Back to Basics with Foundational Poses

Yoga is an ancient practice and if you’re new to yoga, it can all seem a little intimidating … with the intricate postures, the seamless transitions, the fancy-sounding sanskrit names and terminology. Our humanness has a tendency to complicate things because we like to draw meaning and patterns to everything. 

But yoga is actually pretty simple, and the postures can be too. Like with anything in life, first we need to develop the foundation to build upon before moving toward the next steps. 

And let’s not forget, yoga originated with the simple focus of wanting to train the body to be comfortable in stillness for long periods of time. Yogic postures are intended to mimic the body’s natural way of movement. Postures become more intricate as you practice more and more the body’s natural rhythm and movement, increasing flexibility and therefore increasing range of movement. 

So, let’s explore the most basic, and foundational poses within yoga. You’ll find that these foundational poses are actually movements we do in everyday life, or what some may just term as “stretching”. Either way, if you begin with and come back to these foundation poses, whether you are a new yogi or a seasoned one, it will set you and your body up for success … meaning, decreased chance of injury. 

Foundational poses can first be split into categories:

Seated poses: seated poses are frequently done at the beginning and/or end of your yoga practice as they are often used as warm-up & cool-down stretches. Many tend to focus on stretching the hamstrings and hips. 

Standing poses: standing poses are often used to build heat in the body and often build strength within the body. 

Balancing poses: balancing poses are foundational because they focus on core strength in conjunction with balance. 

Backbends and twists: it can be argued that backbends are most likely not in your everyday movements, however, backbends increase spinal flexibility, which houses our nervous system. Spinal flexibility is key in longevity and gentle backbends and twists are starting points for more challenging postures. 

Resting or supine poses: many believe resting postures are the most important poses in yoga. Why? Because many of us have difficulty being rather than doing. But in life, and in yoga, there needs to be balance.

Foundational Seated Poses

Staff Pose (Dandasana)

Alignment:

Seated with legs out straight in front of you, feet flexed, back is straight, core engaged. This pose usually leads into another seated pose, seated forward bend (Paschimottanasana).

Variations:

You can hold a strap and place it around your feet to help your back remain straight, and sit on a blanket if sitting directly on the mat is too uncomfortable. 

Cobbler's Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Alignment:

Bring soles of your feet to touch, knees draw down toward the mat on either side of you, back in straight. Relax your shoulders away from your ears. You can clasp your feet if you choose.

Variations:

Sitting on a block or blanket can help settle your hips and placing blocks under your knees can provide more comfort and allow your knees to open more gradually. 

Seated Wide Angle Straddle (Upavistha Konasana)

Alignment:

Seated with legs open into a straddle. Begin with back straight, feet flexed, legs pressing down into the mat. Once aligned, begin to fold forward, placing hands out in front of you.

Variations:

It does not matter how far forward you lean. This posture is about stretching the hamstrings and opening the hips. If you need to remain upright and feel the stretch that way, then stay upright. As you begin to lower, keep the back flat, feet flexed, and legs pressing down. Avoid scrunching or rounding your back. 

Foundational Standing Poses

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Alignment:

You can first begin alignment in plank pose: fingers spread wide, wrists under shoulders, back flat, and a long line from head to heels. From here, shift your hips back and up, creating an inverted ‘V’ with your body. Now that you’re in downward facing dog, relax your shoulders away from your ears. Pull your belly button toward your spine. Draw your heels down toward the mat (they do not need to lay flat on the mat). And keep your weight shifted toward your legs rather than your hands and wrists. 

Variations:

You can keep your knees bent and you can also play around with the distance between your feet (wider apart or closer together). Some people like to create more dynamic movement, especially with the first downward facing dog of the practice. You can alternate bending your knees or rock your hips side to side. 

Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

Alignment:

The warrior series can all be considered foundational poses. But we’ll use Warrior II for this example. Begin with feet in a wide stance. Your front toes point to the top of the mat. Your back foot is parallel to the back of the mat. You should be able to draw a line from your front heel to your back arch of the back foot. Your front knee is bent to a right angle. Hips are squared to the long end of your mat. Extend the arms out on either side of you. Relax your shoulders. Gaze toward your front hand. 

Variations:

You can lift your hips and straighten your front leg more rather than create a right-angle. You can also choose to relax your arms down rather than keep them lifted. You can also shorten your distance between your front and back foot. 

Foundational Balancing Poses

Tree Pose (Vrksasana)

Alignment:

Begin in mountain pose. Stand upright with shoulder draw back, palm facing forward by your side. Ground one foot into the mat, spreading your toes. Lift your other foot off the mat, bending your knee in front of you. Open that knee to the side and place the sole of your foot either on your calf or inner thigh. Engage your core, find balance. Hands can lift into prayer by your heart, on your hips, or above your head. 

Variations:

Hand placements (see above). If finding balance is difficult at first, you can simply life your bent knee in front of you, or open the knee to your side. Another option is resting your toes alongside your opposite ankle rather than placing the sole of your foot on your calf or thigh.

Downward Facing Dog Split

Alignment:

Enter downward facing dog. Keep your hips squared as you lift one leg toward the back of the room. Hold. 

Variations:

The key here is to keep your core engaged, hips squared, and the leg lifted. It doesn’t matter how high the leg lifts. This pose will work your whole body, especially core and balance.

Foundational Backbends & Twists

Cat-Cow (Chakravakasana)

Alignment:

Come to hands and knees, align your wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, and knees are hip distance apart. Tuck your toes. Inhale, drop your belly toward the mat and lift your gaze. Exhale, tuck your chin toward your chest and round your back. 

Variations:

There are so many variations to this sequence. The purpose is to warm up the spine and connect the breath to each movement. Some people create more dynamic movement along their spine, using a wave-like motion as they go from cat to cow and vice versa. 

Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

Alignment:

Lay flat on your back, draw your knees into your chest. Release your hands down to a ‘T’ position and as you exhale bring your knees down to one side of the body, keeping them bent. Relax both shoulders into the mat. You can turn your head in the opposite direction of your knees for more stretch. 

Variations:

Placing a block under your knees can help relax the shoulders into the mat, and you can unbend your knees a little to release any pressure in your lower back. You can also keep your gaze to the ceiling rather than turning your head. 

Foundational Resting Poses

Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Alignment:

From hands and knees, shift your hips back toward your heels and bring your forehead down to rest on the mat. Stretch your arms out in front of you, palms flat on the mat. Relax your shoulders away from your ears.

Variations:

You can play around with how you separate your knees. Some prefer knees wide, chest resting down toward the mat, while others prefer knees close together with chest resting on the knees and thighs. If stretching your hands out in front of you doesn’t feel like a rest, you can place your hands and arms alongside you, palms facing up. 

Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Alignment:

Lay flat on your back. Roll your shoulders under you. Allow your arms and legs to fully relax into the mat and become heavy. Close your eyes if that feels safe. 

Variations:

This pose is intended for relaxation and comfort. It is usually at the end of a practice (unless it’s a Hatha style class, then there is usually a mini savasana in the middle of the practice) so the goal is to surrender to the rest. You can use blankets or blocks under your knees or head, a blanket to cover you, an eye pillow, etc. Whatever you need to relax, use it!

There are so many more foundational poses within an asana practice of yoga, but these are a great start and a way to understand the breakdown of categories for the postures. Hopefully this feels more inviting than intimidating if you’re someone just starting a yoga practice, and if you’re curious to learn more and experience more, Sol Luna Yoga is holding a monthly Play workshop on January 20 from 4:30-6 PM. This workshop is completely focused on basic, foundational poses within yoga with an emphasis on proper alignment and approaching your yoga practice with safety in mind. So whether you’re a new yogi or a seasoned one, alignment is always a priority. All levels are welcomed and encouraged!