10-Minute Yoga Routine with Stretches for Beginners

If you’ve been hesitant to try yoga because you don’t think of yourself as a flexible person, we’ll let you in on a little secret: You don’t need to be all that flexible to be a yogi. Sure, hitting a perfect split in your Downward Facing Dog looks impressive, but you don’t have to go that far to reap the main benefits of yoga—strengthening and centering the body.

Still, as you begin yoga, your body may not be used to moving and twisting in these ways, and you may need to stretch it out to train your body to be a bit more limber—regardless of whether or not you can touch your toes.

In this episode of Flow, yoga instructor Faith Hunter has a simple yoga routine full of stretches that are perfect for beginners. These stretching poses will help your body develop a wider range of motion that will allow you to do more challenging poses as you progress.

This yoga series to stretch out the body includes the following poses:

– Standing Mountain Pose

– Forward Fold

– Downward Facing Dog

– Downward Facing Dog Split

– Low Lunge

– Plank

– Cobra

– Child’s Pose

– Seated Spinal Twist

– Seated Forward Fold

– Seated Side Stretch

As you complete these stretching yoga poses, focus on the form. Do not compromise your form in order to get a deeper stretch—this can lead to injuries. A burn is good, but pain is not, so listen to your body.

For more yoga routines for beginners, try this 10-minute yoga series to learn basic poses.