This 15-minute yoga routine improves flexibility and stretches your whole body – so I tried it, and here’s my verdict.
This yoga practice improves flexibility and stretches muscles from head to toe, and only takes 15 minutes, making it the perfect way to wake up or wind down before bed. .
I recommend carrying one of the best yoga mats for home practice – I’m currently practicing on Lululemon ‘The Mat’, it’s soft and comfortable. The schedule, designed by instructor Kassandra, is broken down into a simple hatha flow. She says, “This is an easy yoga class to help you relax and stretch your body, great for all skill levels. No equipment needed.”
The group finishes with five rounds of box breathing, 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 a full yoga practice on your own.
Watch Kassandra’s 15-minute yoga routine
Kassandra explains: “This can be a therapeutic yoga class that you can do when you’re anxious and want to isolate yourself. “We’ll start with a little breathing before we get into our yoga poses. Enjoy!”
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“Let your stress melt away with this easy, full-body yoga style.”
Boxed breathing is the perfect way to kick off a yoga practice (or end it) as it helps shift the body from the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight mode) to the nervous system. of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and recovery). The session begins with mindful breathing to bring you into your body and concludes with box breathing at the end.
Unknowingly, we can spend a long time in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the responses of hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. When the body feels threatened, this wave of our autonomic nervous system helps us deal with the danger. When the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, the body can relax, recover and repair.
It is recommended that anyone who uses breathing exercises practice regularly, and many people report reduced anxiety, better sleep, and improved concentration and energy.
Box breathing is followed by inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds and holding again for four seconds. Another study published in Cell Reports Medicine shows that breathing, especially “cycling breathing” can increase mood and slow down breathing.
The practice begins with a lower body stretch to help release tight hips, glutes and groin muscles, using your breath to guide your body into the stretch. Kassandra then moves around the lower lunges for your hips, glutes, and lower back and targets the muscles of the back (bottom, glutes and hamstrings) with folds he is in front.
Sometimes the frontal bone can make back pain worse, so be aware of this if you have an injury. If you have tight hamstrings, bring a gentle bend in your knees and relax your neck by looking between your legs.
My verdict
I love that this yoga program moves slowly through the body, starting from the feet and hips and moving through the back to the upper body, giving a full body that feels great.
I tried this method on myself, and it is very relaxing and great, it has a big impact in a short time. I found it helped me sleep but I can see why anyone would enjoy waking up to this activity or using it to release tension during the day, especially for anyone who sits down for long periods of time.
This method is perfect for beginners because it is low impact and can easily be damaged. However, this program focuses more on flexibility and deep stretching rather than movement, so if you’re looking for an intense and flowing vinyasa workout, this might not be for you.
You can learn more about stretching vs movement with our handy guide here.
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