10 Simple Yoga Poses That Work for Any Age

For anyone who practices Yoga, no matter how advanced the practice or how long they have been doing it, simple postures hold a charm that, upon returning to them, feels like being in a cozy and familiar place that returns us to the very center of our being.

You can progress to advanced postures, but the basic postures and practices offer the greatest long-term benefits with the least risk. Without requiring tremendous strength or extreme flexibility, the basic postures allow us to move and lubricate the joints, improve posture and balance, stimulate digestion, produce energy, and calm the nervous system to create mental clarity and focus at any age or time in life.

Medicinal Yoga teacher Rachel Land proposes 10 postures and practices that she believes “may be the best tools that yoga provides for a vibrant and healthy life, with immense benefits for both body and soul.”

Below are the positions that Rachel Land proposes and her reasons for doing so:

1. Conscious breathing.

A Sanskrit proverb says, “Since breath is life, breathing well will give you a long life on earth.” It doesn’t really seem to matter whether you use diaphragmatic (also called abdominal or ventral) breathing, filling and emptying the lungs, or a specific pranayama technique. Scientific research suggests that slow, deep breathing can trigger a relaxing response in the body by reducing respiratory and heart rate, blood pressure, stress, pain perception, and recharging energy stores. Best of all, this tool is available to any of us regardless of age, physical strength, range of motion of limbs and joints, and injuries.

2. Smooth flow.

Circular movements of the wrists and ankles, or flexing and stretching the toes, as well as the cat-cow pose Marjaryasana-Bitilasana, are examples. Although these movements are not sophisticated, they help us connect with the rhythm of breathing and the proprioceptive sensations of the body; they gently stimulate blood and lymph flow. “Flowing like water helps dissolve both muscular and mental tensions, moving us away from rigidity and stagnation,” says Ms. Land.

3. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Even the most dedicated yogis only practice a couple of hours a day, which means that what we do off the yoga mat has far more impact than what we do on it. Our posture influences our breathing, digestion, and mood. In the long term, poor posture can create asymmetrical stress on the joints, leading to premature wear and tear. Each time we reconnect with the roots of Mountain Pose, it prompts us to become aware of and correct our postural habits. This allows us to learn and adopt new postural habits that we can practice off the yoga mat and incorporate into our lives.

Mountain Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Stand with the bases of your big toes touching, heels slightly apart so that your second toes are parallel.

Lift and separate both the toes and the balls of each sole of your feet and then gently lower them to the floor. Gently rock back and forth and from side to side. Gradually reduce the rocking and remain still with your weight balanced on both sides of your body.

Step 2

Tighten your thighs and knee bones without tightening your lower belly.

Lift the insides of your calves and tighten your inner arches, then imagine a line of energy running along your thighs and groin and through your abdomen, torso, neck and head to the crown of your head. 

Gently rotate your thighs inward, lengthen your tailbone toward the floor and slightly lift your pubis toward your navel.

Step 3

Squeeze your shoulder blades together, then spread them wide and let them fall freely over your back. Without pushing your lower ribs forward, lift the top of your sternum toward the ceiling. Widen your collarbones and let your arms hang at your sides.

4. Downward Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svasnasana)

This is one of the core poses in Hatha yoga for good reason: the pose creates harmony between the upper and lower body, opening the chest while stretching the back muscles of the legs. It creates a balance between the concentration of a forward bend with the upper body strength balanced on the arms and the energy production of an inverted pose. In medical yoga, it is a firm favorite because it can be easily modified to suit the specific needs of each participant.

5. Standing balance postures.

Some yogis are born with great flexibility and others with very open hips, but the option to improve balance is open to everyone. Challenging our stability through poses like Tree Pose (Vrkasana), Eagle Pose (Garudasna), or Crescent Pose brings about bodily agility and mental focus while teaching us to use the abdominal muscles to coordinate functions of both the upper and lower body. Because we practice on one side of the body at a time, this gives us the opportunity to identify any discrepancies between the left and right sides before they become aggravated. Balance work also fosters a sense of physical, mental, and emotional resilience as well as stability as we age.

6. Side plank (Vasisthasana)

Standing balancing poses help us maintain strength and stability in both our lower and upper body; the side plank allows us to do this in our upper body. This is especially beneficial for women because we tend to lose strength in this part of the body as we age. Whether we practice the original version of the pose or a modification, the side plank activates the rotator cuff (the small muscles that correctly position the head of the humerus in the shoulder socket), tones the lateral muscles of the torso and hips, and forces us to engage abdominal, pectoral, back and leg muscles in order to maintain balance.

7. Pronated back flexion.

Over time, many of us tend to hunch our backs, causing our head and shoulders to lean forward and our back to round. This bad habit shuts us down, limiting our breathing capacity and proper functioning of our organs, repressing our energy, and creating an unbalanced expenditure of the joints in the neck, back, and shoulders. Simple prone postures like Cobra (Bhujangasana) and Locust (Salabhasana) counteract this pattern by strengthening the muscles of the posterior shoulder, spine, glutes, and legs. As we open the posture, we are releasing our energy as well.

8. Inverted postures.

Like riding a roller coaster, inverted postures change our relationship to gravity. They shift blood and lymph flow from the legs and hips toward the heart and head. They take the weight off the feet, ankles and knees, giving these joints much-needed relief. The legs-up-the-wall pose (Viparita Karani) is an alternative that Mrs. Land uses because it also relieves tension in the neck and back. It involves an aspect of surrender that we often forget in the frenzy of our lives.

9. Supine twist

A gentle twist is the yoga equivalent of reconfiguring our body's postural system by releasing myofascial tension patterns in the trunk and stimulating the intervertebral discs between the bones of the spine to replenish by absorbing fluid from the surrounding tissues. Twists can also stimulate circulation to our abdominal organs which benefits our digestion and, consequently, our vitality.

10. Meditation.

Regular meditation, regardless of style or duration, has been shown to boost the immune system, focus and creativity while reducing anxiety, stress and pain intensity. According to Ms. Land, no matter what postures we can or cannot do, these powerful and lasting benefits are available to anyone who can find a place to sit, pause, reflect and observe without judgment, even for a few minutes each day.

Some facts you need to know to achieve a good meditation posture

The seven points for meditation according to Lodro Rinzler

First point for the meditation posture: sitting

For those who are used to sitting in chairs, sitting on the floor with your legs crossed and no back support can be challenging, but don't be intimidated. If you find it a bit difficult, you can opt for one of the following alternatives or with a cushion underneath to give you some elevation and force your spine into alignment.

Six ways to sit and meditate

1. A quarter of the lotus

Sit with your legs crossed and relaxed, both feet resting under the opposite knee.

2. Half lotus

Here one leg is extended while the other rests bent on the opposite thigh. The extended leg can be bent and rested under the opposite knee or thigh.

3. Full lottery

Her legs are crossed with both feet resting on opposite thighs.

4. The Burmese posture

If you find it difficult to sit cross-legged, you can choose to keep both feet on the floor in a relaxed position which is also known as the easy pose Sukhasana.

5. Seiza

Instead of sitting cross-legged, you can get on your knees and incorporate a bolster or other yoga props such as blocks or a rolled-up mat between your legs.

6. Chair

If you need a chair, you can do so. Just make sure your back is away from the backrest and your feet are flat on the floor.

Second point for the meditation posture: lengthen the spine.

Traditional analogies say that your spine should feel like an arrow or a tower of coins lined up. You should feel like there is a thread coming out of your head lengthening your spine.

Third point for the meditation posture: where your hands rest

The easiest way is to have your hands rest on your lap. Personally, I prefer to keep my hands at elbow level and let them rest on my thighs or near my knees.

You can also place your right hand on top of your left hand, allowing the thumbs to lightly touch, resting on your lap at the level of your navel. This is supposed to create more warmth and energy in the body, which can be helpful if you are feeling a little sleepy. Symbolically, the right hand means wisdom and the right hand compassion; with this gesture they are being joined together.

Fourth point for the meditation posture: relax the shoulders

The shoulders should be pushed back slightly to allow the chest to expand.

Fifth point for the meditation posture: try to keep your chin on your chest

Slightly tuck your chin in. You should not get to the point of looking at the floor, but you should not have your head staring blankly ahead or upwards, as this will strain the neck too much.

Sixth point for the meditation posture: open the jaw

Relax the muscles in your face so that your jaw drops and opens. Place your tongue against the roof of your mouth to help you breathe more freely, and slow down the swallowing process while trying not to lose focus.

Seventh point for the meditation posture: rest your gaze

Rest your gaze about a metre away from where you are standing without staring too hard. Don't stare at patterns on the carpet or floor, just keep your gaze indeterminate.

Open eyes allow you to remain attentive to the intention of your meditation.

If you can't meditate with your eyes open, you can close them, but you may be more vulnerable to distraction, further thoughts, or wandering.

If you take the time to establish the correct meditation posture for yourself, you will find it easier to connect with your meditation goal. By putting these points into practice, you will enter your meditative state in a calm but at the same time vigorous way.