When you're feeling anxious or stressed, the last thing you might want is another complicated thing to learn. 

The good news is that you don't need an advanced yoga practice to begin feeling the benefits of mindful movement.

You don't need to be flexible, know lots of poses or spend an hour on your mat.

Sometimes, simply slowing down and bringing your attention to your body can help you step out of your thoughts and reconnect with the present moment.

Here are five beginner-friendly yoga poses you can explore at home.

1. Mountain Pose — Tadasana

Mountain Pose looks deceptively simple.

You're simply standing.

But it gives you the opportunity to practise one of the foundations of yoga: awareness.

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and allow your arms to rest by your sides.

Feel your feet connecting with the floor.

Lengthen through the crown of your head.

Let your spine feel long without becoming rigid.

Take a few slow breaths and notice how you feel.

Mountain Pose can be particularly useful when you're feeling scattered because it gives your attention something physical to connect with.

Try: Stay here for 5–10 slow breaths.

2. Child's Pose — Balasana

Child's Pose is often used as a resting posture in yoga.

From a kneeling position, bring your body towards your thighs and allow your forehead to rest towards the floor or on a prop.

You can keep your knees together or take them wider, depending on what feels comfortable.

The important thing is that this isn't a posture you need to force.

Let yourself soften.

Notice your breath.

Notice the feeling of being supported by the ground.

If you're feeling overwhelmed during a practice, Child's Pose can also be a reminder that rest is part of the practice.

Try: Stay for 5–10 comfortable breaths.

3. Cat-Cow — Marjaryasana-Bitilasana

Cat-Cow is a gentle movement between two spinal positions and is a wonderful way to connect movement with breath.

Come onto your hands and knees.

As you inhale, gently move towards Cow Pose, creating length through the front of the body.

As you exhale, move towards Cat Pose, gently rounding your spine.

Move slowly rather than trying to achieve a particular shape.

The aim is to notice the relationship between breath and movement.

This can be particularly helpful when your mind is busy because you're giving your attention a simple rhythm to follow.

Try: Move slowly for 5–8 breaths.

4. Legs Up the Wall — Viparita Karani

This is a wonderfully simple posture for when you need to slow everything down.

Sit beside a wall and gently bring your legs up the wall as you lie back.

Allow your arms to rest wherever they feel comfortable.

You don't need to achieve anything here.

Simply breathe and notice.

This is a great posture to explore towards the end of your day when you're ready to transition out of activity.

Try: Stay for 2–5 minutes, or however long feels comfortable.

5. Savasana — Corpse Pose

And finally, perhaps the most important one: doing nothing.

Lie comfortably on your back with your arms and legs relaxed.

Close your eyes if that feels comfortable.

Rather than trying to empty your mind, simply notice what's happening.

The temperature of your skin.

The sounds around you.

The feeling of the ground beneath you.

Your breath.

Your thoughts.

Your emotional state.

Savasana gives you an opportunity to practise simply being present without needing to do anything.

And if you're someone who finds slowing down difficult, this might be the most challenging posture of all.

Try: Stay for at least 3–5 minutes.

Remember: yoga isn't about forcing your body

If you're practising yoga for anxiety, this is particularly important.

You don't need to push yourself into a deeper stretch to get more from your practice.

You don't need to make your body look like someone else's.

And you shouldn't practise through pain.

Instead, use each posture as an opportunity to ask:

What can I notice here?

Maybe you notice tension.

Maybe you notice your breath becoming slower.

Maybe you notice resistance.

Maybe you notice that you want to move away from discomfort.

There is no right experience.

The practice is simply about becoming more aware.

Start where you are

These five postures are a starting point, not a complete yoga practice.

If you're completely new to yoga, learning the foundations can help you feel much more confident about what you're doing and why you're doing it.

That's exactly why I created Yoga Foundations Starter Kit.

It's a four-week beginner yoga course that you can complete from the comfort of your own home.

You'll learn the foundations of yoga, including standing postures, breath and flow, heart openers, hip openers and mindfulness — while developing a deeper awareness of your body along the way.

So when you're ready to join a yoga class, you can walk through the door feeling like you have a foundation beneath you.

Start Yoga Foundations →HERE

Yoga is a wellbeing practice and is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice. If you have an injury, medical condition or concerns about practising yoga, seek appropriate professional guidance.