The best yoga poses for a first home session are simple positions that introduce breathing, balance, stretching and relaxation. Start with the sequence below, moving slowly and stopping if a position feels uncomfortable. It offers a practical introduction before you explore more challenging asanas, the traditional name for yoga postures.
Verywell Fit’s beginner guide contains 31 yoga poses and presents beginner poses as an introduction before more challenging asanas. For a shorter session, these 10 entries provide a useful starting point at home.
The names Tadasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Vrksasana and Bhujangasana come from Yoga Journal’s beginner pose guide. A separate Yoga Journal beginner sequence also includes Child’s Pose, Cat and Cow, High Lunge, Chair Pose and seated stretches.
Use this yoga poses chart to recognise a pose by both its everyday English name and its Sanskrit name. Sanskrit names are useful when following a class or searching a pose directory, but they do not need to be memorised before beginning.
| English name | Sanskrit name | Useful role in a home session |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain Pose | Tadasana | Standing awareness and balance |
| Downward-Facing Dog | Adho Mukha Svanasana | Foundational beginner pose |
| Tree Pose | Vrksasana | Standing balance |
| Cobra | Bhujangasana | Prone backbend |
Yoga Journal’s 10 basic practices also include mindful breathing in Savasana, a reclining twist and meditation. A yoga poses list can therefore include breathing and relaxation practices as well as physical postures.
Follow a simple order: begin with Child’s Pose, move through Cat and Cow, stand in Mountain Pose, add Downward-Facing Dog, then try High Lunge, Chair and Tree. Use Cobra for the prone backbend, and finish with Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose, a reclining twist or meditation.
YogaRenew’s instructions for Downward-Facing Dog begin from a high-plank position, while its beginner guide treats the pose as foundational. A current Yoga Journal 10-minute beginner sequence includes Child’s Pose, Cat and Cow, High Lunge, Chair Pose and seated stretches. Together, these examples create a short practice with standing poses, floor-based movement and a calm finish.
For two people, begin with seated back-to-back breathing, mirrored Mountain Pose and a supported forward fold. These are accessible partner yoga examples because both people can communicate, share support and pay attention to the other person’s body.
| Partner idea | How to approach it | Best starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Seated back-to-back breathing | Sit back-to-back and coordinate calm breathing without pushing against one another. | Two beginners |
| Mirrored Mountain Pose | Stand facing the same direction or one another and mirror the shape. | Learning names and alignment |
| Supported forward fold | Use mutual support while keeping the movement accessible. | Partners who communicate clearly |
Yoga.org’s partner-yoga guidance emphasises communication, mutual support and attention to the other person’s body. A partner-yoga directory lists 18 poses for two people, from beginner to advanced, including a stacked Double Downward Dog variation.
Headstand, Shoulderstand and Crow should not be treated as automatic first attempts at home. They appear in the Sivananda list of 12 basic asanas, but that list includes inversion-based and advanced poses. The meaning of “basic” therefore depends on the yoga tradition.
The Sivananda sequence includes Headstand — Sirsasana, Shoulderstand — Sarvangasana, Plough — Halasana, Fish — Matsyasana, Sitting Forward Bend — Paschimottanasana, Cobra — Bhujangasana, Locust — Salabhasana, Bow — Dhanurasana, Half Spinal Twist — Ardha Matsyendrasana, Crow — Kakasana, Standing Forward Bend — Pada Hastasana and Triangle — Trikonasana.
Sivananda Yoga’s explanation of the 12 basic asanas says a typical class includes breathing exercises, warm-ups including Sun Salutations, the 12 asanas and deep relaxation. The sequence is a tradition-specific practice rather than a short list of poses to try in any order.
The numbers 10, 12, 26 and 84 refer to different sources or traditions. Yoga Journal presents 10 basic practices; Sivananda gives a named list of 12 basic asanas; and the Bikram Yoga Beginning Series contains 26 postures with two breathing exercises.
There is no single universally accepted list of 84 yoga poses. The number is traditionally symbolic, and different texts give different selections or names. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika highlights Siddhasana, Padmasana, Bhadrasana and Simhasana among the traditional 84.
There is no single universally agreed list of 84 yoga poses. The number is traditionally symbolic, and different texts give different selections. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika identifies Siddhasana, Padmasana, Bhadrasana and Simhasana as four especially important examples among the traditional 84, as described in the Asana reference.
In the Sivananda system, they are Headstand, Shoulderstand, Plough, Fish, Sitting Forward Bend, Cobra, Locust, Bow, Half Spinal Twist, Crow, Standing Forward Bend and Triangle. This lineage-specific list includes advanced or inversion-based poses.
There is no universal ten-pose list. Yoga Journal’s 10 basic practices include mindful breathing in Savasana, Cat and Cow, Mountain Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, standing balance poses, prone backbends, inversions, a reclining twist and meditation. The list combines physical poses with breathing and meditation.
This usually means the Bikram Yoga Beginning Series: 26 postures practised in a fixed sequence alongside two breathing exercises. It is a specific style’s sequence, not a universal list of the 26 most basic yoga poses. The sequence is described as a 90-minute class in Tom’s Guide’s hot-yoga beginner explanation.
