Published August 24, 2026 12:51PM
I like to think of the following 15-minute full-body stretch routine as my daily flexibility practice. It’s slow and gentle, so it makes a terrific yoga practice to start your day, although it’s not designed exclusively for mornings. It can also feel good toward the end of the day, after you’ve been at work and are trying to wind down and maybe have built up a little stiffness.
It’s essentially an all-levels flow that almost anyone can follow along with, even if you don’t have much experience with yoga. It takes you through several seated and reclined stretches with a couple standing poses. And although it targets your hips and back, you will definitely feel the stretch throughout your entire body.
And the more you practice this sequence, the more you’ll notice your body feel a lot more comfortable as you leave that tension behind you. Sometimes, focusing on just a few simple but effective poses is enough.
15-Minute Full Body Stretch for Anytime of Day
No props are required for this stretching session although you are always welcome to use whatever blocks or straps or household items help you feel comfortable in the poses.
Sphinx Pose
Start lying down on your stomach and bring your forearms to the mat, elbows slightly in front of your shoulders, wrists and palms pressing down into the mat. Think of pushing a little into the tops of your feet as well. To help you open a little through the upper back, lift your chest, pull your heart forward, and roll your shoulders back and down in Sphinx. Think of almost pushing down into your hip bones and the pubic bone. You’re not collapsing into that lower back, which could cause pinching or tension. Take 3 long, slow, deep breaths here. On your last exhalation, let it pull you all the way down to the mat.
Quad Stretch
You might want to pad your forehead by resting it on the back of your hand. You’re going to reach back with your right hand and pull your right foot toward you, drawing your right heel toward your right glute while trying to keep your knees hip-distance apart. Same as you practiced in Sphinx, think of pushing down into those hip bones, into the pubic bone, and also pushing down into that right thigh for a big opening through the quads and hip flexors. Find slow, steady breaths in and out through your nose. We use our breath to encourage ourselves to let go and release tension not only when we stretch but when we encounter any kind of challenge.
Then carefully release and do the same thing on your left side.
Dynamic Cobra Pose
Widen your hands so they come off the mat and come onto your fingertips like little spiders. As you inhale, press into your fingertips and lift yourself into a slight backbend.
Exhale as you melt your chest forward and down. Do 3 more like this. Inhale and ripple like a wave as you lift, and then slowly lower yourself down. Twice more.
Child’s Pose
Press yourself back into Child’s Pose with your big toes together and your knees angled wide toward the edges of the mat for a deeper stretch through the inner thighs. Press your hips back toward your heels and stretch your arms out in front of you. Think of pushing down through your shoulders and armpits to create more opening into the shoulders and upper back. Take one more breath in here.
Thread the Needle
Lift yourself up onto your hands and knees. We’ll continue focusing on the upper back by reaching your right arm toward the sky and then threading that arm underneath your chest and reaching it toward the left side of the mat. Let your shoulder and ear come down to the mat. As you lower your upper body, you’ll notice that your hips want to sway to the left, to push into your right hip to keep it stable. Press into your left palm and the back of your right arm as you draw your shoulders away from your ears. So you want to avoid being overly tense in the neck as you try to create some length there. Relax your jaw. Breathe here.
Then push a little more into your left hand to slowly lift yourself all the way back up to hands and knees as you extend your right arm toward the sky again. Notice if there’s a little bit of a difference, and then bring your hand down to the mat. Repeat on your left side.
Low Lunge to Three-Legged Dog
Step your right foot forward in between your hands. Keep your fingertips on the mat in a Low Lunge variation, tuck your back toes under, and sweep your right leg all the way back and up in Three-Legged Dog, bend your right knee, open your hip, and try to squeeze your heel toward your seat, almost like that stretch you did at the beginning of class when you were on your belly.
Feel the quad stretch as you breathe here.
Warrior 2
Step your right foot forward and spin your back foot parallel to the short edge of the mat. Lift yourself upright, arms extended, palms facing down in Warrior 2.
Reverse Warrior
Let’s reverse your warrior from here by bringing your left hand down and reaching your right arm up in a big side stretch while keeping the bend in your front knee.
Triangle Pose
Come back to your Warrior 2, straighten your front leg, and lean your right arm forward and down as you stretch your left arm toward the sky in Triangle Pose. If you want to add a half bind here, bring your left hand to your lower back and reach for your inner right thigh crease, but if that’s too much, leave it out.
Take several breaths here as you stretch through those hamstrings and lengthen the spine. Look down at the floor if you need help balancing.
Downward-Facing Dog
From Triangle, bend your front knee, bring your hands to the mat so they frame your front foot, and step back and stretch it out in Downward-Facing Dog. When you’re ready, bring your knees to the mat and repeat Low Lunge to Three-Legged Dog, Warrior 2, Reverse Warrior, and Triangle on your left side. Come back to Down Dog.
Seated Twist
From Downward Dog, bring your knees to the mat, extend your legs straight in front of you. Come into a twist by bending your right knee, crossing your right foot over your left thigh, and wrapping your left arm around your right knee. Bring your right hand behind you for support as you twist toward the right in a Seated Twist. Think of lifting taller through the spine as you keep your hips still facing the short side of the mat. Try to isolate the stretch in your mid and upper back.
Cow-Face Pose
From your Seated Twist, face forward, bend your left knee, and see if you can stack your right knee on top of your left knee in Cow Face Pose. Walk your hands in front of you and fold forward. If this is not working for you today, try to stagger your right shin slightly in front of your left shin, and try your forward fold again. And if this feels like too much on your outer hips, you can skip this. Otherwise, take 3 more breaths here.
Push your hands into the mat and slowly lift yourself up and repeat Seated Twist and Cow-Face on your other side. You might notice one side feels a bit stiffer than the other and that’s quite common. Straighten your legs and pause here.
Happy Baby Pose
Come onto your back and draw your knees toward your chest. Then widen your knees toward your shoulders and armpits and either stay here or find Happy Baby Pose by grabbing hold of your big toes, ankles, or shins. You can use your elbows to press your thighs open while keeping your tailbone pressed into the mat. Depending on the flexibility that you have, you might work on straightening one leg at a time or maybe straightening both legs at once.
Bend your knees, bring your feet flat on the mat, and maybe find a little windshield wiper motion, dropping the knees and thighs side to side, to release your lower back.
Savasana
As you release your arms and legs in Savasana, let yourself take up some space as you get comfortable. Linger here for about 3 minutes, relaxing each muscle as you let yourself get heavier and heavier, feeling the effects of even a short yoga practice. Maybe keep your focus on the flow of your breath.
When you’re ready, slowly deepen your breath and start to move a little, maybe stretching your arms overhead, arching through your lower back, and pointing your toes. Roll onto one side, come to take a seat, and sit up tall. Close your eyes and pause here before continuing with your day.
Thank you so much for doing this short everyday flexibility routine and full-body stretch. I hope you enjoyed it and that you feel more comfortable in your body.
