Every yoga path has to start from a foundation. For a student who is new to yoga, the first step is not about advanced flows, but about understanding the yoga trainee foundational asanas that create strength, balance, and awareness. These postures are like the alphabet of yoga; without them, the language of practice is incomplete.
Did You Know? One large study found that yoga practitioners experience about 0.60 acute injuries per 1,000 hours of practice, with most injuries being mild sprains or strains. People doing yoga alone or without supervision tend to have a higher risk.
In this guide, we will go through the most important yoga postures you will encounter as a trainee, why they are important to your practice, and how they prepare you for your path to mastery inside your 200-hour yoga teacher training.
Alignment is more than just fixing your posture; it’s the skill of moving safely and quickly. A simple change in the hips, shoulders, or feet can make a pose’s effects totally different. Students learn how to move energy through their bodies while preserving their joints and muscles during yoga alignment training.
When your alignment is good, you can breathe better, move more easily, and avoid getting stuck on plateaus. It also helps you become a more confident instructor later since you can clearly show others what to do.
Things to remember:
Some poses are harder than others because they show that you can balance strength, accuracy, and awareness. During training, these key poses for yoga certification frequently become checkpoints. If you can do and teach them properly, it means you’re ready for increasingly difficult sequences.
These positions aren’t the hardest, but they do challenge your discipline and alertness. They show that you know both the physical and the teaching parts of yoga.
Things to pay attention to:
Every student must learn the must-know yoga postures that strengthen the body and improve focus. These positions are the building blocks of strength and endurance. They look easy, but if you practice them regularly, you’ll learn a lot more than you think.
Getting stronger early on gets your body ready for the responsibilities of teaching, sequencing, and demonstrating. Strength also makes you feel more sure of yourself, especially when you’re in charge of a group.
Important pointers:
To move from beginner to advanced yoga poses, you need to build on what you already know. First, you become used to fundamental standing and seated poses. After that, you slowly add harder varieties. This path is very important for teacher training because it teaches you how to push your limits while still respecting your body.
You can’t skip steps to get better at yoga. It arises from paying more attention to familiar postures each time you do them. Over weeks, things that were inconceivable became normal.
Things to keep in mind as you move forward:
The way a 200 hour yoga teacher training is set out is meant to help you become an expert from the bottom up. You learn a lot about foundational asanas since they are the basis of your teaching career. You may securely assist people when you can show, change, and explain these stances.
In addition to helping you improve your personal practice, focusing on basic asanas also helps you become a better observer. You learn how to help pupils who are having trouble by giving them good hints.
Things to think about when focusing:
There is a lot more to yoga trainee foundational asanas than just moving about. These poses teach you to be patient, pay attention, and how important it is to move with your breath. Every stance is like a meditation on its own, bringing the body and mind into balance.
We focus on these asanas early in training at Salty Prana because they help students become aware of what they need to do to become confident teachers. Your practice becomes more than just physical exercise when your mind and body work together.
Strong branches come from strong roots. Your foundation is what lets you move on to more difficult poses, teach lessons, and motivate your students. Advanced moves may look cool, but the only way to really master them is to go back to the basics and pay more attention to them each time.
At Salty Prana, we make sure that every student creates this strong foundation so that their practice will be safe, strong, and inspirational for years to come.
Why do yoga classes stress basic poses?
Because they make you stronger, more stable, and more alert, which ensures you can safely move on to more advanced exercise.
Is it possible for novices to handle a 200-hour yoga teacher training?
Yes, the program goes from basic to intermediate, so it’s good for beginners who are willing to work hard.
How can alignment assist save people from getting hurt?
Correct alignment preserves joints, keeps muscles working properly, and spreads weight evenly.
Which basic position do instructors need to know the most?
Mountain Pose is the basis for practically all other standing poses.

We're Celine & Benny
Hello! We're Celine and Ben the founders of Salty Prana Retreat Centre. Our paths crossed years ago on a yoga mat, just like the one you might be standing on today. Since then, we've traveled the world, learning, teaching, and soaking in every bit of wisdom this ancient practice has to offer.
With over a decade of experience between us, we've poured every ounce of our knowledge, heart, and soul into creating a unique teacher training that's more than just a course—it's an absolute transformation. For both those who want to teach Yoga and those who just want to learn more about themselves. We believe in yoga's power to change lives because it's changed ours. We're not just instructors; we're your supporters, and your biggest cheerleaders.
We've built this program to share with you not just the techniques and poses but the deeper essence of yoga—a path to inner peace, confidence, and a fulfilling life.
Meet the Hearts Behind the Training
Shared Wisdom from 10,000+ Hours in the Studio
Two Decades Guiding Yoga Journeys
Guided Over 200 Yoga Teachers to Success
Retreat Center and Yoga Studio Owners In Bali
Personal, Hands-On Teaching Approach
We believe the real journey starts when you step off the mat and into the world as a yoga teacher. That's why our support extends far beyond the last day of training.
We offer ongoing mentorship to help you navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with teaching yoga. Whether it's refining your teaching style, finding your unique voice, or building your yoga business, we're here for you. Our community is your community, a network of fellow graduates and yoga enthusiasts who support, share, and grow together.
Our amazing designer, Amy, is giving the Salty Prana community (you!) an exclusive $100 voucher to spend in the Yogi Web store - use it to purchase a website template or custom design, including the $99 mini website in the store!