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Chapters (15)

10 Minute Yoga Full Body Stretch for Stiff Bodies

Yoga With Bird · 10:17

In this practice

Key teachings

  • Mindful movement and listening to your body
  • Releasing tension and stiffness
  • Connecting breath with movement

Ideal for

  • Individuals with stiff bodies
  • Beginners or those new to yoga
  • Morning routine or anytime movement is needed
  • Warm-up before other workouts

Lesson

Instructions

Do this gentle 10 minute yoga class to release tension and stiffness from the entire body. This yoga for stiff bodies class is perfect to do every morning or anytime you need a bit of movement. You can even use this practice as a warm up before a longer yoga class or right before or after your workout or run. Join me in this quick 10 minute morning yoga full body stretch to feel your best!

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Steps

  • Head and shoulder circles
  • Side stretches and spinal twists
  • Cat-Cow pose
  • Thread the Needle pose
  • Sphinx pose
  • Cobra/Upward-Facing Dog
  • Child's Pose

Benefits

  • Releases tension in the entire body
  • Reduces body stiffness
  • Improves spinal mobility
  • Gentle full-body stretch
  • Promotes relaxation and body awareness

Transcript

welcome this is a 10-minute yoga for stiff bodies or body stiffness rather um tension in the upper back the lower back the hips this is a great sequence for just getting out of bed or even just midday if you've been sitting or standing long hours let's begin seated anyway you feel comfortable you can even do this sitting in a chair if sitting cross-legged is uncomfortable or you can click the link just above in the top corner of this video to find ways to sit cross-legged more comfortably we'll begin circulating the head feeling out all the clicks and ticks just warming up the spine here [Music] and we'll go opposite direction we'll come back to center sitting tall once again just begin to circle the shoulders just finding some movement here we're working down the spine [Music] and we'll alternate directions and we'll come back to center we'll inhale the hands up overhead as you exhale take a side stretch towards your left left hand just beside you right hand reaches up and over inhale come back up as you exhale side stretch towards your right and we'll continue flowing with the breath inhale to come up exhale for your side stretch moving at your own pace and we'll inhale reach up overhead as you exhale this time we're going to take a twist so twisting towards your left sitting tall inhale reach the hands back up exhale twisting towards your right once again continue moving with the breath coming back to center inhale the hands up overhead as you exhale cactus the arms elbows in line with the shoulders begin to gently twist side to side no forcing here just going at your own ability and we'll come back to center inhale hands up overhead exhale take the hands to heart center when you're ready we'll come to a tabletop position go ahead and extend the left leg tucking the left toes and just getting into the back of that leg and we'll release switching sides extending the right leg tucking the toes and just pressing into the heel and we'll release coming back to your table wrists under shoulders knees under hips dropping the belly in he'll take your gaze up for cow pose exhale rounding through the spine take your gaze down for cat continuing to sink breath with movement going at your own pace so coming to a neutral spine taking the hands a little further up we'll begin to find some organic movement so just moving wherever the body takes you you can do some spinal waves you can rock side to side you can even just rotate the hips whatever the body needs coming back to our tabletop pose wrist under shoulders knees under hips inhale reaching that right hand up overhead as you exhale threading it underneath that left shoulder left hand reaches towards the top corner of the mat or go ahead and take a bind if that's available and we'll gently release take a moment here shake it out and when you're ready we'll inhale reaching that left hand up exhale threading it underneath the right arm right hand reaches towards the top corner of the mat or go ahead and take a bind [Music] gently release take a moment here when you're ready we'll round through the spine coming all the way down to your belly resting on your forearms elbows in line with the shoulders lifting through the sternum gentle back bend here softening the shoulders as you exhale feel free to find a little bit of movement here kind of rocking side to side maybe even gazing over each shoulder [Music] and you can rest here or go ahead and plant the hands underneath the shoulders pressing into the tops of the feet inhale coming right into an up dog engage the core as you exhale plant the knees sending the hips towards the heels for child's pose option here to place a pillow or bolster just between the hips and the heels you can even place one underneath the torso for a little more height and support taking a moment here drawing the breath into the chest as you exhale softening the shoulders and the upper back allowing the arms to be heavy hands to be heavy drawing the breath into the belly expanding the lower back expanding the side body so just feeling the waistband of your pants getting tighter here as you inhale with your exhale completely letting go allowing the hips to be heavy and we'll gently release rounding up one vertebrae at a time take your time let the head come up last taking a moment here give gratitude for the body the vessel you have [Music] inhaling the hands up overhead exhale heart center thank you for joining namaste if you enjoyed this video don't forget to like it below and

Practice summary

Level
beginner
Duration
10 minutes
Equipment
yoga mat
Target areas
full bodyupper backlower backhipsspineshoulders
Energy
balancing

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