If you’ve found a little bit of time to yourself and feel like you need to recharge, a strengthening yoga sequence is just what you need to kickstart your routine and keep you energized throughout the day.
20-Minute Yoga Sequence
These yoga poses are simple to practice at home and will leave you feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.
Seated Cat-Cow
1 minute, 8–10 breaths
- Start by coming to an easy seated position with your legs and ankles crossed and gently close your eyes.
- Place your hands on your knees and inhale deeply to lean forward, rolling your shoulders back.
- Exhale to softly press your chin into your neck and keep your abdominal muscles engaged.
Seated Half Moon Pose
1 minute, 8–10 breaths on each side
- Gently open your eyes and bring your right fingertips beside your right hip. Bring your fingers out and press the right shoulder blade into your back.
- As you inhale, raise your left arm up and as you exhale, stretch to reach it out to your right as you rotate your left shoulder back. You should feel your rib cage expand.
- Inhale to shift your gaze toward the ceiling and exhale to bring your gaze to the floor.
- Exhale and release the position. Switch sides, including the crossing of your legs.
Seated Spinal Twist
1 minute, 8–10 breaths on each side
- Keep your spine long and your hips grounded, bring your palms to touch across your chest.
- As you inhale, raise your arms overhead and exhale to place your left hand on your right knee, with your right hand on the ground behind you.
- On the next inhalation, feel your breath traveling up the spine and toward your head.
- As you exhale, press your belly button toward your spine and externally rotate your right shoulder.
- Inhale to release back to the center and switch sides.
Seated Forward Fold With Mudra
1 minute, 8–10 breaths
- Inhale to bring your arms overhead and exhale to reach your arms behind your lower back and interlace your fingers. Softly press your shoulder blades into your back and lift your chest up.
- As you exhale, take a bow forward and stretch your arms up toward your head, reaching your forehead to the floor.
Cat-Cow Pose
2 minutes, 16–20 breaths
- Come on to your hands and knees and stack your shoulders on top of your wrists, placing your knees directly under your hips.
- Inhale to draw your belly in and lift your chest up.
- Exhale to round the back bring your chin to your neck while keeping the abs engaged.
Downward Facing Dog
1 minute, 8–10 breaths
- As you come into tabletop position, curl your toes and lift your hips toward the ceiling as you press through your hands and feet.
- As you inhale, expand your chest and as you exhale, feel the stretch in your legs and arms.
Three Legged Downward Facing Dog
30 seconds, 4–5 breaths, each side
- From downward facing dog, inhale to extend your right leg back and press through the right heel.
- Shifting your weight on your left foot, press through your toes and square your hips.
Low Lunge
2 minutes, 16–20 breaths on each side
- Gently step your right foot between your wrists, stacking your right knee over your ankle.
- Keeping the inner thighs engaged, press into the big toe of your left foot and lift onto your fingertips.
- Inhale to roll your shoulders back and exhale into a deeper lunge stretch.
Wild Thing
1 minute, 8–10 breaths
- Start in downward facing dog pose and roll over to stack your right hip over your left, opening up your hips.
- Bend your right knee and place your right foot behind you, turning your hips and your chest to face the ceiling.
- Press through your palm and extend your right arm overhead.
- Inhale to go back to three-legged down dog and release to down dog.
Warrior II
1 minute, 8–10 breaths on each side
- Pivot your back heel to plant your left foot at a 30-degree angle and bend your right knee softly.
- Inhale to lift your torso and extend your arms to make them horizontal or parallel to the ground.
- Feel the stretch through your shoulders and your fingertips and shift your gaze to your left middle finger.
- Inhale to expand your rib cage and exhale to move deeper into the stretch as you bring your right thigh parallel to your mat.
Warrior II, Variation
1 minute, 8–10 breaths on each side
- Exhale and extend your arms behind your back to interlace your fingers.
- Rotate your shoulders as you inhale and exhale to fold forward. Only stretch as far as you can go to avoid straining your hamstrings.
- Inhale to release and return to warrior II pose.
Child’s Pose
2 minutes, 16–20 breaths
- As you exhale to tabletop position, bring your knees as wide as the mat, toes to touch.
- Bend from your hips and extend your arms toward the edge of the mat. Spread your fingers wide and ground your hips deeper into the mat.
- Inhale and expand your rib cage as you exhale to ground through the hips.
- To release, come back to a seated position.
Bridge Pose
1 minute, 8–10 breaths
- Turn to lie on your mat and bend your knees to plant your feet on the mat.
- As you inhale, light your hips high and bring them in line with your knees.
- Exhale to release and gently lower down.
Corpse Pose
5 minutes
- Extend both your arms and legs and become as comfortable as you can on your mat.
- Inhale and exhale deeply, focusing on your breath. You have the option to gently close your eyes as you feel yourself relax.
Workout adapted from yogajournal.com.
