Published July 13, 2026 04:04AM
This 15-minute yoga routine is a quick twisting practice that you can take yourself through anytime and anyplace. I filmed it when I was vacationing with some girlfriends and I simply wanted to take my practice outdoors at the beach.
The class is all about twists and side bends so that it can take the spine in all the directions it needs to move for optimal health. It’s more intermediate level as it features a lot of familiar poses with a literal twist so that they feel different. For example, you’ll practice Revolved High Lunge and Pigeon Pose with a Thread the Needle variation.
Let this 15-minute yoga practice be a reminder that even a short amount of yoga can have a profound effect on your mental and emotional well being, regardless of whether or not you’re on vacation.
15-Minute Yoga Twist & Flow Routine
Seated Side Bend
You’ll start in a comfortable seated position, whether that means sitting cross-legged or something else, with your spine nice and tall and your shoulders down and away from your ears. Reach your right arm all the way up and overhead in a big side body stretch. Think of pushing down through your right sit bone. Let your head be heavy, your neck relaxed, and your jaw free of tension.
Still in your side bend, rotate your arm down slightly and bringing your chin and chest to face toward your left thigh. You’re still reaching out through those right fingertips and keeping your arm long.
Lift your right arm overhead again and then lean back slightly and lift your chest toward the sky. You might not be leaning too far back in this one and that’s okay.
Seated Spinal Twist
Bring your right hand to your left knee and take your left fingertips behind you in a Seated Spinal Twist, still breathing in and out through the nose. So your hip bones are still facing forward as you find rotation in your spine.
Stay here or maybe you wrap your left arm behind you and grab hold of the side of your right hip. Then lower your right ear toward your right shoulder in a slight twist with an added neck stretch, sort of like what you were doing in your side bend.
From here, maybe you lower your chin toward your right shoulder to intensify the stretch along the back of your neck. Finally, tilt your chin up toward the sky, stretching more along the front of your neck.
Release back to center, shrug your shoulders, and repeat your Side Bend and Spinal Twist on the other side. Release and come back to center.
Seated Shoulder Twists and Circles
Reach your arms straight out from your shoulders, bend your elbows, and bring your fingertips onto your shoulders. Keep your elbows at shoulder height as you start to twist from side to side. I like to inhale for 4 twists and then exhale for 4 twists. You might find a different pace that works for you. You’re simply trying to create a little heat.
Continue to keep your arms and elbows lifted as you twist side to side, your hips continuing to remain facing forward. Only the upper body is moving in order to bring rotation to the mid and upper back. Try not to hold your breath as you do this.
Now go ahead and circle your elbows, bringing them toward each other in front of you. At any point, you can reverse the direction of those circles.
Cat and Cow
Come to your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your toes tucked. As you inhale, lower the belly, lift the gaze, and arch the back in Cow Pose.
As you exhale, reverse this motion as you really round the back and contract the core in Cat Pose. Try to merge your movement with your breath and continue to push into your fingertips and knuckles.
Child’s Pose
With your toes still tucked under, find Child’s Pose (Balasana) by taking your knees wide and leaning your chest and arms forward. So you’re stretching a little through the undersides of your feet. If this feels like too much for your ankles and your feet, you can untuck your toes and rest the tops of your feet on the mat.
Toe Squat Twist
If possible, keep your toes tucked under as you lift your upper body and reach your arms straight in front of you with your palms touching. Keep your right arm in place as you sweep your left arm open and all the way behind you in an open twist.
Stay here or bring your left fingertips down to the mat behind you and reach your right arm straight above with your shoulders stacked.
Come back to center and switch sides before you face forward again.
Half Camel Pose
From Toe Squat, lift your hips, untuck your toes, and rest the tops of your feet on the mat as you kneel. Bring your arms straight in front of you again and reach your left arm open in a twist again.
Stay here or take the exact same twist you did a moment ago but kneeling by by bringing your left hand down to your right heel as your right arm extends straight up in a twist and a backbend that I call Half Camel Pose. Try to keep your hips facing forward and your hips stacked over your knees.
Let your core strength bring you back through to center. Repeat Toe Squat Twist and Half Camel on the second side.
Downward-Facing Dog
Find Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) with your hands shoulder-distance apart and your feet hip-distance apart. Peddle out your legs here or move in any way that feels good and intuitive. Then eventually settle into stillness in your Downward Dog.
Three-Legged Dog
Lift your right leg toward the sky, bend your right knee, and open your hip in Three-Legged Dog. Try to get your right knee as high as possible and, at the same time, push into your left heel.
High Lunge
Step your right foot forward to the top of the mat with your feet hip-distance apart. Carefully rise with the upper body and bring your arms alongside your ears in High Lunge. You want to do this as gracefully as you can relying on your core strength.
High Lunge Twist
And then reach your arms straight in front of you again and find the same twist as when you were kneeling. So bring your arms straight in front of you and then reach your right arm open toward the back of your mat. Keep your gaze steady on something that’s not moving. This will help you with balance. Your hip bones are still facing forward and your chest is facing toward the right side of the mat. Keep your hips under your shoulders.
Revolved Lunge
Stay in your twist as you lower your left hand to the mat and reach your right arm up.
Pigeon Pose
Bring your right fingertips to the mat and place your right knee somewhere behind your right wrist. Try to evenly distribute your body weight between both hips. Everyone is built a little differently, so you’ll want to adjust your position here in Pigeon Pose any way that works for your hips, whether you remain upright, take a slight backbend, or bring your chest forward toward the mat. Choose the variation of Pigeon that feels the best today. You want a nice stretch and sensation along the outer right hip and glute.
If you lean forward, you don’t need to come all the way. You can simply lean forward on your forearms. Breathe into the sensation. Try to relax your neck and shoulders.
Slowly ease out of the pose and make your way to Downward-Facing Dog or take yourself through the following flow.
Plank
Inhale as you shift your shoulders forward over your wrists into Plank Pose.
Cobra Pose
Then come back to Downward-Facing Dog and take Three-Legged Dog, High Lunge, High Lunge Twist, Revolved Lunge, Pigeon, and either a flow or straight to Downward-Facing Dog.
You’re going to repeat this flow on each side, and perhaps this time you move a little faster and transition with your breath.
As you come into High Lunge Twist, you have the option of dropping your right fingertips toward your right thigh and reaching your left arm overhead in a Revolved High Lunge or Exalted Warrior.
You can also add a twist in Pigeon Pose by bringing your left shoulder to the mat and threading your left arm underneath your chest and straight to the right. You can also opt to take a bind by bringing your right arm behind your back and either grabbing the waist or maybe taking hold of your right foot, if you’re able to find it. Don’t worry if that is not accessible to you! And if this twist is too much, leave it out and just stay in your regular variation of Pigeon.
Unpretzel yourself and repeat on the other side. Come back to Down Dog.
Downward-Facing Dog Twist
You’re going to add a twist to your Down Dog. So walk your feet a little closer toward your hands. Bend your knees and see if you can grab hold of your left ankle or outer shin with your right hand. Maybe you straighten the legs as you start to rotate and look underneath your left shoulder and left armpit. The knees can definitely be bent for this.
Then repeat the poses on the other side as you twist toward your right side.
Come back to Downward-Facing Dog. Take a big breath here and release. Lower your knees to the mat and roll over onto your back.
Happy Baby Pose
Draw your knees toward your belly, giving them a big squeeze and maybe rocking a little side to side, massaging your lower back.
Widen your knees and hold onto the big toes or the outer edges of your feet as you stack your ankles over your knees in Happy Baby Pose.
Stay here or you can play with straightening one or legs at a time, getting a little deeper into the hamstrings, or if it’s comfortable for you, straighten both legs.
Windshield Wipers
Savasana
Make your way into your final resting pose, Savasana. Let yourself take up some space with your arms and your legs, shrug your shoulders down and away from your ears, and rest your hands with your palms facing up toward the sky in Savasana.
Savasana is your opportunity to recalibrate and to let your body integrate all of this work. Simply breathe in and out through your nose, without forcing it, as you relax every muscle in your body. Close your eyes and notice the effects of your practice, where you feel it most in your body, giving yourself this time to process the work that you’ve done on the mat. I encourage you to stay here for a few more minutes for full rest and relaxation.
Thank you so much for doing this intermediate 15-minute yoga twisty practice with me. I hope it challenged you!
