If you’re missing your yoga studio like me, I created this 45-minute flow you can do at home. It has almost 50 different poses to stretch and strengthen your entire body. You’ll do classic poses like Warrior 1 and Warrior 3, challenging poses like Crow and Intense East, core-carving poses like Boat and Dolphin Plank, and relaxing poses like Pigeon and Happy Baby.
When you hold each pose for five breaths (about 30 seconds), this sequence should take you 45 minutes, not including Savasana – I recommend making sure you leave at least five to 10 full minutes for that! Feel free to stay longer in poses or make modifications depending on your body’s needs. Remember that this is your time to breathe and flow. Welcome whatever thoughts and emotions come up for you as you move, and enjoy the gift of yoga you’re giving to yourself.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Child's Pose With Relaxed Arms
- Kneel on your mat with your knees hips-width distance apart and your big toes touching behind you.
- Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, lay your torso over your thighs. Try to lengthen your neck and spine by drawing your ribs away from your tailbone and the crown of your head away from your shoulders.
- Rest your arms beside your legs with palms facing up, resting your left cheek on the floor.
- Stay here for two to three breaths, then turn your head the other way and stay for another two to three breaths.
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One-Armed Camel
- From Child’s Pose With Relaxed Arms, lift the torso and stand on both shins with the knees underneath the hips, legs parallel with one another.
- Reach your left hand behind you, placing it on your left heel. Extend your right arm in the air. If this is too difficult, rest your left hand on your left hip instead.
- Shift weight forward onto your knees to increase the stretch in your quads, belly, and chest.
- Lower your head behind you, and stay here for two breaths. Then switch sides, holding for another two breaths.
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Cow and Cat
- From One-Armed Camel, come onto your hands and knees so your back is flat with your abs engaged. As you inhale, let your belly soften, arch your back, and lift your head and tailbone. This part of the stretch is called Cow.
- With an exhale, round your spine up to the ceiling, pull your abs toward your spine, and simultaneously tuck your tailbone in, drawing your chin toward your chest. This part is called Cat.
- For five breaths, continue flowing back and forth from Cat to Cow, breathing deeply so as not to rush each movement.
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Wide Squat Reach
- From Cow and Cat, bring your feet to the floor sitting in Wide Squat pose with your feet wider than hips-width distance apart. Your toes will want to turn out but try to bring your feet as close to parallel as you can by turning your heels out slightly. Hold here for one breath.
- Lower your left arm out to the side in front of your left leg, planting your palm if you can for stability.
- Reach your right arm into the air, gazing toward your lifted hand to encourage your spine to twist.
- Stay like this for two breaths, then repeat on the left side for another two breaths.
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Plank
- From Wide Squat Reach, plant your palms on the floor underneath your shoulders and step your feet back so your body is in one straight line.
- Keeping the back flat and the abs engaged, breathe deeply for five breaths. You can gaze forward or if that bothers your neck, gaze at the ground between your hands.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Twisting Lizard
- From Plank, step the right foot forward between your hands, coming into a low lunge with the right knee over your ankle, and your left knee on the floor.
- Raise your right arm into the air, twisting to the left, gazing behind you.
- Enjoy this pose for five breaths. Then repeat on the left side for five more breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Downward Facing Dog
- From Twisting Lizard on the left side, step your left foot back and press your hips up, coming into Downward Facing Dog (also called Down Dog).
- Make sure your hands are shoulder-width distance apart, pressing firmly into your palms to lengthen the spine as much as you can. The feet are hips-width distance apart with the heels slightly wider than the toes so the outside edges of your feet are parallel with the outside edges of your mat.
- Press your heels down to the floor to stretch the backs of your legs, enjoying this pose for five deep breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Standing Forward Bend With Bent Elbows
- From Down Dog, walk your feet forward toward your hands. Bring your feet together and fold forward, using your abdominal muscles to draw your torso closer to your thighs. Bend your arms and hold opposite elbows, relaxing your torso and head. It’s OK to have a slight bend in your knees.
- Shake your head gently from side to side to relieve tension in your neck. Hold for five breaths.
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Mountain Pose
- From Standing Forward Bend With Bent Elbows, as you press into your heels to rise up to stand, release your hands and straighten your arms above your head. Exhale to bring your hands together in front of your heart, holding Mountain pose for five breaths.
- With your eyes closed and shoulders relaxed, use this time to set an intention for your practice. It can be a general intention such as, “I want to feel present and calm,” or “I want to send love and light into the world.” Or it can be specific like, “I’m sending healing thoughts to my best friend’s sick mother.” And yes, you can have more than one intention, but it should be something personally important to you.
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Sun Salutation A: Standing Forward Bend
- After five breaths in Mountain pose, you’re ready to flow through three Sun Salutation As.
- From Mountain Pose, inhale and reach your arms straight above you.
- As you exhale, engage your abs and fold forward with a straight back. Tuck your chin in toward your chest, relax your shoulders, and extend the crown of the head toward the floor to create a long spine. Shift weight forward into your toes, straightening the legs as much as possible. If you can, place your hands on the ground, fingertips lining up with the toes. If that’s too difficult, rest your hands on your thighs, shins, or ankles.
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Sun Salutation A: Chaturanga
- From the Standing Forward Bend, inhale to press your hands into the floor and straighten the arms and spine as you look up.
- As you exhale, step or jump back into plank position, bending the elbows, and lowering the torso into Chaturanga. Keep the body in one straight line.
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Sun Salutation A: Upward Facing Dog
- From Chaturanga, inhale to roll forward onto the tops of your feet, sweep the chest forward between your arms, and arch the spine, coming into Upward Facing Dog.
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Sun Salutation A: Down Dog
- From Upward Facing Dog, exhale as you press the hips back, coming into Downward Facing Dog.
- Breathe deeply for five breaths.
- Inhale to step or jump the feet forward between the hands, exhaling as you fold the torso into a Standing Forward Bend. Inhale as you press your feet into the floor to rise to stand, raising both hands overhead. Exhale into Mountain pose.
- Complete two more Sun Salutation As.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Extended Tabletop
- From Arching Three-Legged Dog, slowly lower your right leg to the floor behind you as you simultaneously raise your right arm into the air. You’re essentially rotating your body 180 degrees so your belly is pointing up toward the ceiling. Readjust your feet if you need to so they are parallel and slightly wider than hips-width distance apart.
- Press firmly into your feet to lift your hips high, engaging your glutes and hamstrings, and extend your right arm so it’s parallel with the floor.
- Hold here for five complete breaths, gazing at your extended hand or up toward the ceiling.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Down Dog
- From Warrior 2, lower both hands to the floor at the front of your mat, coming into Plank. Exhale as you press the hips back, coming into Downward Facing Dog. Or take a vinyasa (Chaturanga, to Up Down, to Down Dog).
- Breathe deeply for five breaths in Down Dog. Then repeat the last six poses on the left side: Three-Legged Dog, Knee-Up Plank, Arching Three-Legged Dog, Extended Tabletop, Warrior 1, Warrior 2, and come back to Down Dog for another five breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Warrior 3
- We’ll move through a series on the right side and then repeat on the left.
- From Down Dog, step your right foot forward between your hands, lifting the torso, coming into Warrior 1. Press into your right foot and lift your left leg, bringing your body parallel with the ground.
- Extend your hands out in front of you, pressing your palms together firmly. If this bothers your shoulders, separate your arms out wide so they’re shoulder-width apart. If extending your arms creates pain or pressure in your lower back, rest your hands on your hips.
- Engage your abs, holding Warrior 3 for five deep breaths.
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Twisting Warrior
- From Warrior 3, release your left foot to the back of your mat, coming back to Warrior 1 with the right knee over the ankle.
- Exhale to twist to the right, resting the right hand on the hip or sliding in down the back of your left hamstring.
- Raise your left arm high into the air, gazing over your right shoulder for five breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Rotated Side Angle Prayer
- From Twisting Warrior, come back to Warrior 1 with your palms touching. As you exhale, twist your torso to the right, crossing your left upper arm over your right thigh. Actively press your left tricep against your outer right thigh, lifting your chest as high as you can.
- Enjoy this twist for five breaths, gazing into the right corners of your eyes.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Extended Side Angle
- From Half Moon, lower your left foot to the back of your mat and place your right hand on the ground behind your right foot, on the little toe side. Extend your left arm straight up, turning your palm down so your thumb is pointing behind you.
- Stay here for five breaths, stacking your left shoulder over your right wrist.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Down Dog
- From Extended Side Angle, lower your left hand to the front of your mat and step your right foot back, coming into Plank pose. Press back to Down Dog or take a vinyasa (Chaturanga, Up Dog, Down Dog).
- From Down Dog, repeat the last six poses on the left side: Warrior 3, Twisting Warrior, Rotated Side Angle Prayer, Reverse Warrior, Half Moon, and Extended Side Angle.
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POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Warrior 1
- We’ll move through a series of poses on the right side, and then switch to the left.
- From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot forward between your hands. Turn your left heel in, press into your feet, and lift your torso up.
- Lift your arms up and press your palms together. Draw your shoulder blades down toward your hips and gaze up at your hands.
- Stay here for five breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Warrior 2
- From Warrior 1, extend your arms out in T-position as you rotate your torso to the left, coming into Warrior 2. Your front thigh should be parallel to the ground and your right knee directly over your right ankle. Make sure your shoulders are stacked directly above your pelvis.
- Gaze past your right fingertips, holding for five breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Burning Lunge
- From Warrior 2, reach your right arm underneath your bent right knee.
- Interlace both hands in front of your right ankle. Keep all the weight in your legs, resisting the urge to lean into your hands.
- If this is too hard for your leg muscles to hold (it’s an intense move!), then rest one or both hands on the floor.
- Breathe deeply in this low lunge for five breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Open Triangle
- From Burning Lunge, press firmly into your feet to lift the torso up, straightening both legs, and extending the arms out wide so they’re parallel with your legs.
- Keeping both legs straight, reach your right arm out as far as you can over your right leg to lengthen through your spine. Then hinge at your right hip and lower your right hand to rest on your shin, or if you can, all the way on the floor.
- Raise your left arm into the air and extend the crown of your head away from your hips to lengthen through both sides of your ribs equally.
- Keep the body strong, taking in five complete breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Reverse Triangle
- From Open Triangle, press into your feet to lift the torso up, gently arching back and hinging at the left hip.
- Lower your left hand to your left hip or rest it on the back of your left leg. If it feels OK, you can bend your left elbow slightly.
- Raise your right arm overhead, feeling the stretch through the right side of your body.
- Remain here for five complete breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Open Lizard
- From Reverse Triangle, lift the torso up, bend your right knee and lower both hands to the front of your mat. Lower your left knee to the floor, pointing the toes.
- Slowly lower your right knee to the right so you’re resting on the outside of your right flexed foot. Keep your arms straight, pressing your chest forward just like in Upward Facing Dog. This will help encourage your hips to lower, increasing the stretch in your left hip flexor.
- Gaze forward, and enjoy this pose for five breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Down Dog
- From Open Lizard, draw your right knee back in and step your right foot back, coming into Plank pose. Press back to Down Dog or take a vinyasa (Chaturanga, Up Dog, Down Dog).
- From Down Dog, repeat the last six poses on the left side: Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Burning Lunge, Open Triangle, Reverse Triangle, and Open Lizard.
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POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Side Fierce
- From Down Dog, step or hop your feet forward and stand at the front of your mat with both feet together.
- Bend your knees to squat down into Fierce pose.
- Rotate your torso, and cross your left elbow over the outside of your right thigh. Actively press into your outer left arm to lift the torso.
- Pull the right hip back to keep both knees in line and keep weight back into the heels.
- Hold here for five deep breaths, gazing over the right shoulder. Then rise back up to Fierce and repeat Side Fierce on the left side for another five breaths.
- Rise back to Fierce, and then straighten the legs coming into Mountain pose.
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Goddess
- From Mountain pose, step your right leg open to the right side of your mat, so the feet are three to four feet apart.
- Come into Goddess pose with the toes turned out and the knees bent and stacked over the ankles. Try to lower the hips so your quads are parallel with the floor. Tuck your tailbone in, engage the abs, and keep your shoulders stacked over your hips.
- Raise your arms in the air, bending your elbows so they are at 90-degree angles, opening your palms away from you.
- Keeping weight back in your heels, hold this pose for five breaths.
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Twisting Goddess
- From Goddess, rest your right elbow on your right thigh and raise your left arm over your ear.
- Hold here for five deep breaths, gazing over your left shoulder.
- Rise up and switch sides, resting your left elbow on your left thigh, holding for another five breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Wide-Legged Forward Bend D
- From Twisting Goddess, bring the torso back to center and straighten the legs.
- Release the arms out wide in T position. Take a breath in and then exhale to hinge at the hips, reaching for your big toes, holding onto them with your first two fingers and thumb. Keep your elbows above your wrists and draw your shoulder blades back and down toward your hips. If you can’t reach your toes, just place your hands somewhere on your legs.
- Try to keep your shoulders relaxed and use your abs to pull your torso closer to your thighs.
- Stay here for five deep breaths.
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Side Plank
- From Wide-Legged Forward Bend D, plant both hands at the front of your mat, and step both feet back, coming into Plank.
- Move your left hand over to the right so it’s at the middle of the top of your mat. Roll over to your left side and plant your left heel down so you’re balancing on the outside edge of your left foot, stacking your flexed feet.
- Reach your right arm above you, gazing at your hand. Stay here for five deep breaths, trying to keep your core strong and the pose steady.
- Lower your right hand to the mat and repeat Side Plank on the right side.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson / Louisa Larson Photography 2013
Dolphin Plank
- From Side Plank on the right side, come back to Plank. Exhale as you lower onto your forearms so that your shoulders are stacked directly above your elbows and your body is parallel with the floor.
- Dolphin Plank is an intense pose, so if you can’t hold this for five breaths, lower one or both knees to the floor.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Seated Wrist Stretch
- After Dolphin Plank, sit on your shins and place your hands on the floor with your fingertips facing your knees.
- If this feels too intense, lift your hips off your heels a little and lean forward.
- If you want to deepen the stretch, lean backward into your heels. Hold for five breaths.
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Wide Squat
- From Seated Wrist Stretch, step your feet onto the floor so they’re wider than hips-distance apart, coming into Wide Squat.
- Bring your palms together at your heart center and firmly press your elbows against the inside of your knees. This will help to open your hips even farther. Shift weight onto your heels and lengthen the crown of your head toward the ceiling.
- Hold here for five deep breaths.
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Crow
- From Wide Squat, place your palms firmly on the ground in front of you. Be sure to spread your fingers as wide as you can and press into your fingertips to release any pressure in your wrists.
- Straighten your legs slightly and place your knees as high up onto your triceps as possible toward your armpits.
- Shift your weight forward into your hands and see if you can lean the weight of your knees into the backs of your arms.
- Note that Crow is an advanced yoga pose, so you can just stay here and practice shifting weight into your hands without lifting your feet off the floor. But if you’re ready to move into Crow, shift your weight forward into your hands and lift one foot off the ground and then the other. If you can bring your toes together, you’ll feel more compact and it’ll be easier to balance. Squeeze your knees together slightly and pull your belly button in toward your spine to give you a sense of lightness.
- Stay here in Crow pose for five breaths.
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Bound Headstand
- From Crow, place your clasped fingers and the top of your head on the floor at the top of your mat. Your hands will be cupping around the back of your head with your forearms and elbows firmly resting on the floor.
- Straighten your legs and walk your feet toward your head. Bend one knee and tuck it into your chest. Using your abs and hamstring flexibility, lift the other leg off the floor so both knees are tucked into your chest in a pose called Bound Headstand Prep: Tuck.
- Stay here or if you feel ready, with complete control, inhale to slowly lift and straighten both legs up, coming into Bound Headstand. If balancing is hard, bend one knee and place the sole of your foot on a wall.
- Hold for five breaths. Then slowly bend your knees into your chest, and lower your feet to the floor.
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Wide Child's Pose
- From Bound Headstand, release your feet to the floor. Resting on your shins, widen your knees and fold forward with the arms extended in front of you.
- Hold for five breaths, rocking the hips from side to side.
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Bow
- From Extended Locust, bend your knees and hold onto the inside or outside edges of your ankles. If you can’t reach both your ankles at the same time, just hold one at a time for two breaths per leg.
- Once you have a firm hold of each ankle, lift your feet as high as you can and shift weight forward so you’re resting on your navel instead of on the pubic bone.
- Hold for five deep breaths.
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Chest-Opening Spinal Twist
- From Bow, release hold of your feet and lie on your belly. Extend your arms out wide, palms facing down and in line with the shoulders.
- Place your left palm underneath your left shoulder and push into the floor to roll onto the right side of your body.
- If it feels OK on your shoulder, turn this into a spinal twist by bending your left knee and placing it on the floor behind you.
- Lean back into your left foot and right hand as much as you can, gently pressing your left hand into the floor for support.
- Stay like this for five breaths. Repeat on the other side for another five.
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Pigeon
- From Chest-Opening Spinal Twist, roll onto your belly. Press up into Plank, bring the right knee forward between the hands, and rest the left leg on the floor.
- Exhale to lower your forearms to the floor. Stay here, or relax your torso down over your right shin for a deeper stretch.
- Breathe deeply for five breaths. Repeat with the left knee forward for another five.
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Butterfly
- From Pigeon on the left side, swing the right leg in front of you, sitting with your heels together, knees out wide. Rest your hands on your feet.
- Inhale, keeping the spine long, and gently fold forward as you exhale. Press the elbows against the inner knees to open the hips further, which will help you get a deeper forward bend.
- Enjoy this pose for five deep breaths.
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Head to Knee
- From Butterfly, keep your right knee bent, extend your left leg in front of you, and place the sole of your foot against your left inner thigh. Pull your heel as close to your body as you can.
- Fold your torso over your left leg. Rest your hands on the floor on either side of your leg, on your shin, or wrap your hands around your left foot.
- Stay here for five breaths, sit up, and repeat Head to Knee on the right side.
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Boat
- From Head to Knee on the left side, extend your right leg straight in front of you. Lift both legs into the air and bring your feet to touch. Balance on your tush with the knees bent, or if you can, straighten the legs. Keep the spine long without rounding the back.
- Hold for five complete breaths.
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Seated Straddle
- From Intense East, sit on the floor with your legs in a wide straddle, lengthening through the spine.
- Slowly hinge at your hips, lowering your torso toward the floor. Fold as far as you need to feel a nice stretch in your back and hamstrings. Don’t worry about folding your body completely in half, unless this is comfortable for you.
- Stay like this for five deep breaths.
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Happy Baby
- After hugging the knees into the chest, separate your knees and hold onto the outside edges of your flexed feet with your hands. Keep your arms on the outsides of your legs.
- Gently use your upper body strength to equally press both knees to the floor below your armpits. Try not to tense your shoulders or chest, but keep your upper body relaxed.
- Stay like this for five deep breaths.
POPSUGAR Photography / Louisa Larson
Figure Four
- From Happy Baby, release hold of your feet and place your right ankle on your left thigh above your knee. See the shape of the number four? It’s there, just upside down.
- Reach your right hand through the open space created by your right leg, and clasp both hands around your left shin. Slowly pull your left knee in toward your chest. You should feel a stretch on the outside of your right hip.
- After five breaths repeat on the other side.
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Lying Spinal Twist
- From Figure Four on the left side, let go of your feet and bring your knees together.
- Extend your arms out in T-position.
- Slowly lower both knees to the right. Rest them on the ground, and turn your head to the left. You can increase the stretch by crossing the left knee over the right thigh.
- Hold here for five breaths, feeling your spine lengthen and twist.
- Use your abs to lift your knees back to center, then repeat on the other side.
