yoga.com

The First-Year Pose Library: Every Shape a Beginner Actually Meets

21 min read Updated July 2, 2026

A woman stepping into a lunge on a sage mat in morning light

Your first year of yoga runs on a surprisingly small vocabulary: about forty shapes, repeated until they stop feeling like puzzles. This library holds all of them, sorted by what your body is actually doing — standing, folding, bending, twisting, resting — with a setup, a feel-it check, and an honest note on when to skip each one.

Why Forty Shapes Is Enough

Flip through any yoga pose encyclopedia and you'll find hundreds of entries. Most of those poses rarely appear in a beginner's class. They're more like a reference library, not your day-to-day curriculum.

Count what first-year classes actually use and the list collapses to a few dozen shapes recombined endlessly: standing poses, folds, gentle backbends, a twist or two, hip work, one friendly inversion, and rest.

This is great news. With a small vocabulary, every pose comes back around every week or two, so your body gets the repetitions it needs to actually learn them. If a teacher calls out a shape that isn't here, it's probably not first-year material anyway - and taking the offered alternative is the right call, not a Plan B.

We've organized this library by movement family instead of alphabet,: stand, fold, bend back, twist, sit, tip upside down a little, rest. Learn the family and suddenly the poses start explaining each other.

The seven movement families your first year draws from, with the poses you'll meet most often in each.

Read This Before Any Pose

One frame governs every entry. Pain is a stop sign, not a milestone. A working muscle complains in a warm, spread-out way; that's fine. Sharp, pinching, electric, or joint-centered sensation is not effort. It's information, and the response is to back out, not breathe through it. Most yoga injuries treated in US emergency departments are strains and sprains, with the trunk and lower body leading the list; that's where enthusiasm outruns readiness.^[2]

Standing rules for the whole library:

Joints report, muscles work. If you feel a pose in the knee, wrist, lower-back joints, or neck instead of the surrounding muscle, adjust or skip.
Props are equipment, not apologies. Blocks, blankets, straps, and walls make the pose fit you on day one; every entry includes a prop version.
Check in first if you have a condition in play. If you're pregnant, recovering from surgery or injury, or managing osteoporosis, glaucoma, uncontrolled blood pressure, or a heart condition, talk with your clinician before starting and tell your teacher. The notes below flag which poses each of those touches, but they don't replace that conversation.^[1]
Breath is the gauge. If you can't breathe slowly through your nose, you've taken more pose than you can use today. The breath guide covers this in depth.

Standing & Balancing

The load-bearing family: these build the leg strength and foot awareness everything else borrows from. Common thread: weight spread across the whole foot, kneecaps tracking over toes.

Mountain · Tadasana

Stand with feet hip-width, weight even across heels and toe mounds.
Lift your kneecaps lightly, lengthen your tailbone toward the floor.
Let your shoulders drop, crown reaching up, arms easy at your sides.

Feel it: quiet work in the feet, legs, and deep core: awake, not clenched.

Not there: locked-back knees or a pinched lower back.

Softer version: stand with your back against a wall to feel what vertical actually is.

Chair · Utkatasana

From Mountain, bend your knees and sit your hips back as if reaching for a stool.
Keep weight in your heels; knees roughly over ankles.
Reach arms forward or up, ribs knitted in.

Feel it: thighs and glutes burning honestly.

Not there: the fronts of the knees or the lower-back joints.

Softer version: hover above an actual chair seat, or take a shallower bend with hands on thighs.

Check first: sensitive knees: reduce the depth before you reduce the frequency.

High Lunge · Ashta Chandrasana

Step one foot back a leg's length, back heel lifted.
Bend the front knee toward ninety degrees, hips squared forward.
Reach arms up, back leg firm and straight.

Feel it: front thigh working, back hip flexor stretching.

Not there: a wobble that turns the front knee inward, or lower-back pinching.

Softer version: shorten the stance and rest hands on blocks or the front thigh.

Warrior I · Virabhadrasana I

From High Lunge, spin the back heel down at roughly forty-five degrees.
Square hips and chest toward the front of the mat as your anatomy allows.
Bend the front knee over the ankle, arms reaching up.

Feel it: front leg effort plus a stretch through the back calf and hip.

Not there: the back knee or a twisting complaint in the back ankle.

Softer version: widen your stance side-to-side like railroad tracks; squared hips come from width, not force.

Warrior II · Virabhadrasana II

Take a wide stance, front toes forward, back foot parallel to the mat's short edge.
Bend the front knee over the ankle, hips and chest open to the side.
Stretch arms out at shoulder height, gaze over the front hand.

Feel it: both legs sharing the work, inner thighs awake, shoulders low.

Not there: the front knee collapsing inward or the neck straining to hold the gaze.

Softer version: shorten the stance, or straighten the front leg slightly for long holds.

Side Angle · Utthita Parsvakonasana

From Warrior II, tip your torso over the front thigh.
Rest the front forearm on the thigh or a hand on a block outside the foot.
Reach the top arm over your ear, making one line from back heel to fingertips.

Feel it: a long stretch along the top side of the body.

Not there: weight dumping into the bottom arm or a crick in the neck.

Softer version: forearm-on-thigh is the pose. The floor is optional forever.

Triangle · Trikonasana

Wide stance, both legs straight but not locked, front toes forward.
Hinge sideways at the front hip, reaching the front hand toward shin or block.
Stack the top shoulder open, top arm to the sky.

Feel it: hamstring and inner-thigh stretch, side-body length.

Not there: a hyperextended front knee or a compressed lower side waist.

Softer version: a tall block under the bottom hand, and a micro-bend in the front knee.

Tree · Vrksasana

Stand on one leg; place the other foot on the inner ankle, calf, or thigh, never the knee.
Press foot and standing leg into each other.
Hands at your chest or overhead; pick a point on the floor to stare at.

Feel it: the standing foot and hip constantly, quietly correcting.

Not there: sideways pressure on the standing knee.

Softer version: kickstand the toes on the floor, or keep a hand on a wall.

Check first: pregnancy shifts your balance as the months pass, so keep a wall or chair within reach.^[6]

Plank · Phalakasana

From hands and knees, step both feet back until your body makes one line from crown to heels.
Stack shoulders over wrists, press the floor away, and reach back through the heels.
Keep hips level with the shoulders: no sagging hammock, no hiked-up tent.

Feel it: everything, quietly: arms, core, and legs holding one line. Plank is Mountain turned face-down, which is why it lives with the standing poses.

Not there: a drooping lower back or complaining wrists.

Softer version: knees-down Plank: lower both knees to the mat and keep the single line from crown to knees. Same pose, honest workload, and where most first years should spend most of their Planks.

Check first: the wrist rule from Downward Dog applies here too; numbness or tingling into the fingers means forearms or a wall version, not more repetitions.^[7]

Forward Folds

Folding is hinging at the hips while the spine stays long. The fold most beginners make is a rounded back doing the hamstrings' job. Bent knees are not cheating; they're how you relocate the stretch to where it belongs. If you exhale into each fold (see the breath guide), the hamstrings argue less.

Same fold, different hinge: keep the lower back long and let the hips do the folding, especially with bent knees.

Standing Forward Fold · Uttanasana

From Mountain, bend your knees generously and hinge at the hips.
Let your torso hang, head heavy, hands to shins, blocks, or floor.
Straighten the legs only as far as the hamstrings allow with a long spine.

Feel it: the backs of the thighs and a decompressing lower back.

Not there: sharp lower-back pain or pressure behind the eyes.

Softer version: hands on blocks, knees soft. Depth is irrelevant here.

Check first: with diagnosed osteoporosis or low bone density, deep loaded spinal flexion has been linked to vertebral compression fractures, so keep the spine long and hinge from the hips, or fold only partway with hands supported.^[3] Head-below-heart positions also raise eye pressure, so discuss folds with your ophthalmologist if you have glaucoma.^[4]

Ragdoll · Baddha Hasta Uttanasana

From Standing Forward Fold, keep the knees generously bent.
Hold opposite elbows and let the whole upper body hang.
Sway gently side to side, or simply stay and breathe.

Feel it: hamstrings, yes, but mostly a lower back finally setting its bags down.

Not there: pressure behind the eyes or a lower back that hates hanging; walk your hands up your thighs and come out.

Softer version: the same hang with hips resting back against a wall, or forearms stacked on a chair seat.

Check first: the osteoporosis and glaucoma notes from Standing Forward Fold apply here unchanged.^[3]^[4]

Half Lift · Ardha Uttanasana

From a forward fold, slide hands to shins or blocks.
Lengthen your chest forward until your back is flat like a table.
Keep the neck in line with the spine, gaze down.

Feel it: back muscles working, hamstrings stretching.

Not there: a sagging or humped mid-back.

Softer version: hands on blocks or thighs, knees bent as much as needed.

Wide-Legged Fold · Prasarita Padottanasana

Step feet wide, parallel, hands on hips.
Hinge forward with a long spine.
Bring hands to blocks or the floor beneath your shoulders.

Feel it: inner thighs and hamstrings.

Not there: strain in the lower back or dizziness on the way up; rise slowly.

Softer version: narrow the stance and stack blocks tall.

Seated Forward Fold · Paschimottanasana

Sit on the edge of a folded blanket, legs extended.
Loop a strap around your feet, or rest hands on shins.
Hinge forward from the hips, chest leading, knees as bent as needed.

Feel it: a slow-blooming hamstring and calf stretch.

Not there: the lower-back joints doing the folding.

Softer version: more blanket height under the hips, more bend in the knees.

Check first: same osteoporosis note as the standing fold: hinge, don't round, and stop well short of your maximum.^[3]

Head-to-Knee · Janu Sirsasana

Sit with one leg long, the other foot tucked to the inner thigh.
Turn your chest over the long leg.
Hinge forward, hands to shin, foot, or a strap.

Feel it: the long-leg hamstring and the opposite side waist.

Not there: the bent knee; let it float on a folded blanket if it complains.

Softer version: blanket under the hips, strap around the foot.

Backbends

Let's look at the first-year backbends. The main focus is on waking up your back muscles, not necessarily bending all the way back. Height is a nice bonus, but it isn't your main goal. You want to build strength and get your back muscles working together.

Cat-Cow · Marjaryasana–Bitilasana

Start on your hands and knees, with your wrists right under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
Inhale and drop your belly, lifting your chest and tailbone (Cow).
Exhale and press the floor away to round your spine toward the ceiling (Cat); repeat, letting your breath lead the way.

Feel it: the spine moving one segment at a time, warming as it goes. This is the backbend family's front door, and most classes walk through it.

Not there: the wrists, or a whipping neck; let the head trail the spine rather than lead it.

Softer version: take it seated in a chair, hands on knees, same wave through the spine; or make fists to keep the wrists straight.

Sphinx · Salamba Bhujangasana

Lie on your stomach, with your forearms down, your elbows under your shoulders.
Press your forearms into the mat and drag them lightly towards you.
Let your chest lift and your gaze rest forward.

Feel it: a gentle opening across the chest and mid-back.

Not there: a pinch at the very base of the spine.

Softer version: slide the elbows further forward to lower the arch.

Cobra · Bhujangasana

Lie on your stomach, hands under your shoulders, with your elbows hugging in.
Press the tops of your feet down and lift your chest using your back muscles first.
Keep your elbows bent and your hips on the floor.

Feel it: the back of the body working, front body lengthening.

Not there: jammed lower-back joints or straining wrists. A low Cobra is a strong Cobra.

Softer version: baby Cobra, lifting only a few inches with almost no hand pressure.

Locust · Salabhasana

Lie on your stomach, arms alongside you, palms down.
On an inhale, lift your chest, arms, and legs a modest height.
Reach long through the crown and the toes; breathe.

Feel it: the entire back chain: glutes, hamstrings, spinal muscles.

Not there: the neck craning up; keep the gaze down.

Softer version: lift chest only, or legs only, alternating.

Check first: Locust is a belly-down pose, so once a bump makes lying prone uncomfortable, usually from mid-pregnancy on, retire it in favor of Cat-Cow or Bridge and let your obstetric clinician set the exact timeline.^[6]

Bridge · Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip-width and close to your hips.
Press through the feet and lift the hips.
Keep knees tracking straight ahead, chest broad.

Feel it: glutes and hamstrings lifting, chest opening.

Not there: the neck; never turn your head while your hips are up.

Softer version: slide a block under the sacrum for a supported, restful bridge.

Check first: in later pregnancy, swap prolonged flat-on-the-back positions for side-lying or propped alternatives; your obstetric clinician can tell you what timeline applies.^[6]

Camel · Ustrasana

Kneel with shins hip-width, a blanket under the knees, hands on your lower back.
Press hips forward over the knees and lift the chest toward the ceiling.
Stay here, or reach one or both hands to blocks beside your ankles.

Feel it: the front of the thighs and chest stretching, back body working.

Not there: a dropped, hanging head or lower-back pinch.

Softer version: hands stay on the lower back all year. That's a complete Camel.

Check first: kneel on padding if your knees are cranky, and treat dizziness as an immediate exit cue: tuck the chin, sit back on your heels, and let the room settle before standing. The head-tipped-back position makes this the family's most lightheaded-prone shape, so if you're managing blood pressure that isn't well controlled, put Camel on your ask-your-clinician list before trying it.^[1]

Twists

Twists rotate the mid-back, which is built for it, not the lower back, which isn't. The sequence is always the same: lengthen first, then rotate. If you have to yank yourself in, the twist has already stopped working.

Reclined Twist · Supta Matsyendrasana

Lie on your back and hug one knee to your chest.
Guide it across your body toward the floor, arms wide.
Let the shoulder stay heavy even if the knee floats.

Feel it: a broad, unwinding stretch across the back and outer hip.

Not there: sharpness anywhere in the spine.

Softer version: a cushion under the traveling knee so it lands early.

Check first: in later pregnancy, take this as a supported open twist and limit time on your back per your clinician's guidance.^[6]

Easy Seated Twist · Parivrtta Sukhasana

Sit cross-legged on a blanket, spine tall.
Inhale to lengthen; exhale to rotate, one hand to the opposite knee.
Let the head turn last, only as far as comfortable.

Feel it: gentle rotation through the ribs and mid-back.

Not there: the lower back or the neck doing the whole turn.

Softer version: sit on more height; keep the twist at sixty percent.

Lunge Twist · Parivrtta Anjaneyasana

From a low lunge with the back knee down, plant the opposite hand under the shoulder or on a block.
Inhale to lengthen the spine.
Exhale, rotate toward the front leg, and reach the free arm up.

Feel it: rotation through the torso, stability in the legs.

Not there: a collapsing bottom shoulder or a complaining back knee; pad it.

Softer version: hand on a tall block, back knee on a folded blanket.

Thread the Needle

Start on hands and knees.
Slide one arm under your chest, palm up, until shoulder and ear rest down.
Let the hips stay high and the weight stay light on the head.

Feel it: a deep stretch between the shoulder blades.

Not there: pressure on the neck; the floor supports the shoulder, not the skull.

Softer version: a blanket under the shoulder or head to raise the floor.

Seated & Hips

Hips release on their own schedule, measured in months. Nothing in this family responds to force; everything responds to support and time. Sit on height, pad the knees, and let breath do the negotiating.

Easy Seat · Sukhasana

Sit cross-legged on enough blanket height that your knees drop below your hips.
Stack your spine tall, hands resting on thighs.
Switch the front shin halfway through any long sit.

Feel it: tall and settled, outer hips releasing slowly.

Not there: knifing in the knees or a slumped, aching lower back; add height.

Softer version: sit against a wall, or in a chair with both feet flat. A chair is a yoga prop.

Staff · Dandasana

Sit with legs extended, feet flexed.
Hands beside hips; lengthen up through the crown.
Press the thighs gently down, spine tall.

Feel it: quiet, honest work in the core and hip flexors.

Not there: a rounded, collapsing lower back; sit on a blanket edge.

Softer version: hands behind you like a kickstand, knees softly bent.

Bound Angle · Baddha Konasana

Sit on a blanket and bring the soles of your feet together.
Let the knees fall wide onto blocks or cushions.
Stay tall, or hinge forward slightly with a long spine.

Feel it: inner thighs and groins releasing.

Not there: the inner knees; slide the feet further away to change the angle.

Softer version: supports under both thighs so the legs can stop guarding.

Low Lunge · Anjaneyasana

From kneeling, step one foot forward, back knee on a folded blanket.
Slide the hips gently forward until the back hip front stretches.
Hands on the front thigh, on blocks, or reaching up.

Feel it: the front of the back-leg hip and thigh.

Not there: the kneecap grinding on the floor. More padding, always.

Softer version: keep hands on blocks and the lunge shallow.

Half Splits · Ardha Hanumanasana

From Low Lunge, shift your hips back over the down knee.
Straighten the front leg, toes up, hands on blocks.
Hinge forward over the long leg with a flat back.

Feel it: a clean hamstring stretch in the front leg.

Not there: the back of the front knee; keep a micro-bend.

Softer version: tall blocks and a modest hinge; depth adds nothing.

Reclined Figure Four

Lie on your back, knees bent, and cross one ankle over the opposite thigh.
Thread your hands behind that thigh and draw it toward you.
Flex the crossed foot and keep your head and shoulders down.

Feel it: the outer hip and glute of the crossed leg.

Not there: the crossed knee: flexing the foot protects it; ease off if it talks.

Softer version: rest the bottom foot on a wall instead of pulling. This is the first-year answer to pigeon pose, without pigeon's knee gamble.

Happy Baby · Ananda Balasana

Lie on your back and draw your knees toward your armpits.
Hold the outer edges of your feet, shins vertical like table legs.
Keep the tailbone heavy on the floor; rock gently side to side if that feels good.

Feel it: inner thighs and hips releasing, lower back spreading into the floor.

Not there: a chin jammed to the chest or knees hauled down by force; the tailbone lifting off the mat means you've pulled too far.

Softer version: hold the shins or backs of the thighs instead of the feet, or loop a strap around each foot.

Check first: this is another flat-on-the-back shape, so in later pregnancy trade it for side-lying hip work per your clinician's guidance.^[6]

Garland · Malasana

Stand with feet wider than hips, toes turned out.
Bend the knees and lower into a squat, heels on a rolled blanket if they lift.
Bring palms together at the chest, elbows nudging knees wide.

Feel it: hips, inner thighs, and ankles all reporting in.

Not there: the knees under compression; sit on a block and the pose remains complete.

Softer version: block under the hips, heels on a blanket, or squat holding a doorframe.

Check first: deep knee flexion aggravates some knee conditions; if squatting is on your physio's no list, it's on this library's no list too.

Inversions-Lite

No headstands live here. First-year inversion means heart above head, mildly, without loading the neck. One caution for the whole family: head-below-heart positions measurably raise eye pressure, in people with and without glaucoma, so clear these shapes with your ophthalmologist if you're managing glaucoma.^[4]^[5] The same ask-first rule applies to uncontrolled high blood pressure and recent eye or dental surgery.^[1]

Downward Dog · Adho Mukha Svanasana

From hands and knees, tuck your toes and lift your hips up and back.
Bend your knees generously and press the chest toward the thighs.
Spread your fingers wide, weight into the whole hand, heels reaching down without needing to land.

Feel it: shoulders and back lengthening, hamstrings and calves stretching.

Not there: wrists screaming or shoulders jammed by the ears.

Softer version: hands on blocks, deep knee bend, or take it standing with hands on a chair seat or wall.

Check first: wrist pain with numbness or tingling into the fingers is a carpal tunnel flag, and it doesn't improve under repetition; switch to forearm or wall variations and mention it to your clinician.^[7]

Puppy · Anahatasana

From hands and knees, keep hips stacked over knees.
Walk your hands forward and melt the chest toward the floor.
Rest your forehead on the mat or a block.

Feel it: shoulders, armpits, and upper back opening.

Not there: a sagging lower back doing a backbend it wasn't asked for.

Softer version: forearms on the floor or elbows on blocks.

Dolphin · Ardha Pincha Mayurasana

From forearms and knees, elbows shoulder-width, interlace your fingers or keep forearms parallel.
Tuck toes and lift the hips as in Downward Dog.
Keep the head off the floor, knees as bent as needed.

Feel it: serious shoulder and upper-back work.

Not there: the neck bearing weight; the head hangs free.

Softer version: walk the feet further back, or keep the knees down and practice the forearm press. Dolphin is the wrist-free stand-in for Downward Dog.

Legs Up the Wall · Viparita Karani

Sit sideways against a wall, then swivel to swing your legs up it.
Scoot your hips toward the wall as far as comfortable.
Rest arms wide, eyes closed, five to ten minutes.

Feel it: a mild flush of ease in the legs, a slowing pulse.

Not there: tingling feet; bend the knees or slide back from the wall.

Softer version: a folded blanket under the hips, or calves resting on a chair seat instead of a wall.

Check first: gentler though this shape is, the glaucoma note above applies here too^[4], and in later pregnancy prop the torso up rather than lying flat.^[6]

Rest

Rest poses are practice, not intermission. This is where the nervous system files everything the class just taught it.

Child's Pose · Balasana

From kneeling, bring big toes together and knees wide (or together).
Fold your torso down between or over your thighs.
Arms reach forward or rest back beside the feet; forehead down.

Feel it: back releasing, breath widening into the ribs.

Not there: pinched knees or ankles; pad both.

Softer version: a cushion between hips and heels, a block under the forehead. You can take this pose at any point in any class, unannounced. That's a rule, not a courtesy.

Constructive Rest

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat and slightly wider than hips.
Let the knees lean gently against each other.
Rest hands on your belly and breathe low.

Feel it: the lower back settling toward the floor.

Not there: nothing should hurt here; this is the reset button.

Softer version: calves up on a chair seat for zero effort. No Sanskrit name, full membership in the library.

Crocodile · Makarasana

Lie on your belly, legs long, heels rolling out.
Stack your hands and rest your forehead on them.
Breathe so you feel your belly press into the floor.

Feel it: breath moving into the back body; the floor doing the holding.

Not there: a cranked neck; keep the forehead down, not the chin.

Softer version: a thin cushion under the hips or chest.

Corpse · Savasana

Lie on your back, legs long and apart, arms away from your sides, palms up.
Close your eyes and release your breath from any control.
Stay five to ten minutes; come out slowly via one side.

Feel it: progressively less. That's the point.

Not there: lower-back nagging; a bolster under the knees fixes it.

Softer version: blanket over you, cushion under knees and head.

Check first: in the second and third trimesters, take rest on your left side with cushions instead of flat on your back.^[6]

Three 20-Minute Sequences From the Library

Every pose below is in this library; nothing imported. Hold standing poses five to eight breaths per side, floor poses longer; the final rest pose is non-negotiable.

Sequence	Order	Good for
Wake Up the Legs	Mountain → Chair → High Lunge → Warrior II → Side Angle → Triangle (both sides) → Wide-Legged Fold → Tree → Standing Forward Fold → Constructive Rest (3 min)	Mornings, pre-work stiffness, building basic strength
Undo the Desk	Easy Seat → Easy Seated Twist → Puppy → Sphinx → Cobra → Locust → Thread the Needle (both sides) → Bridge → Reclined Twist → Savasana (4 min)	After long sitting; rounds out shoulders and wakes the back
Downshift for Sleep	Child's Pose → Low Lunge → Half Splits (both sides) → Bound Angle → Head-to-Knee → Reclined Figure Four → Legs Up the Wall (5 min) → Savasana (5 min)	Evenings, restless days, recovery

When a sequence starts to feel routine, that's the library working: you can stop managing choreography and start noticing breath, where the next layer of practice lives. And when a teacher uses a term this page didn't, the glossary has the translation.

Sources

This guide is educational and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, recovering from an injury, or living with a health condition, check with a qualified professional before starting a new practice.