Those days when you need something to help you unwind, this 20-minute gentle yoga for stress routine gives you permission to slow down and relax. All off the poses are practiced low to the ground, whether seated or reclined, and help you release tension, beginning with your neck and moving into your low back, hips, and hamstrings.

Although you can rely on this slow flow in the mornings, it’s something you can turn to in the evening before bed or anytime you’re feeling frazzled and need to get grounded. And it’s suitable for all experience levels, even if you’ve never practiced yoga before.

20-Minute Gentle Yoga for Stress

You’ll need a block for a couple of poses toward the end of this gentle yoga class, although if you don’t have one at home, just grab a couple of pillows or couch cushions. 

Seated Side Body Forward Bend

Begin sitting cross-legged with your right shin in front of your left one and then turn to face toward your right knee and thigh. Walk your fingertips away from you and find a big side body stretch here. The farther out you walk your fingers, the more your left hip is going to want to lift off the floor, so think of pushing that left sit bone down and reaching your left arm further so you’re stretching into your hip and side body. Try to relax your neck.

Part of unwinding is also learning to take slower, deeper breaths, in and out through the nose. Each time you exhale, try to soften your muscles and release into the stretch a little more.

Seated Side Body Stretch

Start walking your hands in as you keep your body turned at an angle. Bring your left hand to your right knee and reach your right arm overhead so your bicep is alongside your ear as you find a side body stretch. You’re not leaning forward or backward. Relax your neck and jaw and let the muscles around your eyes and your cheeks release.

Seated Twist

Now find a twist with your right hand going behind you and turning your chest more to the right as you continue to sit tall.

Then release the twist and face forward, change the crossing of your legs so your left shin and ankle are in front, and  face toward your left knee and left thigh. Repeat the same stretches on your other side, starting with walking your fingers away. Then take your right hand to your left knee and reach your left arm alongside your head. And finally, walk your hands back in, staying at this angle, take your left fingertips behind you, and twist to the left as you sit a little taller. Then release your twist.

Staff Pose

Extend your legs straight in front of you, plant your hands beside your hips, and think of pushing into your heels, pushing into the backs of your knees, and pushing into your palms to help you sit tall in Staff Pose. Draw the navel toward the spine.

Seated Forward Bend

Let your chin tuck toward your chest and your spine round as you reach your chest toward your toes and walk your hands forward. You can bend a little through your knees as you come into a passive seated forward bend. So you’re not pushing, you’re not pulling, you’re not worrying about having a flat back. You’re just finding whatever shape feels best to you right now and letting gravity do the effort.

Each time you exhale, see if you can relax a little more.

Puppy Pose

Walk your hands in and very slowly uncurl yourself as you sit back up. Come onto hands and knees and keep your hips stacked directly over the top of your knees and walk your hands in front of you, bringing your forehead to the mat and bending your elbows so your forearms relax on the mat in Puppy Pose. Think of drawing your lower belly in and concentrate this shape of the pose in your shoulders, upper back, and chest. Breathe deeply here. 

Low Lunge

Walk your hands in and lift your head and chest off the mat. Step your right foot forward in between your palms into a Low Lunge. Here my front knee is over my ankle, I’m pressing my hips forward and down, and I’m shrugging my shoulders away from my ears as I let gravity pull the hips down a little more.

 Half Splits

As you press into your front heel, start to straighten your right leg, shift your hips back, and take a little hamstring stretch as you flex your foot in Half Splits.

Come back to hands and knees and let’s do those two poses on the other side.

Sphinx

Lower all the way onto your belly and slide your forearms in front of you, coming into Sphinx. So your elbows are underneath or slightly in front of your shoulders and your palms are pressing into the mat. Think of lifting your chest here as you push into the tops of the feet and hip bones. You don’t want to experience any pinching in your low back.

Reclined Butterfly

Whichever props you’re using, just make sure you have them within grabbing distance. Flip over onto your back and come into Reclined Butterfly. So start with the soles of the feet together to touch and your knees falling apart. I like to do this with my arms reaching overhead to broaden through the chest and release a little more through the shoulders. You might want to bend your elbows and find a cactus shape with your arms with your elbows at the same level as your shoulders and the backs of your hands on the mat. Or you can keep your arms by your sides or place your hands on your belly. Take 5 breaths here. You’re really slowing things down.

Reclined Twist

You’re going to lift your knees back up and draw them toward your chest. Move your hips a couple inches to the right and let both knees and thighs lower to the left. Think of really sinking your right shoulder blade down into the mat. So you’re trying to stack your right hip over your left one. You can play a little with how close you have your knees toward your chest.

Then lift your knees back through center and twist to the other side.

Supported Bridge

Bring your legs back to center and place your feet on the mat. Grab hold of your block or your pillows or whatever you have at home. If you’re using a block, keep it on its lowest level and slide it underneath the tailbone as you come into Supported Bridge. You can either keep your feet down or, if it feels good to you, you can straighten your legs as you would in Savasana for a hip flexor stretch. If this feels like pinching and tension in your low back, keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat.

Waterfall

From Supported Bridge, straighten your legs toward the sky as you come into Waterfall, which is like Legs Up the Wall in the middle of the room. You might need to shift your props a little bit and readjust them, but this can be a lovely pose to do at the end of the day, especially if you’ve been on your feet a lot, during your yoga for stress practice. 

You might want to flex and point through your feet or roll your ankles. Don’t worry about whether or not your knees are straight.

Savasana

Ease your way into Savasana, your final resting pose, by bending your knees, bringing your feet flat on the mat, moving your block or your prop off to the side, and settling your hips on the mat. You can stay here or make this more restorative by letting your knees fall toward one another. Or you can straighten the legs for this more traditional variation of Savasana with palms facing the sky, closing the eyes.

Take up all the space you want and really let yourself settle here. This is your opportunity to decompress and let go. So just focus on your breathing and stay here for a few minutes of silent contemplation and full body relaxation.

When you’re ready, start to wake yourself back up, nice and slow, without rushing. You can stretch your arms up overhead, reaching from fingertips down to your toes, and we’ll roll over to one side and eventually come up and take a seat, moving slowly here. Notice how you feel after your gentle yoga for stress routine as opposed to when you first stepped onto your mat. And with this in mind, we’ll close by pausing here after your class. I hope you feel really good in your body and are able to go and have a nice, long rest.