Beginner Yoga Pathway: what to learn first, step by step

In short: a learning order for your first months of yoga, in seven stages: from standing, sitting and resting well, through warm-ups and first standing poses, to short sequences and, later, the poses that are best learned with a teacher. Spend a week or more on each stage, keep what feels steady, and use the easier options on every pose page.

This pathway is our own educational order, not a traditional sequence: traditions introduce poses in different ways, and a teacher may change the order for you. It moves from poses that most people can do safely toward ones that need more strength, balance or flexibility, and it keeps inversions, deep backbends and arm balances for later. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or are recovering from an injury, check with your doctor first and tell your teacher. Our guide to yoga for beginners covers what to wear, how often to practise and how to find a class.

1. Foundations

   Stand, sit and rest with attention to the breath

   • Mountain Pose Tāḍāsana
   • Easy Pose Sukhāsana
   • Corpse Pose Śavāsana

2. Warm-ups on hands and knees

   Gentle movement of the spine and a resting pose to return to

   • Tabletop
   • Cat-Cow Marjaryasana-Bitilasana
   • Child's Pose Bālāsana

3. First standing poses

   Learn to place the feet and lengthen the spine

   • Upward Salute Ūrdhva Hastāsana
   • Standing Forward Fold Uttānāsana
   • Half Standing Forward Fold Ardha Uttānāsana
   • Warrior II Vīrabhadrāsana II
   • Triangle Pose Utthita Trikoṇāsana
   • Tree Pose Vṛkṣāsana

4. Gentle backbends and floor poses

   Small, controlled backbends and hip and hamstring stretches lying down

   • Sphinx Pose
   • Cobra Pose Bhujaṅgāsana
   • Bridge Pose Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsana
   • Reclining Figure Four
   • Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose Supta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana
   • Reclining Spinal Twist

5. Your first sequences

   Put the poses in order with the breath

   • Beginner Sun Salutation sequence
   • Morning Yoga sequence
   • Evening / Bedtime Yoga sequence

6. Building strength

   Weight on the hands and steady legs

   • Downward Dog Adho Mukha Śvānāsana
   • Plank Pose
   • Low Lunge Āñjaneyāsana
   • Chair Pose Utkaṭāsana
   • Warrior I Vīrabhadrāsana I

7. Next steps, ideally with a teacher

   More demanding poses and the classic sun salutation

   • Chaturanga Caturaṅga Daṇḍāsana
   • Upward-Facing Dog Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana
   • Crow Pose Kākāsana
   • Sun Salutation A Sūrya Namaskāra A sequence

When the pathway feels familiar, browse the full pose library by family or difficulty, or try a slow class or a retreat where a teacher can watch your poses.

Frequently asked questions

Which yoga poses should I learn first?

Start with poses most people can do safely: mountain pose, easy seated pose, corpse pose, cat-cow and child's pose, then first standing poses such as tree and triangle. Leave inversions, deep backbends and arm balances until later, ideally with a teacher.

How long should I spend on each stage?

A week or more, or as long as you need for the poses to feel steady with an easy breath. There is no deadline.

Sources

1. Yoga: What You Need To Know (newcomers avoid extreme practices; learn with a qualified instructor), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH) (accessed October 6, 2026)

Facts checked on October 6, 2026