Your Muscles Will Be on Fire After This 16-Minute Yoga Sequence

• Stand with your feet together. Take a breath in and as you exhale, bend the knees and lower your hips as you raise your arms overhead.
• Sit back into your heels to target the thighs and glutes. Tuck your tailbone in and engage your abs.
• Keep the shoulders relaxed away from the ears as you gaze at the palms, breathing for five breaths.

• From Fierce, inhale to fold forward, placing the hands on the floor underneath the shoulders.
• Exhale to step the feet back, holding the body in one straight line for five breaths.

To modify: Rest one or both knees on the floor.

• From Plank, take a breath in and then exhale to bend the elbows behind you, lowering the body in one straight line.
• Hold here for five breaths.

To modify: Rest one or both knees on the floor.

• From Four-Limbed Staff, inhale to straighten the arms and come back to Plank.
• Exhale to lift the hips up and press them back into Down Dog.
• Hold for five breaths.

• From Downward Dog, step the feet together so the big toes are touching. Inhale to raise your right leg into the air. Lift the left heel as high as you can.
• Hold here for five breaths with the shoulders parallel to the floor, keeping the belly still and breathing into the chest.

• From Three-Legged Dog, inhale, then exhale to lower the left heel as you actively bend the right knee. Lift your head up, and turn to look over your left shoulder, arching the spine. Think about drawing your head and foot toward each other.
• Stay here for five breaths, keeping the core strong.

• From Arching Three-Legged Dog, inhale to step the right foot forward between the hands and raise the torso up.
• Exhale to open the hips, arms, and chest, gazing over the right fingertips.
• Hold here with the right thigh parallel to the floor for five breaths.

• From Warrior 2, inhale to turn the toes so both heels are pointing in.
• Exhale to bend your left knee coming into a very wide squat, with thighs parallel to the ground, knees over the ankles.
• Bend the elbows at 90-degree angles, opening the palms away from you.
• Hold here for five deep breaths.

• From Goddess, inhale to turn the right toes away from you, and the left toes in at 45 degrees.
• Exhale to bend the right knee so the thigh is parallel with the floor.
• Rest your right forearm on your right thigh. Wrap your left arm around your lower back and hold onto your upper right thigh.
• Gaze over your left shoulder, enjoying this twist for five deep breaths.

To modify: Skip the bind and raise your upper arm straight in the air, or rest it on the hip.

• From Twisting Side Angle, inhale and then exhale to lower your torso, and place both hands on the floor beside the right foot.
• gaze forward as you actively keep the back knee lifted, pressing the heel away from you.
• Breathe deeply for five breaths.

To modify: Rest the back knee on the floor or rest the hands on two blocks.

• From Burning Low Lunge, inhale to release the right hand to the floor.
• Step your right foot back, stacking the legs and heels, balancing on the outside edge of the right foot.
• Exhale to extend your left arm above you, keeping the core strong for five breaths.

To modify: If you find it difficult to balance, rest the top foot on the ground in front of you. If this hurts your wrist, rest your forearm on the floor instead.

• From Beginner's Sage, inhale, and exhale to lower onto your forearms so the elbows are underneath the shoulders.
• Hold the core and legs strong for five breaths.

To modify: Rest one or both knees on the floor.

• From Dolphin Plank, take a breath in as you lower your belly to the mat.
• Exhale to extend the arms and legs, lifting your feet and hands as high as you can, breathing deeply for five breaths.

• From Extended Locust, release the body to the floor, then roll over so you're sitting up.
• Inhale to lift your knees up to your chest, balancing on your sit bones.
• As you exhale, slowly straighten your legs upward while keeping the spine straight.
• Stay like this for five complete breaths. Rest, and repeat three times.

To modify: If this is too hard, hold with bent knees.

• From Boat, sit down extending both legs out in front of you.
• With big toes touching, inhale to place your hands six to eight inches behind you so your fingertips are pointing toward your hips.
• As you exhale, press into your hands and feet, lifting your hips as high as you can so your spine is in a long line. Lower your head behind you, pressing into the outside edges of your feet to engage your inner thighs.
• Hold strong and steady for five deep breaths.

To modify: Walk the feet in and do this pose with bent knees.

• From Intense East, lie on your back.
• Bend your knees, and place your feet flat on the floor. Walk your heels as close as you can to your tush, and turn your heels out slightly, so the outside edges of your feet are parallel with the outside edges of your mat.
• Lift your hips up with an inhale, and interlace the fingers. Rock your weight from side to side to draw the shoulder blades closer together.
• Stay here for five deep breaths, actively pressing your feet into the floor to lift your hips up and increase the stretch in your torso and neck.
• Roll over onto the belly and press back into Down Dog. Step or hop the feet forward, rising up to a standing position at the front of the mat, repeating this sequence on the left side.