There are many reasons why you should add yoga practice to your everyday routine for exercise. Yoga adds to health of your mind and body. It helps you relax and removes mental fog, improves your body balance, adds muscular tone and flexibility, and reduces your stress and much more. Even simply inhaling and exhaling through nose steadily (Pranayama) can improve your overall health. But it can appear quite intimidating for the beginners. You should start slow; let your body to adapt to the new flexibility.

Popular yoga poses for beginners

• Mountain Pose: This one is a very simple to practice. Stand straight with your feet together, let your shoulder relaxed; put your arms at the sides. Take a full deep breath and slowly raise your hands overhead, make sure your arms are straight and palms are facing each other.

• Tree Pose:  the next level for Mountain Pose is the Tree pose. First, stand tall with your arms resting at sides. Slowly shift body weight onto left leg. Place sole of your right foot inside of the left thigh. Next, bring your hands in prayer position. Inhale and extend your arms over shoulder with palms facing each other. Stay for 40 seconds and repeat it with other leg.

• Bridge Pose: it is one of the most popular. Lie on a floor mat with your knees bent. Put your arms at sides. Try to press your feet to raise your hips and exhale. Clasp your hands under your back. Try to lift your hips so that thighs are parallel with the floor. Stay for 1 minute.

• Cobra Pose: for this, lie on the mat with leg extended so that tops of your feet faces the mat. Try to tighten your pelvic muscles. Push the floor in order to raise your chest up, making it upright. Hold the position for 30 seconds and relax.

• Knee Bridge Pose: sit down on floor on your knees. Slowly bend your upper body forward. Put your palms on the floor. Now, try to press the floor, making your whole body weight to shift on your arms and exhale.

Yoga brings so many benefits to your life. But if you are new to yoga, it is recommended to start slowly, practicing basic poses first. Once you are comfortable and your body gets flexible with time, you can try more complex forms. It is also recommended you to enroll in a yoga class, which will provide more instructions and demonstrations.