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Get your feel-good hormones flowing with this yoga instructor’s 15-minute flow
We all feel lethargic from time to time, and it can sometimes feel hard to shake off. But taking a short break to breathe, move gently and shift your focus can make a difference.
Yoga is a fantastic tool as it taps into all three at once.
“Yoga will boost your mood with the release of endorphins and increase your body awareness,” says Janet McClure, a certified Pilates and yoga instructor with TeachMe.To.
McClure also says that yoga postures can be energizing as they stimulate blood flow, while breathwork boosts oxygen intake.
Here’s an accessible flow from McClure to try when you’re feeling sluggish.
1. Seated pose
(Image credit: Courtesy Janet McClure at TeachMe.To)
Breath cycles: 5-6
- Sit in a comfortable meditative position, either with legs crossed or on your knees. Have a cushion under your hips for comfort.
- Lengthen your spine and bring the shoulders down away from the ears
- Inhale for four seconds, hold for four, and then exhale for six.
- Repeat this five or six times, softening the shoulders and jaw.
2. Child’s pose
(Image credit: Courtesy Janet McClure at TeachMe.To)
Time: 1min
- Come onto your hands and knees, with your knees hip-width apart and your toes untucked.
- Slide your buttocks back toward your heels, resting your torso between your legs.
- Stretch your arms out in front of you if you wish, resting your forehead on the floor and breathe deeply.
3. Spinal twist
(Image credit: Courtesy Janet McClure at TeachMe.To)
Time: 1min
- Come onto your hands and knees.
- Inhale as you twist your torso to your right and lift your right arm straight up.
- Pause for a moment, then exhale as you lower your right arm, twist your torso to the left and thread your right hand between your left hand and knee, bringing your right ear close to the floor.
- Return to your hands and knees, then repeat on the other side.
4. Yogi squat
(Image credit: Courtesy Janet McClure at TeachMe.To)
Time: 1-2min
- From your hands and knees, step one leg foot back then the other, and on an exhale, slowly lift your hips back into downward dog.
- Walk your hands to your feet and slowly stand up into mountain pose—standing straight with your feet together.
- Inhale as bring your palms together in front of your chest.
- As you exhale, sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower as far as you can, holding here for a minute or two. If this is uncomfortable or unavailable to you, you can use yoga blocks under your sit bones or a folded blanket under your heels to find the position for you.
5. Happy baby
(Image credit: Courtesy Janet McClure at TeachMe.To)
Time: 1min
- Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Raise your feet and rest your knees in the crooks of your elbows, holding onto your big toes or the sides of your feet.
- Rock back and forth, feeling the stretch in the hips and inner thighs, and stretching each leg alternately.
6. Feet up the wall
(Image credit: Courtesy Janet McClure at TeachMe.To)
Time: 1-2min
- Find space along a wall to lie on your back with your buttocks close to the wall.
- Lift one leg at a time to rest them vertically up the wall, shifting your buttocks so they’re in contact with the wall, with your arms by your sides.
- Hold this position, feeling the sensations in your body and following your breath.
7. Relaxation pose
(Image credit: Courtesy Janet McClure at TeachMe.To)
- Lie on your back with your legs apart and arms by your sides, palms facing up.
- Tuck your chin toward your chest and gently close your eyes if you wish.
- Watch each inhalation and exhalation moving through your body.
- Take as little or as much time here as you need.
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