Everybody Has 20 Minutes for Yoga!

Time is relative, not really ours, and its actual existence is infinitely debatable. We generally have time for the activities we are interested in or compensated for. When we wish we had time for activities but are not doing them, we have usually not committed to them, or don’t actually want to do them.

The resulting disharmony between thinking we should be doing one thing but doing something else is detrimental to our wellbeing. Better to give up imagining that you will take on an activity than to continue to torture yourself. Or, make the decision now to start. The simple act of starting is 50% of the battle.

If yoga is one of those endeavors that you wish you were doing, essential to starting is reducing the amount of time you think is required. We have discovered that a 20 minute yoga practice really works! How it works and what it does for you depends on the unique combination of you and the yoga practice you choose.

Below are three 20-minute routines that you can try depending on what you are seeking. Flow through these sequences and hold each pose for a couple of breaths, or as long as you like:

20 Minutes to Brighten and Motivate

• Windshield Wiper
• Figure Four Hip Stretch
• Reclined Hamstring Stretch
• Reclining Buddha to Shoulder Stretch
• Low Cobra x 2
• Child's Pose
• Standing Forward Fold
• Standing Side Stretch Pattern x 2
• Lunge Salutes x 2
• Tadasana

20 Minutes to Reduce Anxiety and Open Mind

• Tadasana with feet hip distance apart
• Lunge Salutes x 4
• Standing Pose Flowing Sequence of with Warrior 2, Triangle, and Extended Side Angle
• Wide Leg Forward Fold Variations x 3
• Malasana
• Seated Forward Fold
• Seated Spinal Twist
• Bridge Pose
• Supine Figure Four
• Supine Spinal Twist
• Savasana

20 Minutes to Transition Towards Bed

• Passive Butterfly Forward Fold (3 minutes)
• Easy Seated Chest Opener (1 minute)
• Seated Side Stretch (2 minutes each side)
• Sphinx (2 minutes)
• Childs (1 minute)
• Supine Spinal Twist (2 minutes each side)
• Legs up the Wall (5 minutes)