“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote”} }”>
Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth yoga, fitness, & nutrition courses, if you
>”,”name”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”link”}}”>join for Outside+.
Are you having one among those days where you’re so preoccupied that you just never find time to make it onto your mat? Actually, that’s probably what you experience loads of days. But you don’t must wait until you might have time for an hour-long class to experience the advantages of yoga. Even a 15-minute yoga practice, when practiced unhurriedly, can enable you turn out to be stronger, more flexible, less anxious, and closer to the person you recognize yourself to be.
This 15-minute yoga practice includes somewhat of every little thing—shoulder openers, hip openers, twists, core work, and subtle backbends. It’ll enable you stretch, construct strength, and chill out so you’ll be able to rest. All you would like is a yoga mat and enough space to unroll your mat.
See also: The Absolute Best Poses to Practice After Sitting All Day
A 15-minute yoga practice for strength, flexibility, and calm
There’s no must rush. You gave yourself these quarter-hour, so take it slowly as you progress from pose to pose.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Tabletop
Start in your hands and knees along with your knees directly under your hips and your wrists directly under your shoulders. Spread your fingers wide and press down firmly through your entire hands. Hug your fingertips into the mat and begin to maneuver your spine. You possibly can do Cat and Cow by taking your belly toward the ground on an inhale and rounding your chin to your chest on an exhale, or you’ll be able to simply take a couple of rounds of breath as you progress in any way that feels good to you. Sometimes I wish to make a circle with my spine, or shift my hips side to side, or draw my hips to my heels on the exhale. Anything goes here as you start the practice so long as it feels good in your body. Take this time as a possibility to examine in, notice how you are feeling, and hook up with the rhythm and sensation of your breath. Stay here for at the least 4 to five rounds of breath.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
From Tabletop, tuck your toes under and press your hips up and back to Downward-Facing Dog. Make certain your hands are still firmly grounded. Attempt to push your hips up and back to elongate your spine. In case your hamstrings feel tight, keep somewhat bend in your knees. Peddle your legs, shift your hips side to side, and take 3 to five breaths here.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Plank Pose
From Down Dog, shift your shoulders forward over your wrists to Plank (the upper position of a push-up) and stay here for five breaths. Plank builds strength within the core of your body and in addition in your legs and arms. Make certain your hips are almost as high as your shoulders. Don’t let your hips sink toward the ground.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Sphinx Pose
From Plank, slowly lower yourself to your belly. The slower you go, the harder it should be. Notice your breath and your body. Stay present and mindful. Don’t let yourself go on auto pilot. You possibly can bring your knees to the mat first if that feels higher for you.
Prop yourself up in your elbows in Sphinx Pose. Press your hands, elbows, fronts of your hips, and the tops of your feet firmly into the mat. Feel the back of your body engage as you lift your chest. Take 3 breaths here.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Lunge Twist
From Sphinx, lower your chest and brow to the mat, slide your hands alongside your chest, and tuck your toes. Push yourself straight as much as Plank after which back to Downward-Facing Dog. Step your feet together and lift your right leg straight behind you in Three-Legged Dog. Frivolously step your right foot forward and place it alongside your right hand and keep your back knee lifted. Move into a mild twist by leaning onto your left hand and reaching your right hand as much as the ceiling. Keep your right knee stacked over your right ankle. Push down firmly through your right foot and your left hand. Press your left heel toward the wall behind you. Take 5 breaths here.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge)
From Lunge Twist, bring your right hand to the mat and lower your left knee. Bring your hands to your right knee and lift your chest in a low lunge. Bend your right knee somewhat more to let your hips sink toward the mat to stretch the front of your left thigh. If it’s comfortable, reach each arms toward the ceiling. Keep respiratory out and in through your nose and hold this pose for five breaths. Take your time. You’ve all the 15-minute practice.
Place your hands alongside your right foot. Step back to Down Dog and repeat on the second side. Come back to Down Dog.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend)
From Down Dog, take your feet almost as wide because the mat. Walk your hands back to your feet and fold forward over your legs in Standing Forward Bend. Hang here and, should you like, grab opposite elbows and sway side to side. It’s positive to bend your knees in case your hamstrings feel tight.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Take a shoulder stretch by interlacing your fingers behind your back. Should you can’t clasp your hands easily, hold a strap or towel between your hands. Reach your arms overhead, keeping your fingers interlaced. Take a couple of breaths here after which release your hands back to the mat.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
Out of your standing forward fold, walk your hands out to Down Dog and convey your feet hip-distance apart. Shift into Plank Pose. Hold it for a few breaths after which slowly lower right down to your belly. Place your hands alongside your chest and keeping your hips on the ground as you push your hands down and lift your chest barely to return into Cobra Pose. Breathe into the stretch.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Downward-Facing Dog
From Cobra, lower your chest and brow to the mat, tuck your toes, and push yourself up and back to Down Dog. From Down Dog, step your feet together and lift your right leg into Three-Legged Dog. This time, open your right hip, bend your knee, and stack your hips. Breathe into the stretch. Extend your leg straight behind again in Three-Legged Dog.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Virabhadrasana 2 (Warrior 2)
From Three-Legged Dog, look forward and step your right foot alongside your right hand. Adjust your feet in order that your heels are aligned heel to heel, right foot facing directly forward, left foot turned barely in. Bend your right knee and keep your left leg straight as you rise into Warrior 2. Stretch your arms out at shoulder height and look over your right fingertips. Take a few breaths here.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Utthita Parvsakonasana (Prolonged Side Angle) Variation
From Warrior 2, lean forward and reach your right hand down and place it on the ground inside your right foot and stretch your left hand straight up toward the ceiling in a variation of Prolonged Side Angle Pose and also you’re welcome to return onto your right fingertips or place your right hand on a block. Try to maintain your right knee stacked above your heel and open your chest to the left. Breath deeply and lean back barely to create more openness. Take 5 breaths here.
Bring your left hand right down to the ground and shift right into a Low Lunge. Place your hands on each side of your front foot and step back to Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat Warrior 2 and Side Angle in your left side.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Malasana (Garland or Squat Pose) Variation
From Down Dog, separate your feet as wide as your mat again and walk your hands to your feet. Turn your toes barely out and bend your knees deeply to return into Squat. Crawl your fingers forward and shift your weight onto your toes and rock somewhat side to side. This is useful to get an enormous stretch throughout your back body.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Standing Twist
From a Squat, begin to walk your hands back toward your feet and lift your hips to a standing forward bend. Keep your feet as wide because the mat and switch your toes to point forward. Bend your left knee, place your left fingertips somewhat in front of your left toes and beneath your shoulder, and reach your right hand toward the ceiling. Open your chest to the correct side and look as much as your right hand. Stay for about 5 breaths. Switch to the second side by releasing your right hand right down to the mat, bend your right knee, push down through your right foot and right fingertips as you switch your chest open to the left and reach your left hand as much as the ceiling. Stay here and breathe before you release your left hand to the mat.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Vasistasana (Side Plank Pose)
Out of your standing forward bend, walk your hands forward to Downward-Facing Dog. Reset your feet to bring them hip-distance apart. Shift forward to Plank Pose. Roll onto the periphery of your right foot and lean all of your weight onto your right hand. See should you can stack your left foot on top of your right. If that feels too difficult, stagger your feet so that they’re each on the mat or bend your left knee and step your left foot in front of your hips. Reach your left hand straight as much as the ceiling in Side Plank and take a look at to lift your hips so that you just’re not sagging or collapsing at your center. Squeeze your fingertips into the mat and picture that you just’re turning your hand to the correct, such as you’re attempting to open a jar of peanut butter. That motion will help to attract your shoulder blade onto your back and keep the energy from collapsing your right shoulder forward. Take a few breaths here.
Mindfully and with control, bring yourself back to Plank and switch to Side Plank in your left side. Slowly come back to Plank
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)
From Plank, slowly lower onto your belly. Bend each your knees so the bottoms of your feet face the ceiling. Reach your hands back and grab your ankles for Bow Pose. Begin to kick your feet back into your hands to lift your chest. Imagine Cobra within the front of your body but in addition lift your knees away from the ground. Keep pressing your feet back to lift and open your front body. Take a few breaths here after which slowly lower back right down to your belly.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Cobra Pose
Place your hands alongside your chest for yet one more Cobra Pose. Inhale and lift your chest, keeping your hips and tops of your feet pressing down firmly into the ground. Roll your shoulders back and lift the crown of your head toward the ceiling. Draw your outer elbows back and in. Gently lower your chest and brow down.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Balasana (Child’s Pose)
From lying on the mat, make your method to your hands and knees, separate your knees somewhat bit wider then your hips, and convey your big toes to the touch or close together. Draw your hips toward your heels as you come into Child’s Pose. Rest your brow and elbows rest on the mat. Stay here for five breaths.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
From Prolonged Child’s Pose, imagine that your hands are at 12 o’clock. Take a side stretch by walking your hands over towards 2 o’clock. Take a deep breath into the left side of your body. If you wish to make the pose feel deeper, stack your left hand on top of your right hand. After a couple of breaths here, walk your hands over to 10 o’clock and find an enormous stretch across the correct side of your body. Should you want, stack your right hand on top of your left hand. Take a couple of breaths here after which walk your hands back to Child’s Pose.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Pigeon Pose)
From Child’s Pose, bring yourself to Tabletop and arrange for Pigeon Pose. Have your hands outer shoulder distance apart. Move your right knee forward near your right wrist. Shift your right foot in front of your left knee and slide your left knee backward until your hips are closer to the ground. Begin to walk your hands forward, stack your hands, and rest your brow on the back of your hands. Breath deeply into your right hip and rest here for five breaths. (If that is uncomfortable in your right knee, please come onto your back for a supine variation by crossing your right ankle onto your left knee and hugging your knees towards your chest.)
If you’re ready to return out, walk your hands back beneath your shoulders, place your palms flat, and lift yourself back to Tabletop. Repeat in your left side.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Baddha Konasana (Sure Angle Pose) Variation
From Pigeon in your left side, come to a seated position. Make the form of a diamond along with your legs. Press your feet together but move them out in front of you adequate you can round forward and aim your head towards your feet in a modified Sure Angle. Don’t worry in case your head and feet are far apart, just round your spine and breath into your back body, feeling the stretch out of your tailbone all of the method to the highest of your neck. Be happy to twist your chin deeper into your chest as you bow inward here. Slow your breath and know that your practice is nearing its end. Take a couple of breaths here.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Janu Sirsasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)
Out of your seated forward bend, slowly rise until your spine is vertical. Draw your legs together and extend your left leg straight out in front of you and bend your right knee, opening your right knee to the correct side for seated Tree Pose. Place your right foot to the inner left thigh and switch your torso to face towards your left leg. Take a deep inhale and gently walk your hands towards your left foot in Head-to-Knee Pose. Bend your left knee should you can’t easily reach your left foot along with your hands. Don’t overstretch your low back or hamstrings. Bow your head and take a look at to maintain your right sit bone reaching toward the bottom beneath you for a deeper stretch. After 5 breaths here, slowly rise and switch to your left side. Stay here for five breaths.
(Photo: Claire Marky)
Ananda Balasana (Glad Baby Pose)
Out of your seated forward bend, slowly sit up, then come onto your back. Bring your knees into your chest for Glad Baby Pose. Take your knees wide and reach your hands to the outer edges of your feet. Should you can’t reach your feet, take your hands to your calves or behind your knees. Rock somewhat side to side, finding a pleasant massage in your lumbar (lower) spine.
(Photo: Claire Mark)
Savasana
From Glad Baby, hug each knees into your chest after which gently release your legs all the best way right down to the ground for Savasana, your final resting pose. Be still for at the least a minute or two. Concentrate on the natural rise and fall of your inhale and exhale and see should you could make your exhalations barely longer then your inhalations. Loosen up the muscles of your face, softening around your eyes and jaw.
If you’re able to rise, accomplish that with a deeper awareness and mindfulness than you often do. Crawl and along with your breath, at the same time as you roll up your mat. Take a moment of gratitude here for yourself and for making it onto your mat today, even for a 15-minute yoga practice. It could feel like a significant accomplishment on busy days to carve out room for yourself. It’s so necessary to try this. So cherish that and honor yourself and the undeniable fact that you made time in your practice today. You’ll rest well tonight.
About our contributor
Claire Mark is the director of teacher training at Yogaview in Chicago and the co-founder of Chill Chicago, a contemporary meditation studio. Claire has been teaching yoga and meditation since 1999, and he or she’s trained with a few of the most well-known teachers within the US. Claire’s classes are vigorous and difficult, yet taught with kindness and acceptance. Claire can also be an authorized life coach, cookbook creator, and mom. Learn more at chillchicago.com, yogaview.com, and clairemarkyoga.com.