Hatha Yoga Poses Sequence – Beginner Class 1-Hour

Here are all the Hatha yoga poses you need to teach a 60-minute beginner Hatha Yoga class.

This sequence is suitable for 

students

 at a community center, rather than a health club. The assumption is that some folks never went to a yoga class before and, for a variety of reasons, may have limited range of motion and/or might not exercise regularly. The goal is to relax and gently stretch the students, without breaking too much of a sweat, and set them up for success so they want to come to class again. I opted out of the closing inversion.

All the poses for this 60-minute sequence for a beginner Hatha Yoga class come from the books Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and The Yoga Bible by Christina Brown.

The descriptions following the poses in this list are critical to performing the postures properly and not a detailed description of how to perform them. I recommend acquiring the above books, which are excellent texts, or searching Yoga Journal for that information.

1. Guided Meditation: Click here

2. Neck Stretching / Greeva Sanchalana – 3 to 5 times

a. If students can’t sit in a cross-legged position

— Knees up and ankles crossed, elbow crease around the knee with interlocked fingers

b. Forward and back

c. Side to side, relaxing the ear to the shoulder

d. Neck circles, left and right

3. Shoulder Socket Rotation / Skandha Chakra – 3 to 5 times, FB

a. Elbows touch in front

b. To reduce the crunchies, engage the scapulae

4. Cat – Cow / Marjari-Asana – 3 to 5 times in Table Top position 

a. Hands beneath shoulders and knees beneath hips

b. Roll inner arms outward

c. Start in a neutral position looking at the floor

d. Cat: drishti point is up

e. Cow: chin towards chest

f. Hold pose and breath for 3 seconds

5. Sit back into Child’s Pose / Balasana – 4 to 6 breaths

a. Roll up to sitting and bring chin up last to avoid dizziness

6. Step to the top of the mat for 3 rounds of Surya Namaskar

a. The easiest version

7. Shavasana – 1 to 2 minutes

8. Step to the top of the mat for Standing Forward Bend – Padahastasana

a. Roll up to standing with knees slightly bent and bring chin up last to avoid dizziness

9. Side Stretch LR

10. Step right foot back for Triangle Pose / Trikonasana LR

a. Drishti point is the raised hand or the floor

b. Easier: Bend front leg, optionally place arm on thigh

11. Reverse Triangle Prep LR

12. Palm Tree Pose / Tadasana – 3 times

a. When heels are on the floor place hands on head

b. When heels are off the floor raise hands into the air

c. Drishti point – look forward or up

13. Tree Pose / Vrikshasana LR – 4 to 6 breaths

a. Hands in Pranamasana or above the head

14. Sit in a comfortable cross-leg position for Psychic Union Pose / Yoga Mudrasana LR – 4 breaths

15. Butterfly Pose / Badhakonasana – 4 to 6 breaths

a. First, flap your butterfly wings

b. Then, relax and bring your forehead to the floor

16. One-Legged Forward Bend / Janu Sirshasana LR – 4 to 6 breaths

17. Seated Forward Bend / Paschimottanasana – 4 to 6 breaths

a. Relax the back

18. Tabletop Pose LR

a. Lift opposite arm and leg

19. Easy Cobra Pose / Saral Bhujangasana – 2 times

a. Forehead on the floor

b. Hands next to head, fingertips in line with crown

c. Legs together and relaxed

20. Half-Locust / Ardha Shalabasana – 3 times, 3 seconds, LR 

21. Push back into Child’s Pose / Balasana

22. Seated Spinal Twist / Ardha Metsyendrasana LR

a. Easier Alternative

— Revolved Easy Pose / Parivrtta Sukhasana, cross-legs

— Part 1 of Spinal Twist Prostration Pose / Bhu Namanasana

23. Single Leg Lifts / Padotthanasana – 5 LR 

a. Inhale – raise / Exhale – lower

b. Retain breath and hold for 3 to 5 seconds

24. Knee-to-Chest Pose / Supta Pawanmuktasana – 3 times, LR 

a. Exhale, raise nose to knee

25. Sleeping Abdominal Stretch Pose / Supta Udarakarshanasana – 3 times, LR

a. Hold 3 seconds

27. Modified back bend

28. Shavasana

List of Poses for One Hour of Hatha Yoga

When you practice Hatha yoga you have choices. The sheer number of poses and their variations and modifications gives you the freedom to enjoy any practice that speaks to you on any given day. If one day you feel like doing back bends exclusively, and balancing poses the next, you can make that decision based on how you feel or what you want to achieve. That being said, a well-rounded one-hour Hatha yoga practice consists of certain types of poses that work in concert to improve your well-being. Your choice.

The Clock Is Ticking

One hour can whiz by very quickly when you’re occupied doing something worthwhile. Make the most of your 60 minutes by anticipating in advance what you’d like to experience on your yoga mat. If you enjoy the idea of practicing a variety of poses but also notice that some areas need more work than others, then apportion your time accordingly. Save 20 to 30 minutes for poses that address issues such as aching shoulders, a weak core or tight hamstrings. You can be as creative or traditional, as playful or precise as you like. If you need inspiration, check out YogaJournal.com under “Poses,” where you can even use a tool to build a Hatha sequence.

Stand Tall

Standing Hatha yoga poses were designed to strengthen your muscles and improve your focus and balance. Whether you choose to ground yourself in Mountain pose, balance on one foot in Tree or display some attitude in the Warrior series, standing poses are where you should start your Hatha practice. It’s during the practice of standing poses where you’ll learn to make the adjustments that will bring your body into alignment and correct your posture. Among the very best and useful standing poses you might consider in addition to the ones already mentioned are: Chair, Triangle, Standing Forward Bend, Eagle, Downward Dog and Extended Side Angle.

Please Be Seated

No practice would be complete without seated poses that include twists, forward bends and poses that strengthen your abs. You can work your way up over time to the full expression of a seated pose that might be a bit beyond your current level of expertise or stretch-ability. Before Lotus pose, you can practice stretching your inner thighs and preparing your knees with poses like Cobbler, Easy, Fire Log and Cow Face poses. Likewise, before Full Boat pose, practice Half Boat until your abdominal muscles are strong enough to maintain the full version. Seek tranquility with Staff, Head-to-Knee and Seated Forward Bend; and unwind with twisting postures like Bharadvajasana I.

Back It Up

Back bends are useful poses in reducing tension and stress in your shoulders and back. They’re also what are called chest-openers. If you tend to sit or stand slumped forward, then make back bends a part of your regular Hatha practice. Perform Locust, Upward Dog, Bow, Cobra, Sphinx, Bridge and Camel. Pay particular attention to lengthening your spine by tilting your tailbone toward your pubic bones in order to avoid compression of your lower back.

Cautions

Unless you have been instructed in the correct execution of arm balances and inversions by a qualified Hatha yoga teacher, don’t try these poses on your own. You need sufficient wrist, arm, shoulder and core strengthto hoist yourself into these poses, and one wrong move could set you up for an injury.