The hustle of our daily lives leaves us tired and exhausted with bad posture. As we grow older, we have different physical illnesses like back pain, spinal problems, muscle cramps, etc. Yoga is a way of relieving such physical conditions and relaxing your body. In this article, you will learn about different standing yoga poses you can try at home. Don't worry; you don't have to be a yoga expert to try them. 


What are the Benefits of Standing Poses in Yoga?

Standing poses give the professional 'grounding,' or the ability to link thoroughly to the ground and teach consistency in life. Listed below are a few benefits of standing yoga poses:

  • Increase circulation and stamina by invigorating heat and strengthening the entire body.
  • Standing postures constitute a complete and centred practice that contains twisting, backward bends,  side bends, forward bends, and stabilising.
  • Correct spinal disparities and teaches us to initiate power through the body. 
  • Help with reducing anxiety and stress. 
  • Boost self-confidence and relaxes the nervous system.
  • Help to ground your body. 
  • Strengthen the core muscle of the body. 
  • Calf muscles and knee joints are strengthened. 
  • Stretching helps in fighting obesity. 

20 Standing Yoga Poses to Increase Flexibility

The standing yoga poses might appear simple at first glimpse, but as you work on the muscle groups throughout your body, they become more challenging and advantageous. In this article, you will read about 15 standing yoga poses that increase flexibility. 


5 Standing Yoga Asanas & Their Benefits

Standing yoga poses can help you improve body homeostasis, muscular involvement, and orientation. Below are five standing yoga asanas with varied benefits you can try at home.

Garudasana 

Popular as Eagle pose, this asana requires a lot of focus. While trying this pose, you might feel tightness in your body muscles. With consistent practice, this tightness will disappear, and you will feel free. 

How to do: 

  • Stand in the mountain pose and place your hands on your hips. 
  • While pushing your pelvis down, you will feel a connection with the ground. 
  • Bend both the knees, raise your left foot and lightly cover the left thigh over the right. 
  • Curl the left foot like a hook and keep it there.
  • Now, with the arm, wrap one arm over the other while crossing the elbow over the arm. 
  • Raise it to your face height and take five deep breaths. 
  • Repeat it with another side. 

Benefits: 

  • Stabilises the core muscles and shoulder blades. 
  • Improves coordination and focus and inculcates calmness.

Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Salute)

The torso is the focus of Urdhva Hastasana. It focuses on the stomach, arms, and upper arms. This standing yogic posture enhances posture and balance by making the top and bottom limbs functional.

How to do:

  • Stretch the arms side to side. 
  • Raise them upwards.
  • Bring them together above your head and join both hands.

Benefits: 

  • Increasing arm and shoulder flexibility
  • Improving homeostasis of the body.
  • Getting rid of belly fat.
  • Enhancing digestion.

Utkatasana 

Utkatasana is often expressed as a Powerful Pose, as this pose makes your body feel like a whole. This pose looks like you are sitting in an imaginary chair. It engages the core muscles of your body like the back, ankle, and leg muscles. Utkatasana makes your body flexible. 

How to do:

  • Take the tadasana pose. 
  • Start breathing and lift your hands overhead, bringing your biceps in front of your ears.
  • Breathe profoundly and bend the knees until your thighs parallel the ground.
  • Then push the thigh bones down toward the heels.
  • Firmly press your shoulder blades into your back.
  • Stay for a minute. 
  • Exhale and come into Tadasana by bringing your arms to the sides.

Benefits: 

  • It tones the thigh, calf, and hip muscles. 
  • This is beneficial for back problems and strengthening knee joints.

Virabhadrasana III

You need intense concentration and stamina to practise this pose. You must focus on contracting, connecting with the gravity and pulling in. Be mindful of the transition you are going through while practising this pose. 

How to do:

  • Stand straight with some distance between two feet. 
  • Slowly bend forward with your arm bending with the body.
  • Maintain the parallel gap between the hands.
  • Simultaneously raise your left leg up as your body bends forward. 
  • Focus on the contraction and hold the pose.
  • Come back to a normal state and repeat it with the right side. 

Benefits: 

  • Improves your posture
  • Strengthens your legs and ankles 

Ardha Chakrasana

You might have done this pose unknowingly when you are tired in the office or at home. This pose is also called the “half wheel pose” and is more straightforward than the Chakrasana. You can practice this yoga pose daily, which will help strengthen your back! 

How to do: 

  • Stand tall with your feet together and your arms alongside your body.
  • Inhale deeply and raise your arms into the sky, palms facing one another.
  • Breathe out and gently flex backwards, keeping your arms in line with your ears, chin up, and chest lifted towards the roof. Hold the pose. 
  • While inhaling, come back up. 

Benefits: 

  • Tone the lateral muscles, calf muscles, and lumbar spine. 
  • It increases blood flow to the upper body and relaxes the respiratory organs.

2 Simple Standing Yoga Poses for Beginners to Get Started

If you are getting started with yoga, you would want to try simple poses that are easy to practise. Below are some easy-standing yoga poses you can try whenever you are comfortable. 

Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana)

Triangle pose may appear simple, but it may be difficult if you have rigid hamstring muscles. It is often used as a foundational pose for different types of yoga practice. This pose engages every part of your body - the core, hips, legs, and shoulders. 

How to do:

  • Stand in the mountain pose with some distance between your feet. 
  • Take a deep breath and bend on the left side with the hand touching the toe. 
  • Hold that pose while raising the right arm to the ceiling. 
  • Return to the tadasana pose and repeat it with the right side. 

Benefits:

  • Opens up shoulder and hips.
  • Strengthens your core. 

Side Angle Extending (Utthita Parsvakonasana)

This is one of the simplest standing yoga poses for beginners. Because it extends the opposite side of the body, an extended side angle is an admirable stance to do right after reverse warrior. 

How to do:

  • Stand in a mountain pose.
  • Take the T shape and bend the right knee.
  • Bend the right arm and touch the mat while raising the left arm.
  • Return to the original position and repeat it with the left side. 

Benefits: 

  • Improve the balance of the body. 
  • Eliminates fatigue. 
  • Boosts energy and confidence.

Standing Yoga Poses to Improve Your Balance

We need to have a balance in our lives and bodies. With the standing yoga poses mentioned below. The difficulty of the yoga poses varies from easy to complex. 

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Tadasana may appear to be nothing more than having to stand, but it is an effective way to find the balance. It is one of the best balanced standing yoga poses. This pose is the starting pose to prepare for other yoga postures. 

How to do:

  • Stand upright and keep distance between your feet. 
  • Relax your body and feel the weight.
  • Let your arms loosen up on the side of the torso.
  • Close your eyes for a better experience.

Benefits:

  • Brings agility in the body.
  • Relaxes and soothes the nervous system.

2 Easy Standing Yoga Poses to do Everyday

Seeing all yoga poses can overwhelm you. Therefore, it's better to start with easy standing yoga poses that you can practise every day without worrying too much. 

Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)

This is one of the most iconic easy, standing yoga poses! Your body forms two triangles in this yoga pose. You need to stay in the moment while practising this posture. 

How to do: 

  • Keep four feet of distance between your feet.
  • Move your arms perpendicular to the ground. 
  • Lower your right arm and bend down, touching the ground while raising the left arm to face the ceiling. 
  • Repeat the same with the left side. 

Benefits:

  • It relieves lower back pain.
  • Intensifies the core.
  • Widen the mind and the body.

Forward Bend While Standing (Uttanasana)

This is a therapeutic yoga pose you can try when you feel stressed.  It is a combination of opening up your chest muscles and making you feel grounded. You must have a steady breath and patience to practise this yoga pose.  

How to do:

  • Standing forward bend is a natural progression from the mountain pose.
  • Followed by stretching the entire back of the body from the calf muscles and leg muscles to the upper and lower back. 

Benefits:

  • Soothes the nerves.
  • Calms the mind.
  • Stretches the body in the hip region. 

2 Great Yoga Standing Twist Poses for a Stronger Lower Back

As we grow older, our back pain intensifies. This happens due to less mobility and our stressful lives. Try these two standing twist yoga poses for a stronger lower back. 

Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle Pose)  

Parivrtta Trikonasana is effective in improving mental focus and consciousness. Such yoga standing twist poses force you to stay in the present moment, which is an excellent antidote to a thinking mind.

How to do: 

  • You can start by doing the mountain pose, extend your arms and keep a four-foot distance between your feet. 
  • Take a deep breath and bend your body to the left while keeping the waist fixed. 
  • Lower your right arm to the left foot. Hold your ankle softly while reaching the mat. Place the left arm on your hip. 

Benefit: 

  • Improves breathing.
  • Opens and stretches the chest area.

Katichakrasana (Standing Spinal Twist) 

Katichakrasana is a yoga pose that simply translates to "waist rotation." This is one of the best standings twisting yoga poses. It stretches the waist but also helps to make it more agile and stretchy. 

How to do: 

  • While standing with the feet together, breathe in and stretch your arms with space between them. 
  • Exhale and rotate gently to the left and look over the thruster.
  • Take a deep breath and return to the centre position.
  • Repeat the same thing with the other side. 

Benefits: 

  • Enhances and strengthens spinal column and waist versatility. 
  • Opens the shoulders and arms while strengthening the core and back muscles. 

3 Incredibly Fun Standing Yoga Poses For Kids

Children can try these poses to enhance their physical and mental well-being. They are not required to be yoga experts to get started. You can try the three fun standing yoga poses for kids given below. 

Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

This asana is a true indicator of a child's vigour and balancing capacity. It is one of the most fun standing yoga poses for kids. Kids can do this yoga pose whenever they feel tired. 

How to do: 

  • The child is first required to stand upright. 
  • The hands are then kept in a relaxed position on the side. 

Benefits: 

  • This asana helps children maintain a proper posture.
  • Makes the child more agile. 

Warrior Pose I (Virabhadrasana I)

Yogasana's warrior pose improves children's postural stability and core strength. You can learn to focus deeply and be determined when practising this yoga pose. This posture demands you to push all the external boundaries and dive into the feeling. 

How to do: 

  • The child will first be required to stand with his legs spread apart and arms outstretched at shoulder length in this pose. 
  • The right knee is then gently bent by rotating the right foot to face outwards. 
  • The left knee is kept straight, and the position is held for one minute with normal inhalation.

Benefits:

  • Develops positive body image. 
  • Boosts self-confidence.
  • Eliminates leg, shoulder, knee, and chest pains. 

 

Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)

As the name implies, this yoga posture reflects a tree. This is probably one of the easiest standing yoga poses you can try. Vriksasana urges you to hold the pose while also feeling grounded. The resilience of your supporting leg provides a sense of grounding in this pose. It helps you to create a connection with your body. 

How to do: 

  • The kid is made to stand on one leg and afterwards bend the knee of another leg over the thigh to balance the weight of the upper body. 
  • In the 'namaskar' position, the arms are lifted, and the hands are folded. 
  • The child tries to balance the weight solely on a single leg for a couple of minutes before switching to the other leg.

Benefits: 

  • Promotes mental revitalisation, stability, and equilibrium. 
  • It helps strengthen the hips and legs.

2 Advanced Standing Yoga Poses to Level Up Your Practice

When you want to level up your practice, you can shift to advance standing yoga poses. These are not easy to practise as they require intense stamina and concentration. Keep practising regularly for the best results. 

Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose)

Even though this is not convenient, it will help you recognise where your mass is and ensure that your hip bones and body are linear. You will feel flexible and powerful after practising this pose. The back of your ankles and legs will feel different. This is one of the most advanced standing yoga poses. 

How to do: 

  • Put your left hand on the hip.
  • Hold the big toe of your right foot with two fingers.
  • Stretch the right leg forward while holding. 
  • Lift it as high as you can go.
  • Repeat it on the left side. 

Benefits:

  • Boosts strength and makes the body more flexible. 
  • The body will feel more relaxed. 
  • The posture of the body will improve. 

Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose)

This is a strong wrist and arm strengthening that is also enjoyable. Your hips, core, hamstring, and legs will be flexible if you practise this yoga pose. At first, you might shake while doing this pose but that's how it goes! 

How to do: 

  • In its full expression, the bottom leg grounds into the surface.
  • Your top leg is brought up until it is perpendicular to the ground.
  • Then your upper torso stretches and lifts into a heart offering.

Benefits:

  • This difficult arm balance solidifies the wrists, shoulders, tummy, and legs.
  • It extends the back sides of the legs and helps with balance.

 


3 Challenging One-legged Standing Yoga Poses 

As you are done practising the easy yoga poses, you can shift to the challenging yoga poses. One-legged standing yoga poses can help you get better control of your body by improving your balance. 

One-Legged Crow Pose (Eka Pada Bakasana)

Crow Pose with One Leg is one of the most challenging one-legged standing yoga poses. You will be spiritually awakened after trying this pose. When you practise this pose you will require strength in the shoulder and the wrist to hold this pose together. 

How to do: 

  • Start in the Crow pose. 
  • Pull one knee up your chest, move your weight in front, and extend the other leg facing the sky. 

Benefits:

  • Revitalises the entire body while also improving your balance.
  • Improves your reasoning skills and cognitive performance.

Dancer Pose (Natarajasana)

Dancer Pose is a challenging yoga pose for anybody with poor balance. This is an intense backbend that needs a lot of practice and perseverance and this pose is also called the Lord of the Dance pose. Any muscle imbalances in the glutes, hip or legs can be corrected with this pose. It can be challenging at first but with practice, it gets easier. 

How to do:

  • Move your weight to the right foot from a standing posture.
  • Then start raising your left foot behind you and hold that position with your left hand. 
  • Lift the left foot backwards and toward the sky while securing its top.  

Benefits:

  • Strengthen your legs.
  • Opens up your chest.
  • Makes your spine more flexible. 

Universe Destroyer Pose (Bhairavasana)

Is this the hardest yoga pose? It is undeniably one of the most difficult yoga poses. You'll need extreme hip flexibility, as well as stability and resilience.

How to do: 

  • Begin in a one-arm plank with two feet on the floor. 
  • Put your lower leg behind the head. 
  • From this posture, raise your free arm and face to the sky.

Benefits:

  • Reduces anxiety and stress.
  • Makes your body flexible.

10 Standing Yoga Poses You Should Try

Given below are the top ten standing yoga poses that you can try to relax and stay fit. 

Sr. No. Pose Name Best For
1 Konasana (Sideways bending using one arm) Relieving back pain
2 Konasana 2 (Sideways bending using both arms) Flexing the spine
3 Katichakrasana (Standing Spinal Twist) Strengthening lower back. Abdominal muscles
4 Hastapadasana (Standing Forward Bend) Helps in blood circulation
5 Ardha Chakrasana (Standing Backward Bend) Stretching the torso
6 Trikonasana (Triangle Posture) Improving physical and mental well-being
7 Prasarita Padahastasana (Standing Forward Bend with feet apart) Elongating the spine
8 Vrikshasana (Tree Posture) Improving concentration
9 Chair Pose Balancing the body
10 Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose) Releasing stress from the shoulders

Conclusion

When you practise any standing yoga poses, you will stretch or strengthen some of your body's largest and most powerful core muscles. These include most glutes, leg muscles, quadriceps, leg muscles, and small muscles. To wrap up, this article discusses the variety of standing yoga poses. Don’t worry if you are a beginner. You will find many beginner standing yoga poses to try out. As you get comfortable with the beginner poses, keep levelling up! 


Frequently Asked Questions

What are the standing asanas?

Standing asanas are yoga postures or asanas in which one or even both feet are on the floor, and the body is straight. They are one of the most distinguishing elements of modern yoga as an exercise.

Which standing yoga asana is good for strengthening the joints?

Standing Spinal Twist, also known as Katichakrasana, is good for strengthening the joints. 

How many standing asanas are there?

There are 36 standing asanas in yoga. 

Is Trikonasana a standing asana?

Trikonasana, also known as the triangle pose, seems to be a standing yoga pose that solidifies and elongates the hamstring muscles and groyne while opening the chest and extending the hip bones. 

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