior position you strengthen your entire body, as well as your mental strength and stamina.

The Crow (Kakasana)

Squat down and place your hands firmly on the floor in front of you with your fingers spread. Bring your knees towards your armpits and press both of them together - this gives you stability. To practice, rock back and forth slightly so that your body weight is only on your toes and hands. When you feel confident enough, lift your feet completely off the ground.

This yoga exercise requires a lot of tension and strength in the core of the body - and trains it. Hands and arms are strengthened and you improve your balance and concentration.

Headstand (Shirshasana)

From a four-footed position, place your forearms on the mat and form a triangle with them, your fingers intertwined. You put your head in your hands. Now walk your feet further and further towards your head, first lifting one leg, then the other. As a final step, stretch both legs straight up and hold this position. You can also linger in each intermediate step and only move on when you feel safe enough.

The headstand is one of the supreme disciplines among yoga positions - but with a little practice you can definitely do it and it's worth it! To start, you can place your yoga mat against a wall to support your legs. With this yoga exercise you will strengthen your upper body and achieve greater physical and mental balance.

Yoga Positions: How Often Should I Do These?

From once a week to daily, there is no right or wrong way to do yoga. It's about finding what feels good and right for you. Various studies have now shown that one to two yoga classes per week have a long-term positive effect on various physical and mental complaints. A classic yoga class lasts 1.5 hours. But don't put pressure on yourself - if it seems too much at the beginning, you can start with 15 minutes and slowly increase. Be sure to try out different yoga styles to find the right one for your needs and goals. Building muscle through yoga is definitely possible with physically demanding variants and regular practice ensures more flexibility.

To date, more women than men practice yoga - even though yoga is suitable for everyone. You can find out about the benefits of yoga for men in this article.

Anyone can do yoga. With our basic yoga exercises you can start your yoga practice!