This Slow Yoga Flow Delivers the Tension Relief You Need

The point of this slow yoga for flexibility class isn’t to race through it and finish as quickly as you can. It’s to take a modest amount of time and actually feel into your experience as you find relief from tension. This vinyasa-style practice is designed to move you through poses that will release tension held in your hips, shoulders, and upper back. You’re not rushing through the movements but rather challenging yourself to experience the stretch afforded by each pose.

As with most classes, you’ll start seated and then build some intensity with a couple standing sequences before you end with some reclined hip openers and twists. This yoga for flexibility practice might be slightly slower than some classes you take yet it will still challenge you with different variations of Warrior 2 and Half Splits and engage you with hip openers such as Pigeon Pose and Cow-Face Pose. Think of it as a stretchy yoga practice that helps you move as you work on full-body flexibility.

Often in stretches, we’ll hold our breath as we hold onto the tension. Remind yourself to keep breathing through your nose during this slow yoga practice, keeping your inhalations and exhalations the same length, especially when the stretches get fairly intense. The more you can breathe, the more your brain sends messages to your body that you’re safe, that it’s okay, that you can release. And it’s a practice you can take back with you into your life off the mat.

Slow Yoga for Flexibility

Throughout your yoga for flexibility practice, keep breathing in and out through your nose. No props are required although you’re always welcome to keep them within reach and use them when you want that support.

Seated Shoulder Stretches

Begin sitting with your right shin staggered in front of your left shin. Sit up tall through the spine and just settle into your breath.

As you inhale, reach your arms straight out and overhead. And then as you exhale, release and let your arms lower. Do that twice more. Inhale, think of really stretching and reaching. Exhale, press down.

On your last one, inhale, interlace your hands overhead and flip your palms, turning them toward the ceiling. Lift your chest, take a little backbend, and hold here.

Turn your knuckles forward, press your arms in front of you, and round your spine as you bring your chin toward your chest.

Seated Twist

Release and bring your left hand to your right knee, place your right fingertips behind you, and open toward the right in a twist. Think of straightening your spine a little more, lifting as if you had a string tied to your head pulling you up while your lower body stays anchored to the mat. you release your shoulders down and away from your ears.

Release and twist to the other side, right hand to your left knee, left fingertips behind you for support. Come back through to center.

Seated Side Body Stretch

Straighten your right leg out to the side. Reach your left arm up and over toward the right. Rather than folding down toward your right knee, think of rolling your left shoulder back and reaching long through your arm. Relax your neck.

Baby Wild Thing

Bring your left hand to the mat behind you, reach your right arm alongside your head, and press through your left hand and your feet as you lift your hips in a side body stretch that’s a kneeling version of Wild Thing. Really reach through your right toes to flatten your foot.

Seated One-Legged Forward Bend

Lower your hips, turn to face your right leg, and lean forward in a passive forward bend. Let your back round. There’s no need to push or pull yourself deeper into the pose. You’re still just warming up. Press your hands into the mat and slowly come back to sitting upright.

Then repeat the Seated Side Body Stretch, Baby Wild Thing, and Seated One-Legged Forward Bend on the other side.

Cat-Cow

Come to your hands and knees, with your palms underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Inhale, lower your belly, and arch your back in Cow Pose.

Then round your spine and draw your chin toward your chest in Cat Pose. Take a few more cycles, trying to get into all parts of the upper, mid, and lower back.

Child’s Pose to Baby Cobra

From hands and knees, breathe out as you press your hips back into Child’s Pose. As you breathe in, come all the way forward and bring your lower body to the mat as you stretch across the chest in Baby Cobra.

Take a couple more rounds. Exhale, press back. Inhale, come forward into a backbend.

Downward-Facing Dog

From hands and knees, find Downward-Facing Dog by lifting your hips up and back. Bend one knee and straighten the opposite leg, relaxing your neck so your head can be heavy, actively pushing your palms into the mat as you reach your chest toward your thighs and your lower belly toward your spine.

Downward-Facing Dog to Plank

Inhale as you roll all the way forward into Plank Pose. Then exhale and shift back to Downward-Facing Dog. Do this twice more. So inhale all the way forward into Plank, exhale as you press all the way back to Down Dog.

Sphinx Pose

Lower yourself all the way to the mat, bring your elbows in front of you, and lift your chest into Sphinx Pose. Push into the tops of your feet and roll your shoulders back. Think of almost dragging your chest forward.

Downward-Facing Dog Side Stretch

Lower yourself to the mat and press back into your Downward-Facing Dog. Lift your heels off the mat, bring both heels over to the right, and roll onto the outer edge of your right foot while keeping both hands on the mat. You can bend into your right knee a little, maybe come onto the left fingertips, and push out into that left hip. So you’re stretching along the left side of your body.

Then come back through center and take the same stretch on the other side.

Scorpion Dog

Reach your right leg toward the ceiling, bend your right knee, and let your heel fall behind you to stretch your hip.

Low Lunge

Step your right foot forward in between your hands, lower your back knee to the mat, and press down through your lower body to lift yourself upright with your arms alongside your ears in Low Lunge. Maybe bring your hands together to touch and shift your gaze toward your thumbs. Think of stretching and lifting out of your lower back.

Warrior 2

Bring your hands to the mat, tuck your back toes, and lift your back knee off the mat. Spin your back foot flat on the mat and lift yourself up into Warrior 2 with your arms extended straight from your shoulders.

Turn your palms to face upward and bend your elbows to bring them toward your rib cage. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as much as you can, as if you’re holding on to a pencil with your upper back, as you open through your chest. Maintain this engagement of the upper back as you straighten your arms and turn your palms to face downward. This is what you want to feel in your upper body every time you practice Warrior 2.

Reverse Warrior

Release your left hand down and reach your right arm up into Reverse Warrior. Keep the bend in your front knee.

Triangle Pose

Come back through Warrior 2, straighten your front leg, and maybe bring your back foot a couple inches closer to the front of the mat. Shift your hips back and reach your right arm forward and then bring your hand down to your shin or a block. Extend your left arm straight upward in Triangle Pose. Think of rolling your left shoulder back. You can look down at the floor to help with your balance.

Plank

Bend your front knee, bring your hands to the mat, and inhale as you step back to Plank.

Cobra

Exhale as you slowly lower yourself down to the mat. Inhale as you lift yourself into Cobra.

Downward-Facing Dog

Exhale as you bring yourself back to Down Dog.

Find that same flow on the second side, starting with Scorpion Dog and continuing through Low Lunge, Warrior 2, Reverse Warrior, Triangle, and however you want to find Down Dog.

Half Splits Twist

Lift your right leg, bend your right knee, stretch your hip, and step your foot to the outer edge of your right hand. Keep both palms to the inside of your right leg. Bring your back knee to the mat, straighten your right leg, flex your right foot, and walk your hands over toward the left and slightly off the mat. Can you press your hips back as you reach your chest forward in opposition? This is a variation of Half Splits. Keep pressing down through your front heel to intensify the stretch in the hamstrings and keep finding length along the spine.

Walk your hands back through center and keep your left hand down as you reach your right arm straight up. Bring your right hand back down to the mat.

Pigeon Pose

Bend your right knee, bring it down to the mat and inch your right foot toward the left side of the mat in front of the hip. Realign yourself so your weight is evenly distributed through both hips. Take a little backbend, actively pushing into the mat to lift your chest out of the lower back.

Then lean forward in Pigeon Pose but don’t feel like you need to go all the way down to the mat. You can stay upright, come onto your forearms, or bring your forehead to the mat. You’ll feel this in your right glute and hip. Find the intensity that makes the most sense for you today, not worrying about how deep you could do it a few days ago or a few years ago. Stay here for several breaths.

Cow-Face Pose

Push your hands into the mat, lift your chest, shift your weight onto your right hip, and then cross your left leg on top of your right in Cow Face Pose. Try to stack your left knee on your right as much as possible.

Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and bring your left arm under your right and try to press either the backs of your hands or your palms together. Press your forearms together and feel the broadening through your upper back as you breathe. Lift your elbows up slightly into a backbend.

Stay upright or lean forward any amount, resting your elbows on your thighs, knees, or trying to reach them toward the mat. Stay here for several breaths.

Slowly lift yourself and unwind your arms.

Boat Pose

Uncross your legs and make your way into Boat Pose lifting your legs and arms in front of you. Don’t forget to breathe.

Then cross your ankles, plant your palms on the mat, and make your way to Down Dog or take your vinyasa by inhaling to Plank, exhaling into Chaturanga or all the way to the mat, inhaling to Cobra or, for a deeper backbend, Upward-Facing Dog, and then returning to Downward-Facing Dog.

From here, repeat Pigeon, Cow-Face Pose, and Boat Pose on your other side.

Happy Baby

Bring your knees down, extend your legs in front of you, and lower onto your back. Pull your knees toward your chest, maybe rocking a little side to side. Stay here or come into Happy Baby by bending your knees, grabbing hold of your feet, stacking your ankles over your knees, and using your elbows to push them wider and pressing the tailbone down to the mat.

Reclined Twist

Release your arms out to the sides and bend your elbows in a cactus shape. You can shift your hips a little over to the right, maybe cross your right thigh over your left, and then lower both knees and thighs over to the left. You can always use that left hand to kind of help guide your top knee down. Try to keep your right shoulder blade on the mat.

Unwrap your legs, slowly bring them back through to center, and then repeat on the other side.

Savasana

Straightening yourself on the mat, taking up space with your arms and legs, palms facing up, in Savasana. Take some deep belly breaths here, just noticing the changes and the sensations present after your practice. You’re letting go of the need to use effort and strength, so there’s no tension in the body or in the mind. Stay here for a couple minutes or so, giving yourself time to process and integrate the work that you’ve done.

When you’re ready, start to move your fingers and toes, stretch your arms overhead, and take up lots of space here. Slowly roll to one side and take a seat. Sit up tall and bring your palms together at your chest. Take a moment to show yourself gratitude.

Thank you so much everyone for doing this slow yoga for flexibility practice. I hope you feel really good in your body.