This yoga routine builds flexibility and stretches muscles from head to toe, and it only takes 15 minutes, which makes it the perfect way to wake up or wind down before bedtime.
I recommend rolling out one of the best yoga mats for home practice — I currently practice on Lululemon ‘The Mat’, which is super plush and grippy. The routine, curated by instructor Kassandra, is categorized as a gentle hatha flow. She says, “This is a gentle soothing yoga class to help you relax and stretch your body, great for all experience levels. No props are required.”
The class finishes with five rounds of box breath, translating to Sama Vritti pranayama in Sanskrit — one of the three breathing techniques I swear by for stress relief and relaxation. Here’s how to access the full yoga routine yourself.
Watch Kassandra’s 15-minute yoga routine
“This can be a therapeutic yoga class to do when you're experiencing anxiety and want to ground yourself,” Kassandra explains. “We'll start with a bit of mindful breathing before going into our yoga poses. Enjoy!”
15 min Gentle Yoga for Flexibility & Stress Reduction - YouTube
“Let your stress melt away with this gentle yoga flow with full-body stretches.”
Box breathing is the perfect way to kick off a yoga practice (or finish it) as it helps to switch the body from the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight mode) to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and recover). The session begins with mindful breathing to bring you into your body and finishes with box breathing at the end.
Unknowingly, we can spend extended periods in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls hormone responses like cortisol and adrenaline. When the body feels threatened, this strand of our autonomic nervous system helps us tackle danger. When the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, the body can relax, recover and repair.
It’s recommended that anyone using breathing exercises should practice them regularly, with many people reporting reduced anxiety, better sleep and boosted focus and energy.
Box breathing follows an inhale for four seconds, pause at the top of your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds and hold again for four seconds. One study published in Cell Reports Medicine shows that breathwork, particularly “exhale-focused cyclic sighing” can boost mood and reduce respiratory rate.
The routine begins with lower body stretches to help release tight hips, glutes and groin muscles, using your breath to guide your body into the stretches. Kassandra then moves to a round of static low lunges for your hips, glutes, and lower back and targets the posterior chain muscles (lower back, glutes and hamstrings) with forward folds.
The forward fold can sometimes aggravate back pain so be mindful of this if you have an injury. If you have tight hamstrings, bring a soft bend into the knees and relax your neck by looking between your legs.
My verdict
I love that this yoga session moves slowly up the body, starting at the legs and hips and moving through the spine to the upper body, providing a deliciously deep full-body stretch.
I gave this routine a try for myself and it’s deeply relaxing and bite-sized, making a big impact in a short time. I found it got me ready for sleep but I can see why anyone might enjoy waking up to this routine or using it to release tension during the day, especially for anyone who sits down for long periods.
This routine is perfect for beginners because it’s low impact and easily scalable. However, this session is more focused on flexibility and deep stretching as opposed to mobility, so if you’re looking for a more energizing and flowy vinyasa practice, this one might not be for you.
You can learn more about stretching vs mobility with our handy guide here.
More from Tom's Guide
- Does yoga build muscle?
- Yoga vs Pilates: which burns more calories
- Forget the gym — this 12-minute morning Pilates routine strengthens and tones your entire body
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