New to Yoga? Kick Off Your Practice With These 4 Poses for Beginners

You don’t need a fancy mat, special clothing, or an expensive gym membership to get into yoga. That’s the beauty of the discipline—you can practice it anywhere, anytime.

Why not give it a try in the comfort of your own home? Just press play on the video above and follow along with yoga teacher Jennifer Partridge as she demonstrates four poses that are perfect for beginners.

Mountain, or tadasana

This standing pose encourages good posture and strengthens the back muscles. It’s also a perfect opportunity to try out a breathing exercise.

Downward-facing dog, or adho mukha svanasana

One of the most well-known yoga moves, downward-facing dog stretches the shoulders and hamstrings—and energizes the entire body.

Plank, or kumbhaka

Think of plank as the yogi version of the top of a push-up. It strengthens the core and arms, but also works the glutes and hamstrings, and challenges your overall balance.

Cobra, or bhujangasana

This heart-opening pose stretches out the muscles in the chest, abdomen, and back. Start out with a small backbend, lifting your chest and shoulders just a few inches off the ground, and build up to a deeper stretch as shown in the video. (Eventually, you can try the more advanced version—upward-facing dog).

Don’t forget to watch the video for a visual breakdown of each pose. Namaste!