If you want a quick yoga routine to do maybe each morning, evening or even a lunch time stretch, there are many online versions by various yoga instructors to choose from online.
However, what if none of the sequences online are of your liking? You could put together poses that you enjoy into a quick sequence of poses. Even copying some online instructors putting in your favourite poses.
A word of warning. I do caution you that if you are a beginner, or particularly have never done yoga before, planning your own session is not for you. That is, until you have attended classes with a certified yoga instructor to teach you safely how to carry out each pose. Yoga can cause injury if the poses are not carried out properly. I suggest that you be an intermediate or expert level before planning a sequence of your own.
So, going forward, are you wanting to concentrate on an area of your body that is causing discomfort? Your hips, shoulders, lower back, hamstrings or even your feet? Maybe, in attending yoga classes there are some poses that you particularly enjoy or somehow “speak” to you? You may feel calm in Child’s pose helping you decompress. Or you enjoy the “delicious” stretch from a Pigeon pose.
To begin you need to build an effective 10-minute yoga routine, divide your time into four simple phases:
· Centering (1 minute)
· Warm-Up / Spine Mobility (2 minutes)
· Main Flow / Strength (5 minutes)
· Rest / Integration /Savasana(2 minutes)
After that you can elaborate in each of these 4 groups adding poses you would like to do.
Here is a very simple example:
Minute 1: Centering & Breath
Sit cross-legged or in Child’s Pose (Balasana).
Close your eyes and take 5 to 8 slow, deep belly breaths.
Set a simple intention for your day or practice.
Minutes 2–3: Spine & Joint Warm-Up
Move to hands and knees (Tabletop).
Flow through Cat-Cow Pose (inhale drop the belly, exhale round the spine) for 5 to 10 rounds to wake up the spine.
Add gentle side body stretches or shoulder rolls.
Minutes 4–8: Main Flow & Standing Poses
Push back into Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) for a few breaths to lengthen the back body.
Step forward into a Low Lunge or High Lunge to open the hips and into Half split pose
Transition through Warrior I and Warrior II (holding each for 5 to 8 breaths per side) to build stability and leg strength.
Minutes 9–10: Cool-Down & Savasana
Lower down or fold into a gentle Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana) or Child’s Pose.
Lie flat on your back in Corpse Pose (Savasana) for the final minute to let your breath and body settle.
Keep it accessible, you do not need complex inversions or fast transitions in 10 minutes. Simple, repetitive movements are better for daily habits.
You might want a hands-free option, if your wrists or hands feel sore, substitute standing sequences like Mountain Pose flows instead of plank or downward dog.
Going further, you might like your routine tailored for a specific goal like morning energy, winding down before bed, or post-run tight hips?
Below are some common poses grouped into body parts. This way you have a guide of which poses will stretch the body part you want to concentrate on.
Please remember that certain yoga poses stretch certain body areas. However, yoga poses do not only concentrate on one area. Downward facing dog, for example, is an all over body stretch. Below shows the area of the body that the pose most concentrates on.
Hips
Happy Baby, Pigeon pose, Child’s Pose, Figure of 4, Yogi squat, Cow face pose, fire log pose, Frog pose.
Lower Back
Seated and standing forward fold, Supine twist, Seated twist, Backbend, Locust pose, Knee to chest, Tortoise pose, Cat and cow pose.
Shoulders
Eagle arms, Revolved child’s pose, Rabbit pose, Thread the needle, Bowing yoga mudra, Seated Neck and shoulder Stretch
Arms
Downward facing dog, Chararunga Dondasana, Upward facing dog, Table top, Bird Dog.
Core & Obliques
Bridge pose, Plank and side plank, Side stretch pose, Chair pose, Boat pose, Puppy pose, Half Lord of the fishes pose, Cobra and sphinx pose, Side Body Stretch
Legs
Warrior poses, High and low lunge, crescent lunge, mountain pose, Upward Salute, half split pose, Wide legged forward fold, Extended side angle, pyramid pose, Lizard pose, Triangle pose, Hero pose, Bound angle pose, butterfly pose, Gate pose.
Balance poses
Tree pose, tree pose with eagle arms and /or legs, Warrior III pose, Half moon pose, Extended hand to toe pose.
I’d suggest going on line to find poses, more if you wish.
Please remember as always in yoga to breathe through each pose of which is a very important component of your yoga practice.
There you are, have some fun with it!
Namaste.