5-Minute Yoga Fix for When You Want to Move But Are Too Tired to Stand

We’ve all been there—eyeing our rolled-up yoga mat in the corner with a mix of desire and dread, wanting desperately to practice yet finding ourselves unable to summon the motivation. It’s as if our body craves movement but our mind just won’t come to the party.

On days like that, the remedy might be a simple, mellow, chill yoga flow at home that helps you stay close to the floor when you can’t be bothered to stand.

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The following practice will help you work out the kinks in your back, hips, and shoulders.

Child’s Pose

Start as though you’re coming into Child’s Pose (Balasana) but bend your elbows and stack your hands under your forehead. Take 3 generous breaths, directing it toward your back body. Allow your head to rest heavy on your hands and ease any tension in your neck.

Cat and Cow

Separate your hands about shoulder distance and push yourself up to hands and knees. As you breathe in, lift your sit bones and chin and broaden your collarbones as you arch your back in Cow Pose (Bitilasana).

As you breathe out, scoop your belly and round your back as you release your neck in Cat Pose (Marjaryasana). Flow in between Cat and Cow (Bitilasana) 3 times total, alternately stretching your front and back body.

Bird Dog Leg Sweeps

After your final Cat, keep a hint of that belly lift while coming back to a neutral spine. Inhale as you straighten your right leg and step your foot diagonally behind you, past your left foot. Lean your hips toward your left heel and look over your left shoulder as if sneaking a peek at your right foot. Take a full breath here as you feel the stretch along your right side body.

As you exhale, sweep your right leg straight out to the right side, setting your foot down in line with your hips. Move back and forth between these versions of Bird Dog with your breath at least 3 times to bring some movement to your hips and side body.

Gate Pose with Quad Stretch

Finish with your right leg out to the side and lift your chest to stack your shoulders over your hips. As you take your next breath in, reach your left arm overhead and rest your right hand lightly on your right leg, taking an easy side bend toward your right in Gate Pose (Parighasana).

As you exhale, lower your left hand to the floor off the left edge of the mat in line with your left knee. Lift your right foot, bend your right knee, and catch your right foot with your right hand behind you. Press your foot away from you to stretch the front of your right leg in a variation of Side Plank (Vasisthasana).

Repeat these shapes, moving in sync with the rhythm of your breath, 3 times.

Low Lunge and Half Splits Flow

After your final quad stretch, release your right foot and step it to the front of your mat in a Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana). With your next deep breath in, reach your arms overhead, keeping a slight lift through your low belly.

As you breathe out, bring your arms down by your sides and hinge forward, straightening your right leg and flexing your right foot. You want to feel a slight hamstring stretch in Half Splits (Ardha Hanumanasana).

Move in between Low lunge and Half Splits with the rhythm of your breath 3 times total, feeling the stretch along your left hip flexors at the front of your thigh and your right hamstrings.

Cobra Rolls

After your final hamstring stretch, swing your right leg back to meet your left in hands and knees. Plant your palms at the front of your mat. Inhale in your knee-down version of Plank Pose. Exhale as you slowly lower your front body to the mat, elbows bent and tucked in close to your side ribs.

With your next breath in, push down through your hands and draw your shoulder blades back to lift your chest in Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana). On your out breath, slowly lower to the mat. Repeat the movement twice more with your breath, shifting your hands wider each time to vary the sensation in your chest, shoulders, and spine.

Child’s Pose

Come back to hands and knees. As you exhale, sit back in Child’s Pose and rest your forehead on your stacked hands. Linger here for 3 slow breaths.

Then repeat the sequence on your other side. If you have the time and motivation, repeat the sequence as many times as you like.

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