5 Seated Yoga Poses for you & its benefits

With seated yoga postures, you will be able to take your first steps in this beautiful world. You don't need experience or much elasticity, just the desire to test your abilities!

To think of doing yoga is often to imagine a person doing slightly complicated postures, only designed for those who have a lot of flexibility or balance. However, it is also possible to choose to do seated yoga poses, perfect for beginners.

If you have never done yoga and want to enter this wonderful world, we recommend that you choose a gentle class tailored to you. Plus, they can be done almost anywhere!

Start with seated yoga poses

There are hundreds of postures or asanas in yoga, and when you are just starting out, your instructor will probably teach you the simplest ones, which are mostly standing or sitting. Seated postures in yoga have many functions, but they mainly help in 4 aspects, according to a publication from Johns Hopkins University:

•     Elasticity in the hips, groin, ankles and knees.
•     Smoother, easier breathing (by removing tension in the throat and diaphragm).
•     Firm spine.
•     Healthier blood circulation.

Seated yoga postures are the most pleasant, those that can be done even when this activity has never been practiced, those that bother less, those that do not require much elongation, those that avoid fatigue or numbness...

In turn, they favor meditation and the fact of being present in the here and now, just as this discipline promotes. For them to be effective, the spine must always be straight and we must pay attention to breathing at all times. The advice of a trained instructor can be very helpful in complying with these guidelines.

What are the best seated yoga poses?

If you want to start with this ancient practice, you may have some doubts or preconceptions regarding the ease of the asanas. However, the truth is that at first the seated yoga postures will be the ones that appear the most in the session. Among them, we can highlight:

1. Sukhasana

It is the first posture that you must learn and perform; the easiest of all and the one that cannot be missed. To perform it, you simply sit on the mat with your legs extended and then cross them at the ankles. Remember to keep your back straight.

Then, lower your knees as far as possible – the idea is that they are touching the ground, but you will get that with practice. Bring your chin parallel to the ground and align your head. Put your hands on your knees, close your eyes and focus on your breath.

2. Parivrtta Sukhasana

This second posture —on the cover image— is known in Spanish as the 'seated easy turn' and is complementary to the previous one. Once you are in Sukhasana position, take your hands off your knees.

Bring your left hand over your right knee as you begin to twist your torso to that side. The free hand rests behind the back, at the level of the buttocks. Place your eyes at a distant point behind you and exert pressure with both hands and arms so that the trunk rotates more and more.

3. Ardha Padmasana

The half lotus pose is also an evolution of the first asana on the list. For many, it is the most comfortable of classes. To perform it, extend your legs and bend them, but now the right foot comes up above the left knee.

The idea is that the instep rests on the inner thigh. It may seem complicated at first, but you will see that with a little practice you will do it without problems. After a while, change sides, and now put your left foot up.

From this posture, move to Padmasana or lotus, raising both feet and leaving them resting on the opposite thighs. It may not be for yoga beginners, but it is worth knowing.

4. Paschimottanasana

This position has a somewhat complicated name, but it is one of the most well-known seated yoga postures used in classes. In this case, you start with your legs stretched out in front of you and, of course, with your back straight.

From there, raise your arms as you take a deep breath. Stick your arms to your ears and slowly lower your torso as you exhale. The idea is that you touch the balls of your feet with your hands, but to begin with, reaching your knees will be enough.

5. Baddhakonasana

The last of the seated yoga postures on this list is ideal for those with inflexible hips, because it allows them to open up and feel very comfortable. Keeping your back straight, bend your legs so that the soles of your feet touch in front of your body. Take the insteps with your hands and stretch up.

To conclude, other seated yoga poses that you can do are Janu Sirsasana (head to knee forward), vajrasana (rock pose), and virasana (hero pose). As we mentioned before, we recommend you consult with an instructor to know them all and perform them safely and with the proper technique.

If you liked our guide on these tips & ideas on seated yoga poses, share it on social media or leave us a comment.