*Always follow the health guidelines provided by your doctor before starting any exercise routine.
The following poses will work your entire body and are something you can do at home to increase your strength & flexibility. As you practice these on a regular basis & become familiar with how they feel in your body, you can add on breath work of inhales & exhales & the Mindful Focus suggestions mentioned below. Try to hold these poses for a few breathes, working your way up to longer holds of 30-45 seconds. Appreciate moving slow & holding poses and watch as your mind calms & your body gets stronger with daily repetition of poses. If you prefer a video to follow along with, scroll all the way to the bottom this article for a guided class that will take you through each of the 15 poses.
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Mountain Pose
Stand up tall with feet shoulder width apart. All toes point forward. Ground down into your feet and work on distributing the weight in the bottom of your feet so that it feels equal. Engage your thigh muscles to gently lift your knee caps. Firm abdominal muscles lightly so that you can still breath freely and lengthen your spine as you stand up taller. Ease your shoulders away from your ears and extend arms down by sides turning your palms towards the front and spreading fingers apart. Stay balanced here for several breathes. Mindful Focus: Find empowerment in this pose while trying to let your ego soften.
Child’s Pose
Start in table top, knees together or wider apart. Sit back towards your heels and lower forehead to floor. Keep arms stretching out in front of you. Child’s Pose is a great shoulder & back stretch. If your knees need extra cushion, add a blanket or pillow under them. Mindful Focus: Feel the earth beneath you to help you be grounded and at ease.
Cat/Cow
Cat/Cow is a great spinal mobility exercise. Starting on your hands & knees inhale and drop belly towards the earth and gaze up towards the sky. Exhale and round back towards the sky drawing navel to spine and tucking chin to chest. Repeat 5 times. Mindful Focus: Focus on your breathe here. Inhaling, dropping belly to cow pose & exhaling rounding spine to cat pose.
Down Dog
Start on your hands and knees or plank pose. Lift hips up towards sky so your body forms an upside-down “V”. This pose places your head below your heart and increases blood flow to your brain. You can peddle out or stretch heels towards the floor. This pose will help open up your shoulders & upper back as well as stretch out your hamstrings, calves, and ankles. If your hands or wrists bother you in this pose you can lower to your elbows and forearms. Mindful Focus: Release tension from your neck by slowly shaking head yes & no. Watch your neck & shoulder muscles soften as you do this.
High Crescent Lunge
Lunges can build strength & flexibility at the same time. Start from standing. Step one foot behind you and remain on the ball of that foot. Chest and shoulders remain facing forward toward front leg. Bend your front knee up to 90 degrees while keeping knee stacked over or behind ankle. Lift knee of back leg towards sky to straighten leg and keep shoulders up over hips. Keep hands at hips or extend them overhead gazing up between your hands. This pose can be performed while on your knees for beginners. Do this pose on the opposite leg as well. Mindful Focus: In your lunge, look to balance weight evenly between your front foot & back foot. If you extend your arms try to keep elbows straight and palms facing each other. Soften jaw & shoulders.
Warrior 1
From High Crescent Lunge, drop the heel of your back foot down to the mat so your foot is at about a 45 degree angle. Strive to keeps hips pointing forward and same direction as shoulders. Reach hands overhead with palms facing each other. You may need to step the back foot forward a bit to adjust for your body’s flexibility. Mindful Focus: As you move through the Warrior Poses cultivate a sense of strength & the ability to overcome obstacles.
Warrior 2
From Warrior 1, turn shoulders and hips sideways, away from the front knee. Extend arms sideways away from your body and adjust gaze over your front knee and fingertips. Again, the front knee stays bent up to 90 degrees while keeping the knee stacked over or behind the ankle. You can always keep hands on hips to help you balance here or if extending your arms causes shoulder discomfort. Repeat pose on opposite side. Mindful Focus: In addition to finding a sense of strength in Warrior 2, look to build focus by affixing your gaze on the tip of your middle finger of your outstretched hand while you blur all other things out of your mind.
Side Angle Pose
From Warrior 2, lean forward reaching our front hand over your front foot. Place forearm gently on thigh and extend back arm up overhead, shifting your gaze to follow the back hand towards the sky. You may also extend your back hand from over head towards the front so that you feel a deeper stretch on your side. Lighten the weight you place in your forearm as you get stronger. You your strength builds you can also extend the arm that is on your thigh down towards the floor using your core strength to hold you up. Repeat on both sides. Mindful Focus: Stay grounded in your back foot & let it continue to support you.
Warrior 3
Begin standing with feet together. Put all of your weight into your right foot. Keep entire upper body in a straight line with left foot while you lift left foot behind you. Pause & breathe when your body wants to hinge at hips or spine rounds. As you build strength & balance, you may be able to work your body & left leg parallel with the floor. Repeat on opposite side. Use a chair or wall if you need assistance with balancing. Mindful Focus: Add on to the power & focus you found in Warrior 1 & Warrior 2. Think about creating length from the tip of your head, through your spine, hips, legs & out the bottom of your foot.
Tree Pose
Tree pose helps you find balance while stretching inner thigh and leg. Start standing with both feet together. Find a spot on the floor or wall in front of you to focus on, something that is not moving. Come to the ball of your left foot and place that heel to your inner right ankle. Your left knee should be pointing to the side rather than forward. Find balance here. As you’re able, slide left foot to inner calf of your right leg or maybe even up to your inner right thigh. Avoid your knee joint so you don’t apply unnecessary pressure to the knee. Hands can be on hips, or extended up towards the sky. As you find more balance, you may also find you are able to adjust your gaze upwards. Repeat on other side. Use a chair or wall to assist you with balance if needed. Mindful Focus: Imagine your foot growing roots into the Earth, then find length & lightness through your leg, spine and body. Be grounded by your roots & carefree through the rest of body as it feels a sense of lightness.
Seated Forward Fold
This pose can help you increase flexibility in your hamstrings & lower back. Start seated on the floor with legs straight out in front of you and hands on thighs. Slowly fold forward sliding hands towards your feet and drawing forehead towards your knees. Rest in this fold and take some breaths here. You can also do this pose standing but if you get light headed when you fold forward, seated fold is best for you. Another options is trying this pose seated in a chair with your feet on the floor. Mindful Focus: Think about something that has been bothering you lately and imagine yourself no longer bothered or stressed about it. Consider letting go & finding release.
½ Lord of the Fishes
1/2 Lord of the Fishes pose will help you sit & stand up taller. Start from sitting on the floor with legs out in front of you. Bend left knee and slide foot under right thigh. Then bend right knee and cross right foot to the outside of your left thigh. Sit up as tall as you can and hug right knee into your chest with left arm. Twist towards your right side looking behind you. Continue to sit up taller and hug right knee closer. Hold while you breathe. Repeat on opposite side. Mindful Focus: Imagine your torso as a washcloth that you’re wringing out. As you inhale, imagine the space between each vertebra expanding. Have a sense of pride that you are taking time to stretch and move your body.
Figure Four Stretch
This is a great glute stretch. Start by laying on your back with your knees bent. Keep your back straight while lifting your left leg and placing your ankle across your right knee. If able, reach hands around right thigh and interlace fingers. Pull right thigh closer to chest & hold while you breathe. Add a gentle rock right to left to change how this stretch feels. Repeat with other leg. Mindful Focus: Try to rest jaw and shoulders while you do this stretch. Keep your chest muscles soft & use exhales to find ease.
Bridge Pose
Bridge Pose is great way to engage your glute muscles while opening your chest & shoulders. Start on your back with hands down by your sides and knees bent with feet on ground. Bridge is a back bend so consider this as your left your hips, lower back then mid-back off of the floor. Press firmly and evenly into your feet. Arms can stay at your sides with fingers reaching towards heels or you may interlace your fingers underneath you and press your pinky fingers into the floor. You may be able to rock your shoulders underneath you to open up your chest. Hold pose while you breathe. If you have a hard time keeping hips up off of floor, place a large book or pillow under your tailbone. Rest on block/pillow. Mindful Focus: Think about opening your heart to new ideas and new possibilities while you breathe.
Savasana
Often Savasana is the hardest pose of our practice as with today’s lifestyles, it is looked down upon to be inactive or still. This final resting pose is done laying on your back with feet & arms spread comfortably apart. Allow yourself time to relax areas of your body such as your face, jaw & shoulders. Lay in stillness & try to slow your thoughts or simply focus on your breathing. Use exhales to feel connected to the Earth & inhales to feel lighter & carefree.
Try to find time to practice each pose daily. Your body will feel so different 4 weeks from now. If you are short on time, start with any of the above poses. You can do half in the morning & half in the afternoon to mix things up or if you are short on time, pick a few poses to start with each day and try new ones the following day. If you would like a more guided practice that takes you through each of the 15 poses, follow along with the video below.
FREE 15 Daily Poses Printable HERE