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Whether you function a volunteer, teacher, parent, or yoga instructor, helping others might be energizing and exhausting . It’s necessary to practice techniques that assist you to refuel and handle yourself—in addition to those you serve. This balancing, restorative 20-minute yoga sequence encourages you to do exactly that. Seated meditative poses and easy standing poses support you as you drink in and recharge.
A 20-minute yoga sequence to assist you to recharge
Prep work
Come to a cushty seated position. close your eyes, and fold the edges of your tongue inward for Sitali Pranayama (Cooling Breath). Inhale through your curled tongue like a straw. Close your mouth and exhale through your nose, making a “ha” sound at the back of your throat. In case your tongue doesn’t curl, practice with a flat tongue. Repeat this cycle for several minutes.
Seated Cat-Cow Pose
1 minute, 8–10 breaths
Come to Sukhasana (Easy Pose), close your eyes, and ground through your sitting bones. Place your hands in your knees. Deeply inhale to lean forward, rolling your shoulders back and bringing your heart forward. Then exhale to softly press your chin into your throat and roll your spine into gentle flexion, engaging your abdominal muscles. Drink in through an open heart on the inhalation, and pour out by engaging muscular energy as you exhale.
Seated Half Moon Pose
1 minute, 8–10 breaths, either side
Open your eyes and place your right fingertips beside your right hip. Walk the fingers out, pressing the appropriate shoulder blade into your back by externally rotating the shoulder. Inhale to increase your left arm up and exhale to succeed in it to the appropriate, rotating your left shoulder back and expanding your left rib cage. Inhale, shift your gaze skyward; exhale, rotate your head and stare upon the bottom. Exhale to release and switch sides, including the cross of your legs.
Seated Spinal Twist
1 minute, 8–10 breaths, either side
With a protracted spine and grounded hips, bring your hands to Anjali Mudra at the middle of your chest. On an inhalation, extend each arms up. On an exhalation, place your left hand in your right knee and your right hand on the bottom behind you. Inhale to assume your breath traveling up your spine and lengthening through the crown of your head. Exhale to press your navel toward your spine, externally rotate your right shoulder, and lift through the center. Inhale back to center and switch sides.
Seated Forward Fold with Mudra
1 minute, 8–10 breaths
From Anjali Mudra, inhale to again extend each arms skyward, staying grounded through your hips. Exhale to succeed in each arms behind your lower back. Interlace your fingers. Gently press your shoulder blades into your back. Drinking within the breath, lift the chest upward. As you pour the breath out, bow forward and stretch your arms toward your head, releasing your brow to the bottom.
See also What’s the Right Chin Position in Forward Folds?
Cat-Cow Pose
2 minutes, 16–20 breaths
Come to all fours, placing your wrists beneath your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips. Curl your toes under and spread your fingers wide, along with your index and middle fingers pointing forward. Inhale deeply to lift your heart and hips and arch your back in Cow Pose. Exhale to around the spine, engaging your abdominal muscles and curling your chin to your throat in Cat Pose.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
1 minute, 8–10 breaths
From Table Top, curl your toes under and press through all 4 corners of each palms to lift your hips, coming into Down Dog. Press through your heels, internally rotate your thighs, and press your heart toward your legs. Practice expanding your chest with every inhalation, drinking in, and with every exhalation, pouring out because the body stretches.
See also 17 Cues for Downward-Facing Dog You’ve Probably Never Heard Before
Three-Legged Downward-Facing Dog Pose
30 seconds, 4–5 breaths, either side
From Down Dog, inhale to increase your right leg back, keeping the quadriceps engaged and pressing through the heel of your right foot. Ground through your left foot, pressing into the big-toe mound. Allow your shoulders and hips to stay level, without opening your body to the appropriate.
See also Three-Legged Downward Facing Dog: The Ultimate Hip Opener
Low Lunge
Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge)
1 minute, 8–10 breaths, either side
Step your right foot forward between your hands, stacking your right knee over your right ankle. Engage your inner thighs, curl the left toes under, press into the big-toe mound of your left foot, and lift onto your fingertips. As you inhale and drink in, roll your shoulders back and open your heart. As you exhale and pour out, give up deeply into the hip stretch. Release your leg back to Down Dog and repeat on the opposite side.
End here with Savasana. Before you return to your day—and even during your day—take time to pause, close your eyes, and are available back to this sense every time you wish.
About our contributor
Chelsea Jackson, PhD, has a 200-hour hatha yoga training from Kashi Atlanta Urban Yoga Ashram. Jackson can also be certified by Yoga Ed to show yoga to children, and earned her PhD from the Division of Educational Studies at Emory University in Atlanta. She founded chelsealovesyoga.com, a platform for discussion on yoga, race, and variety; is a member of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition; and created the Yoga, Literature & Art Camp for teen girls. Practice more sequences with Chelsea and learn more about her work.
This text has been updated. Originally published May 5, 2015.