Need a little mood boost? Take some time for yourself today and try this heart-opening, uplifting yoga sequence and you'll feel lighter and happier, because yoga makes everything better. Move through this 16-pose sequence on one side and then repeat on the other side. Note that for some of the poses, you'll be doing both sides twice.
Seated Shoulder Stretch
- Begin at the front of your mat in a comfortable, cross-legged seated position.
- Interlace your hands as you raise your arms overhead, pressing your palms toward the sky.
- Gaze at your hands, breathing deeply into the chest for five cleansing breaths.
Seated Heart Opener
- From the Seated Shoulder Stretch, sit on the shins with the knees touching. Lean back and place your palms flat on the floor behind you with your fingertips pointing away.
- Press your hands firmly into the ground and lift your chest, arch your back, and lower your head behind you.
- Enjoy this heart opener for five breaths.
Up Dog
- From the Seated Heart Opener, lift your torso and plant your hands on the floor in Down Dog position.
- Step your feet back, bend your elbows behind you, and lower down into Chaturanga [2].
- Inhale your chest forward and hold here in Upward Facing Dog for five deep breaths.
3-Legged Dog
- From Up Dog, lift your hips and press back into Downward Facing Dog [3].
- Step both feet together and inhale to raise your right leg up to the sky, keeping your shoulders parallel with the ground.
- Stay here for five breaths.
Arching 3-Legged Dog
- From 3-Legged Dog, bend the right knee, actively squeezing your right heel in toward your hip.
- Lift your head up, and turn to look over your left shoulder, arching the spine.
- Hold here for five breaths, keeping the belly still and breathing into the chest.
Extended Tabletop
- From Arching Three-Legged Dog, slowly lower your right leg to the floor behind you as you simultaneously raise your right arm in the air. You're essentially rotating your body 180 degrees so your belly is pointing up toward the ceiling. Readjust your feet if you need to so they are parallel and slightly wider than hips-width distance apart.
- Press firmly into your feet to lift your hips high, engaging your glutes and hamstrings, and extend your right arm over your face.
- Hold here for five complete breaths, gazing at your extended hand or up toward the ceiling.
Warrior 1
- From Extended Tabletop, inhale to step your right foot forward between your hands. Turn your left heel in, press into your feet, and lift your torso up.
- Raise your arms up, and press your palms together. Draw your shoulder blades down toward your hips, and gaze up toward your hands.
- Stay here for five breaths.
Reverse Warrior
- From Warrior 1, gently arch back and lower your left hand, resting it on the left hip or the back of your left leg.
- Raise your right arm overhead, feeling the stretch through the right side of your body. Continue to lower your hips, pressing your front knee forward so it's directly over your right ankle.
- Remain here for five complete breaths.
Half Moon
- From Reverse Warrior, inhale to lift your torso, and tip forward. Plant your right palm about a foot in front of your right toes. Straighten your right leg, and lift your left leg in the air.
- Distribute your weight evenly between your right hand and foot. Lift your left arm up, and gaze toward your left hand.
- Hold for five breaths.
Triangle
- From Half Moon, lift the torso up and plant the left foot down about four feet behind you.
- Keep both legs straight as you reach your right hand straight out over your right leg. Lower your right hand, resting it on your right shin or a block, or place your palm flat on the floor. Extend your left arm straight up, and gaze at your left fingertips.
- Stay like this for five deep breaths.
5-Pointed Star
- From Triangle, lift the torso up and bring the feet parallel.
- Extend the arms out in T-position, actively drawing the abs in toward the spine for five breaths. (Note: you'll be facing the opposite direction than this photo shows.)
Goddess
- From 5-Pointed Star, turn your heels in, bend your knees, and squat down so your quads are parallel with the floor. Tuck your tailbone in, keeping your shoulders stacked over your hips.
- Raise your arms in the air, bending your elbows so they are at 90-degree angles, opening your palms away from you.
- Keeping weight back in your heels, hold this pose for five breaths.
Twisting Goddess
- From Goddess, rest your right elbow on your right thigh and raise your left arm over your ear.
- Hold here for five deep breaths, gazing over your left shoulder.
- Rise up and switch sides, resting your left elbow on your left thigh, holding for another five breaths.
Goddess Eagle
- From Twisting Goddess, lift up the torso and cross the left elbow over the right, bringing the right fingers to the heel of your left palm.
- Gaze past the wrists for five breaths, staying low in your wide squat.
- Uncross the arms and switch sides for another five breaths.
Tree
- From Goddess Eagle, release the hands and stand with the feet together.
- Put all your weight into your left foot and lift your right foot off the ground. Grab onto your right ankle with your right hand, flex your foot, and place your heel as far up your standing leg as possible with your toes pointing down.
- To prevent your right foot from sliding down, actively press your left leg and the sole of your right foot against each other. Draw your right knee back to open your hip.
- Press your palms together in front of your heart or raise your arms into the air, gazing forward. Hold for five breaths.
Dancer
- From Tree, grab onto the inside arch of your right foot. Lean forward, lifting your right leg as high as you can, extending your left arm in front of you to help you balance.
- Stay like this for five breaths.