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I love practicing yoga because it helps me build physical and mental stamina, leaving me calmer yet more energized to tackle the day. If I practice in the evening, I feel more able to wind down and sleep better.
This 20-minute routine is the perfect morning flow to set up your day, increase flexibility and mobility and leave you feeling longer and stronger. “Welcome to this morning yoga flow,” says your teacher, Charlie. “A full-body yoga practice for all levels to start your day.”
During the routine, you will work through the traditional sun salutations, designed to “build heat in the body,” while moving with your breath to help wake you; this is much needed at this time of year, when it’s pretty normal to get out of bed when it’s still dark.
Here is the full routine for you to follow along with at home. Grab one of the best yoga mats for your practice and get ready to flow slow.
Watch Charlie Follows’ 20-minute yoga routine
During the routine, expect to move through standing sequences like chair pose, warrior I and warrior II. Charlie also introduces standing twists like triangle pose and reverse triangle, while helping you to “cultivate concentration with goddess pose and tree pose.”
You’ll then have the opportunity to practice backbends like puppy pose, locust and bow, then warm down with a seated sequence, which features twists and forward folds. All in all, Charlie promises to relieve tension in your upper back, neck and shoulders and then relieve mental tension with breathwork and meditation.
You can’t get much better, as this covers a lot in a short space of time. Gentle twists and backbends are great for improving posture and switching on your core muscles, releasing tightness in problem areas like the lower back and shoulders.
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Balance work is crucial for fall prevention and can help you learn to activate the smaller, stabilizer muscles in your body that keep you upright and stable. Practicing these types of exercises, especially standing, can improve markers of longevity, while the physical strengthening aspect of the routine will safeguard functional strength.
I love yoga flows rather than more static routines like Hatha or Yin. They help me move into tight areas of my body, release them and build rhythm, which, in turn, helps me switch off and focus on my breath. I think you’ll love this about the routine, too.
It is beginner-friendly, and Charlie will offer you cues to follow if you need them. My biggest piece of advice is to notice how slowly Charlie moves and with how much control. This is about slowing things down while flowing from pose to pose, connecting breath and body and taking your time with your transitions. Not only will you find yourself calmer as a result, but your body will appreciate spending a little longer in each pose.
I’d say a practice like this one is especially important at this time of year, when the holidays can be calm for some and hectic for others; whatever this period of the year looks like for you, taking some time out on your mat can help you slow down or recharge, depending on what you need.
Completely new to yoga? Check out my guide for yoga beginners to help you prepare.
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