A 20-minute yoga flow encourages you to reconnect with your body as you reintroduce it to yoga.
How to Safely Resume Yoga After a Break
Finding a new rhythm when you’ve taken time away can be challenging because maybe you’re not interested—or comfortable—practicing in the same way you were before. Maybe you feel less flexible or have less stamina than when you were bending, stretching, strengthening, balancing, and twisting more regularly. These challenges don’t mean you shouldn’t practice yoga anymore, but they do require a different approach than before.
20-Minute Reintroduction Sequence
The sequence is a combination of familiar poses and various options so you can adapt the practice to how you feel and what you need. Consider this your go-to sequence to rebuild your yoga practice.
Grounding and Spinal Mobility
Knee to Chest: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat. Draw your right knee toward your chest and wrap your arms around your shin or grasp behind your thigh.
Bridge Pose: From lying on your back with your feet flat on the mat, rest your arms at your sides. Inhale, press your hands and feet into the mat, and lift your hips in Bridge Pose.
Full-Body Stretch: Reach your hands overhead and straighten your legs on the mat. Reach your hands and feet away from you, stretching your entire body from head to toe.
Fetal Position: Roll onto one side with your knees bent and your head resting on your bottom arm.
Seated Side Stretch: Come to a comfortable seated position. Inhale as you reach your arms overhead, interlace your fingers, and flip your palms to face the ceiling. Exhale and lean toward the right.
Core Stability and Strength
Up Your Connect | 20-Minute Yoga Practice
Cat-Cow: Come to your hands and knees. As you inhale, lift your chest, let your belly lower toward the mat, and arch your back in Cow Pose. As you exhale, press your palms into the mat, round your back, and draw your chin toward your chest in Cat Pose.
Toe Squat Variation: From your hands and knees, tuck your toes and draw your hips toward your heels. Remain leaning forward (instead of sitting upright) in this Toe Squat variation.
Knees-Down Plank: Come to your hands and knees. Walk your knees a few inches behind your hips. Press your hands into the mat and rotate your elbows so they’re pointing toward the wall behind you in Knees-Down Plank.
Chaturanga Variation: From Knees-Down Plank, bend your elbows and slowly lower your chest to the mat in a knees-down Chaturanga variation.
Cobra Pose: Inhale as you press your hands into the mat, straighten your legs behind you, and lift your chest as much or as little as feels comfortable in Cobra.
Balance and Flexibility
Crocodile Pose: Stack one hand on top of the other, then rest your forehead on your top hand.
Hands and Knees or Downward-Facing Dog: Press your hands into the mat and draw your hips toward your heels. Come to your hands and knees or tuck your toes and lift your hips in Downward-Facing Dog.
Low Lunge: Draw your right knee toward your chest and step your foot in front of you. Lift your chest and place your hands on your right thigh in Low Lunge.
Child’s Pose: Come to your hands and knees. Separate your knees and lower your hips toward your heels. Walk your hands forward and lower your chest toward the space between your knees.
Standing Half Forward Bend: Come to your hands and knees or Downward Dog. Then walk to the top of the mat. Reach your chest forward, flatten your back as its parallel to the mat, and place your hands on your shins or your thighs in Standing Half Forward Bend.
Standing Forward Bend: Exhale as you lower your chest toward your thighs and and place your fingertips on the mat or blocks in Standing Forward Bend.
Upward Salute: From Standing Forward Bend, slowly roll up and reach your arms overhead. Lift your gaze toward the ceiling in Upward Salute.
Mountain Pose: From Upward Salute, lower your arms to your sides and press your feet into the mat. Reach the crown of your head toward the ceiling in Mountain Pose.
High Lunge: From Standing Forward Bend, step your left foot back and press the ball of your foot into the mat. Reach your arms overhead in High Lunge.
Cool Down and Recovery
Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose: Sit on the mat with your right leg bent (as in Bound Angle Pose) and your left leg straight out to the side. Slowly bend over your left leg, leaning your chest toward your toes and reaching your left hand for your shin or thigh.
Windshield Wipers: Sit with your knees bent and your feet on the mat hip-distance apart or wider Press your hands into the mat behind you. Lower both knees toward the right side, then the left in Windshield Wipers.
Wrist Circles: Find a comfortable seated position. Interlace your fingers and press your palms together. Slowly roll your wrists in circles in one direction, then switch directions.
