I love yoga. It’s great for stretching out tight hips and shoulders after a long day at the desk.
The breathing techniques are excellent for mental resets, the meditations help me focus on what’s important and the single-legged poses help me maintain my balance.
I also love upbeat playlists and fast-paced movement, which is why I enjoy yoga teacher Jonelle Lewis’s classes on Apple’s Fitness+ platform.
Lewis teaches traditional asanas but invites you to match her beat as she moves.
The classes still tap into moments of stillness when appropriate (and she also leads meditation classes on the platform) but there’s a buzziness to her sessions that I enjoy.
I was lucky enough to do a live class with Lewis recently and sat down with her afterward to pick her brains about yoga. I asked her for three poses that are her all-time favorites for beginners—here’s what she said.
Three yoga poses for beginners
1. Puppy pose
How to do it
- Come onto your hands and knees, with your arms straight, shoulders above your hands and hips above your knees.
- Keeping your hips directly above your knees, walk your hands forward as far as you can.
- Lower your forehead to the floor and relax.
- Hold for five breaths or longer.
Why Lewis recommends it
This stretch is very similar to child’s pose, but you keep your hips elevated.
"It's a spinal extension that helps to open up to your shoulders, open up your heart, and I think it's a good preparation for downward dog," says Lewis.
2. Downward dog
How to do it:
- Come onto your hands and knees, with your arms straight, shoulders above your hands and hips above your knees.
- Step your feet back one at a time so that you’re in a plank position, with your legs extended and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Push your hips up so your body forms an inverted V shape. You can keep a soft bend in your knees if you need to.
- Hold for five breaths or longer.
Why Lewis recommends it:
This is a staple in most yoga practices and it has full-body benefits.
"You're using shoulder strength and mobility, stretching out your back body, hamstrings and ankles—you’re getting this big full-body stretch," says Lewis.
3. Tree pose
How to do it:
- Stand with your hands held together at your chest.
- Transfer the weight of your body into your right foot.
- Bend your left knee and raise it to the side, resting your left foot on your shin or thigh—wherever it feels most comfortable.
- Hold for three breaths or longer, before switching sides.
Why Lewis recommends it:
This is a one-legged pose, so it will test your balance and strengthen the supportive muscles in your ankle.
"It seems deceptively simple but there's a lot going on," says Lewis. "You're balancing, you're opening up through your hips and you're engaging through your core."
You can practice these moves by themselves to reap their benefits or add them to some other yoga stretches for beginners for a longer flow. You can also access Jonelle's classes via the Apple Fitness plus platform, which currently has a 7-day free trial ($9.99 once trial has ended).
