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Sometimes what you desperately need when you’re feeling sluggish and tired is a 15-minute power yoga flow. Like a caffeine boost, certain poses and the pace through which you move through them can be an instant energizer.
This short power yoga flow is mostly a one-breath-per-movement pacing and is intended for anyone familiar with the poses and are comfortable moving at that rhythm. You’ll start with some seated stretches before building intensity through strengthening standing poses, including some unexpected transitions and variations. The 15-minute yoga practice works well in the morning or anytime you need to activate your body and your brain. You’ll not only strengthen but stretch in all the ways you need.
15-Minute Power Yoga Flow
There are no props required for the following 15-minute yoga practice although you’re welcome to use whatever helps you feel more comfortable.
Seated Side Bend
Start seated as you extend your right leg straight out toward the side of the mat. You’re kind of widening your knees away from one another. Bring your left foot to your inner right thigh. Start with a side bend here, keeping both sit bones anchored to the mat as you lift tall. Reach your left arm overheard and simply lengthen through the left side of your waist. You want to lean to the side rather than roll forward here. Instead, think of leaning farther back. Relax your neck as you keep stretching and reaching through your left arm. When you’re ready, inhale as you lift all the way up.
Baby Wild Thing
Bring your left hand back behind you and reach your right arm all the way back as you lift your hips up, finding a little backbend and a little side bend here in a modified version of Wild Thing.
Seated Forward Bend
Lower your hips to the mat and rotate your chest toward your straight right leg. Since it’s your first real stretch this morning, make this a passive forward bend. Just let gravity take you down into this pose. You can definitely bend into your left knee. Don’t worry about how far down you’re folding, especially first thing in the morning. Relax your arms, relax your upper body, relax your neck and take 5 slow, steady breaths here in Head to Knee Forward Bend (Janu Sirsasana). Get a nice stretch through the right hamstrings and along the spine. Take a deep breath in and out through the nose.
Use your arm strength to push your hands into the mat and slowly roll all the way up to sitting. Do the same thing on the other side, starting with a Seated Side Stretch followed by Baby Wild Thing and a Seated Forward Bend on the other side.
Modified Plank to Child’s Pose
Walk your hands in slightly and come onto your hands and knees. Slide your hands a couple inches in front of your shoulders and shift your hips forward so you’re in modified Plank Pose with your knees still on the mat.
Exhale as you lower yourself down to the mat.
Inhale as you push yourself back up.
Exhale as you press your hips back into a modified Child’s Pose without sinking all the way back onto your heels.
Practice several of these mini sequences. So inhale forward into a modified Plank, exhale to lower, inhale to come back up, and exhale as you press back to Child’s Pose. Keep going here while keeping your elbows in while you lower. So it’s more like a Chaturanga push-up. You’re going to do 4 more.
Child’s Pose
Push yourself back into a wide-legged Child’s Pose with your big toes together and knees apart. It might feel good to press your palms together in front of your head, then bend your elbows and bring your thumbs to the back of your neck to stretch the triceps that you’re just worked. Take one more breath here.
Downward-Facing Dog to Plank
Bring your hands shoulder-distance apart and lift your hips up and back into Downward-Facing Dog and immediately shift forward into your Plank Pose by bringing your shoulders over your wrists. Lift your right leg a couple inches off the mat and hold there for a count of 5.
Lift your right leg into Three-Legged Dog, bend your right knee, open your hip, and squeeze that glute to lift your knee even higher.
Warrior 2
Step your right foot forward and spin your back foot parallel to the short side of the mat and then rise into Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II).
Humble Warrior
Think of squeezing your right knee open as you interlace your hands behind your lower back. Squeeze your shoulder blades behind you, straighten your elbows, and lift your knuckles away from your tailbone as you dive down inside your right thigh. Continue to lift your knuckles as you keep a generous bend in your right knee. Take another breath here.
Chair Pose
Push your feet into the floor to lift yourself all the way up. Release your arms and step to the front of the mat in Chair Pose (Utkatasana) with your big toes together and your heels about an inch apart. Take any arm variation you like here, whether hands at the chest or arms alongside your ears. Sink a little more into the pose.
Boat Pose
Now here’s the challenge. Bring your hands to your heart and slowly lower yourself all the way to the mat with control and then lift your legs in Boat Pose (Navasana). You can keep your knees bent or take straight legs. Try to broaden across your chest.
Downward-Facing Dog
Cross your ankles, rock yourself forward, plant your hands, and either step back to Downward-Facing Dog and hang out there or you can inhale to Plank, exhale to lower to the mat, inhale into Cobra Pose, and then exhale as you lift back into Down Dog.
Shift forward into Plank and lift your left leg a couple inches off the mat then take yourself through Three-Legged Dog, Warrior 2, Humble Warrior, Chair, and Boat.
Low Lunge
Step your right foot forward to the front of the mat and find a Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana) here by lowering your back knee to the mat. Open across your chest and stretch through those hip flexors along the front of your left thigh.
Step yourself back to Down Dog and then switch and do the same thing on the other side.
Downward-Facing Dog
Come back to your last Downward Dog and stretch everything out here. Take your time.
Standing Forward Bend
Walk your hands toward the back of the mat, widen your feet a little, and find a rag doll or forward bend. Let your hands dangle or maybe you hold on to your elbows. Sway a little side to side, letting go of any tension in your body and slowing your heart rate.
Seated Twist
Release your hands to the mat, bend your knees, and take a seat. You can be cross-legged or kneeling, whatever feels good to you. Bring your left hand to your right knee and your right hand behind you as you twist to the right and open across your chest. Then twist the other way. If you have a little extra time for your 15-minute yoga flow, linger on each side a few extra breaths.
Seated Meditation
Come back through to center and circle your arms overhead and then bring your hands together at the front of the chest. Take a long, slow exhalation here and pause after your power yoga flow to focus yourself before you head into your day.
