10 Yoga Kneeling Pose Ideas for Beginners

Kneeling pose is an important yoga pose type, practice kneeling yoga poses are proven to improve balance, flexibility and strength. Additionally, doing kneel pose works as a therapy for you if you have knee osteoarthritis, reduces pain as it will help to enhance mobility, and improve physical fitness and overall balance.

What is more, kneeling pose helps boost energy level. Doing kneeling pose help stabilize the mind and body, and practicers feel rather balanced as kneeling poses require a relaxed state of mind to balance the body on the knees. 

There are so many yoga kneeling poses that involving bending one or both knees in a kneeling position. All these poses are referred to as kneeling pose and semi-kneeling yoga pose. The most common kneeling postures including bending of the spine in either a forward or backward motion and the bending of the hips in either backward or forward position. Read on to gain 10 basic kneeling pose ideas and the benefits they carry.

10 yoga kneeling pose ideas

1. Child Pose

Child pose is also known as Balasana and is one of the most common warm up pose for yoga class. Child pose is a wonderful way to stretch your body and relieve yourself from chronic back pains as it is safe and easy to perform. Additionally, it helps reduce fatigue, stress and anxiety, and in this way boosting mental health.

2. Hero Pose

Hero pose is another easy kneeling pose to perform. In the hero pose position, your knees, thighs and ankles feel stretched and are strengthened in a way by sitting on both heels with feet together and knees fully flexed. And the hero pose has a therapeutic effect  – lowering blood pressure. One tips for you, if you find this degree of knee flexion uncomfortable, insert a pillow or bolster between your sitting bones and heels to help ease pain and maintain the pose.

3. Cat Cow Pose

The cat cow pose, also known as Marjaryansana, is a combination pose of two stretches to warm up the spine. Cat cow pose often come after child pose as part of warm up exercise in many yoga sessions. Cat cow pose is relatively easy to perform. 

Cat cow pose helps to increase blood circulation in the vertebrae of your spine, reduce back pain, especially lower back pain,  and in this way to boost flexibility of your spine. This pose best benefit those who live a sedentary lifestyle with relatively stiff spine.

4. Balancing Table Pose

Balancing table pose requires a certain level ability of balance and strength, if you are not stable to balance in this pose, seek for extra support from props or have a coach stand by.

Just like the table-top pose, the balancing table pose is good for building body strength as well as stretching and lengthening your spine. It improves stability and better your ability to maintain a balanced body.

5. Camel Pose

Camel pose or Ushtrasana is a kneeling back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. It is extremely beneficial as it stretches the abdomen, chest and quadriceps. 

Doing camel pose requires you twist your body backwards to achieve spinal mobility, as it is the opposite of normal daily postures. Remember to extend your spine so you do not have to support body weight all by your hands.

Avoid this pose if you have a high blood pressure or are in post abdominal surgery phase.

6. Tiger Pose

Tiger pose is also known as Vyaghrasana. For people who suffer from consistent lower back pain due to long working hours, this pose is an ideal asana that helps open up your hips and thighs to the maximum.

Additionally, tiger pose balances your body, toning the spinal nerves and relaxing your sciatic nerves. Like table top pose, tiger pose massages your lower abdomen and the reproductive organs.

7. Low Lunge Pose

The low lunge pose is a yoga pose that requires you to put additional weight on one knee. Do not worry, insert a rolled blanket if you feel uncomfortable with one knee bearing so much body weight.

Low lunge pose also involves bringing the other knee into a flexed position, so care and caution is essential when practicing the low lunge.

Low lunge pose is a perfect way both to warm up the body to get prepared for more challenging poses or stretch tight muscles in the hips and legs after running or biking.

8. Thread the needle pose

Thread the needle pose opens your shoulders, neck, arms, chest and upper back, making it a complete upper body stretch. Also threading the needle pose requires your hips in a fixed position to ease stress on the neck and avoid potential neck injury. Another common issue in doing this pose is if your shoulder can not reach the floor, do not over stretching, seek for props like yoga block or bolster and put it underneath, bringing the ground up to you.

9. Puppy Dog Pose

Also known as Uttana Shishosana, this kneeling asana with forward lean is sort of a variation of child pose (adds a stretch component to Child’s Pose), and it is typically more accessible than full splits. Puppy dog pose opens up the chest and shoulders by reaching the arms forward and elevating the hips.

Puppy dog pose helps to improve your posture through lengthening the spine and stretching the shoulders and chest. Depending on the flexibility level of your neck, you can rest your forehead or chin on the mat.

10. Half Splits Pose

Also called Ardha Hanumanasana, half splits pose improves flexibility in the hips, hamstrings, and low back by inviting a deep stretch through the hamstrings, hips, and lower back. If you want to achieve further stretch effect, you may flex the front foot for a more intense stretch in the calf.

Final Thoughts on Yoga Kneeling Pose

Yoga kneel asanas are not aim to bring knee injury, so the no.1 rule is do not over doing. The best way to avoid over stretching is knowing your own limits, stop when it is getting too intense for you. The same important as picking proper yoga wear for practice.

Also, there is another solution. For yogis who used to hurt your knees, or just feeling uncomfortable when the joint is bearing pressure, or those who have sensitive or bony knees, using a more soft or thicker yoga mat instead, inserting yoga blanket or blocks or bolster to make your knees more comfortable, thus the process of practicing kneeling pose will be more enjoyable, and in this way benefit your body more.