A yoga routine starts with a warm-up and includes poses like Downward Facing Dog and Child’s Pose. It may also include seated stretches that stretch the hips and hamstrings.
This routine is suitable for beginners and those looking to improve their flexibility. It can be performed in a regular yoga class or at home.
Warm-Up
A yoga class begins with warm-up poses. These feel-good moves stretch your hips and wake up your shoulders, preparing you for the workout ahead. They also help your body release tension and improve your focus and concentration.
A well-designed yoga warm-up sequence is essential because it helps your muscles prepare for activity and prevents injuries. It is also a great opportunity to practice mindfulness and connect mind, body and breath.
Begin with a simple breathing exercise. Inhale and raise your arms above your head, then lower them to the side of your body on the exhalation. Repeat for 15 breaths.
Sun Salutations
Whether as part of a yoga sequence or a stand-alone practice, sun salutations (Surya Namaskar) help to wake up the body. Often paired with deep breathing, the graceful poses provide an intense workout for both the heart and the major muscle groups.
They also enliven the internal organs and encourage deeper breaths, supporting healthy circulation. At the same time, they’re designed to align the inner clock with the sun so that you feel awake and energized during the day and calm and sleepy at night.
Adding a few rounds of sun salutations each morning can help you feel energized throughout your day. The key is consistency, of course, and a dedication to getting it right.
Side Angle Pose
Extended side angle pose, Sanskrit name Utthita Parsvakonasana, is an excellent posture for beginners to practice because it energizes and strengthens the entire body. It trains the muscles that support breathing by opening and expanding the sides of the rib cage, as well as strengthening the legs and the core.
This standing pose also opens the groins, shoulders and chest. Advanced practitioners can vary the pose by extending their top arm either to the front of the mat or alongside their ear. This posture challenges balance, which strengthens the balancing muscles and increases concentration.
Forward Fold
A forward fold is a calming pose that calms the mind and prepares for deep breathing, inward focus and savasana. It also strengthens the spine and increases core stability.
Beginners may need to start with a wide straddle stance to avoid rounding the back or compressing the lower lumbar vertebrae in this pose. In addition, tight hamstrings can be an obstacle for deeper folds, so a microbend of the knee joints can help make the pose more accessible.
It is important to keep the back straight and to move into forward bending postures slowly to prevent injuries in the rib cage, shoulder blades and neck.
Downward Facing Dog
Downward facing dog is a simple posture that can offer students relief from more challenging poses. It relieves back stiffness, opens the chest and creates strength in the shoulders and arms. It also slows the heart rate.
It is contraindicated for those with carpal tunnel syndrome, late-term pregnancy and unmedicated high blood pressure. However, it stimulates the brain and nervous system, improving memory, concentration, eyesight and hearing. It also strengthens the legs and feet. Pedal the balls of the feet to find more length in the spine. Aim for the heels to reach toward the floor and balance weight evenly on the inner and outer legs.
Child’s Pose
A restorative forward bending pose that stretches the thighs and ankles, Child’s Pose (Balasana) reduces back and neck tension, calms the nervous system and improves posture. To modify the stretch, use a bolster or yoga block under the hips and head or spread the knees wider to remove pressure from the abdomen.
Child’s Pose can also help if you’re menstruating as it compresses the belly and forces you to breathe around your ribs, which can relieve some of that bloated feeling. This type of slow, controlled breathing encourages mindfulness and relaxation.
Tabletop
Tabletop pose is a basic beginner restorative posture that is often overlooked, but has a lot to offer. It helps to strengthen the wrist, arm and shoulder muscles while preparing us for more advanced poses like crow pose and plank pose.
Try a variation on Tabletop Pose with the addition of two blocks under your shoulders. Place one block at the highest height to help lift your chest and another at medium height to help keep your back centered.
From this position, you can add a C-curve to your tabletop pose by moving your right leg in front of your left, and extending both arms to the sky. This fun movement stimulates the brain and promotes balance.