Standing Asanas

Standing asanas or standing yoga poses are the asanas that have a standing position as the starting position. This series of standing asanas include beginners asanas focusing on stretching and strengthening the back, shoulders, and leg muscles. These are amazing to be done at the start of practice as they stretch the body adequately.

If you’ve ever heard about Yoga or been in a class, you’ll probably be familiar with some of the poses. But have you ever wondered what they mean? Or how they get their name? Or why some people call them “asanas” but others call them “stretches”? Well, now’s your chance to learn all about it!

In this series, we will list all the important poses, learn how to do each of the asanas, the benefits of standing asanas, precautions, and notes for practitioners.

Benefits of Standing Asanas or Standing Yoga Poses

Yoga helps with overall holistic health including the poses done while standing. The following are the benefits specific to most standing asanas / standing yoga poses. Each of the individual poses mentioned below in this comprehensive list have their own set of benefits.

• They are particularly useful for those who spend a lot of time sitting down or who have stiffness or pain in the back.
• They improve posture, balance, and muscular coordination.
• They also increase oxygenation and lung capacity.
• Standing asanas that include back bending are really helpful in back problems.

Precautions while doing Standing Asanas or Standing Yoga Poses

Keep in mind the following precautions.

• The asanas that include forward bending are not to be done by those who suffer from severe back problems.
• Carefully observe the specific contra-indications for each practice among the list mentioned below.

Complete List of Standing Asanas or Standing Yoga Poses

There are 14 yoga poses or yoga asanas that we’ll cover in this list. These are some of the most important and frequently done poses with the standing position as the starting position.

1. Bandha Hasta Uttanasana – Locked Hand Raising Pose In Yoga
2. Akarna Dhanurasana – Bow And Arrow PoseIn Yoga
3. Tadasana – Palm Tree Pose In Yoga
4. Tiryaka Tadasana – Swaying Palm Tree Pose In Yoga
5. Kati Chakrasana – Waist Rotating Pose In Yoga
6. Tiryaka Kati Chakrasana – Swaying Waist Rotating Pose In Yoga
7. Meru Prishthasana – Spine And Back Pose In Yoga
8. Uttanasana – Squat And Rise Pose In Yoga 
9. Druta Utkatasana – Dynamic Energy Pose In Yoga
10. Samakonasana – Right Angle Pose In Yoga
11. Dwikonasana – Double Angle Pose In Yoga 
12. Trikonasana – Triangle Pose In Yoga
13. Utthita Lolasana – Swinging While Standing Pose In Yoga
14. Dolasana – Pendulum Pose In Yoga

Conclusion

Standing asanas are an important part of all yoga sequences. This article is intended to set the overall context for standing asanas and also share a comprehensive list of them, which can easily be done by beginners. They should generally be done as a part of a sequence. Some of them are covered in popular hatha yoga sequences. Be mindful of the precautions. These are very beneficial for a lot of people who sit for long hours either in front of a computer or even while driving. The standing poses overall help in ensuring that you have better blood circulation, balance, and posture, and also help with back problems.