This 15-Minute “Gentle Yoga” Routine Increases Flexibility and Reduces Stress—Here’s What Happened When I Tried It

This yoga routine develops flexibility and stretches the muscles from head to toe. It only takes 15 minutes, making it the perfect way to wake up or relax before bed.

I recommend deploying one of best yoga mats for home practice – I’m currently training on Lululemon “The Mat”, it’s very soft and grippy. The program, supervised by instructor Cassandra, falls into the category of gentle hatha flow. She says: “These are gentle, calming yoga classes that will help you relax and stretch your body, great for all experience levels. No props required.”

The lesson ends with five cycles of boxing breathing, translating Sama Vritti pranayama into Sanskrit – one of three breathing technique I swear by for stress relief and relaxation. Here’s how to access a complete yoga program on your own.

Watch Cassandra’s 15-minute yoga routine

“This could be a therapeutic yoga class that you can do when you’re feeling anxious and want to ground yourself,” Cassandra explains. “We’ll start with mindful breathing before moving on to yoga poses. Enjoy!”

15 Minutes of Gentle Yoga for Flexibility and Stress Reduction – YouTube

“Let your stress melt away with this gentle yoga flow with full-body stretching.”

Box breathing is an ideal way to start (or end) a yoga practice because it helps switch the body from the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight mode) to the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and recovery). The session begins with conscious breathing, which returns you to the body, and ends box breathing at the end.

Without knowing it, we may spend extended periods of time in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls hormonal responses such as cortisol and adrenaline. When the body feels threatened, this part of our autonomic nervous system helps us cope with the danger. When the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, the body can relax, repair, and restore itself.

Anyone who uses breathing exercises is encouraged to practice them regularly, with many people reporting decreased anxiety, improved sleep, and increased focus and energy.

Box breathing follows inhaling for four seconds, pausing at the top of the breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and holding the breath again for four seconds. One study published in Cell reports, medicine shows that breath work, especially “exhalation-oriented cyclic breaths,” can improve mood and reduce breathing rates.

The exercise begins with a lower body stretch that helps loosen tight muscles in the hips, buttocks, and groin, using the breath to guide the body into the stretch. Cassandra then moves on to the static round. low lunges for the hips, glutes and lower back and targets the posterior chain muscles (low back, glutes and hamstrings) with forward folds.

Bend forward can sometimes make your back pain worse, so be aware of this if you have an injury. If you have tight hamstrings, bend your knees slightly and relax your neck, looking between your legs.

My verdict

I love that this yoga class moves slowly up the body, starting in the legs and hips and working through the spine to the upper body, providing a deliciously deep full-body stretch.

I have tried this treatment on myself and it is deeply relaxing and small, making a big impact in a short time. I found that it prepared me for sleep, but I can understand why someone might like to wake up to this routine or use it to de-stress during the day, especially those who sit for long periods of time.

This procedure is ideal for beginners as it requires little exposure and is easily scalable. However, this class focuses more on flexibility and deep stretching rather than mobility, so if you’re looking for a more energetic, flowing vinyasa practice, it may not be for you.

You can find out more about stretching vs mobility with our handy guide here.