Updated July 8, 2026 01:21PM
No matter how much you love yoga, sometimes life gets in the way. Whether it’s due to changes in your schedule, coping with illness (yours or someone else’s), or experiencing plain old lack of motivation, the reality is that there might be long stretches of time—weeks, months, or, yes, years—when you never step onto your mat. At all. That’s okay.
But what happens when you feel the itch to practice yoga again? Merely thinking about getting back into it can be daunting. Finding a new rhythm when you’ve taken time away can be challenging because maybe you’re not interested—or comfortable—practicing in the same way you were before. Maybe you feel less flexible or have less stamina than when you were bending, stretching, strengthening, balancing, and twisting more regularly.
These challenges don’t mean you shouldn’t practice yoga anymore, but they do require a different approach than before. One solution is to start small with a short, straightforward practice you can do at home. This 20-minute yoga flow encourages you to reconnect with your body as you reintroduce it to yoga. Your only aim? To turn inward and move at your own pace.
20-Minute Yoga for When You’re Returning After a Break
The sequence is a combination of familiar poses and various options so you can adapt the practice to how you feel and what you need. Consider this your go-to sequence to rebuild your yoga practice.
Welcome back to your mat!
1. Knee to Chest
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the mat. Take a few deep breaths and notice how you feel. Draw your right knee toward your chest and wrap your arms around your shin or grasp behind your thigh. Take a few deep breaths here, then lower your right foot to the mat and switch sides.
2. Bridge Pose
From lying on your back with your feet flat on the mat, rest your arms at your sides. Inhale, press your hands and feet into the mat, and lift your hips in Bridge Pose. Take a few breaths here, then lower your hips to the mat.
3. Full-Body Stretch
Reach your hands overhead and straighten your legs on the mat. Reach your hands and feet away from you, stretching your entire body from head to toe. Take a few breaths here, then release.
4. Fetal Position
Roll onto one side with your knees bent and your head resting on your bottom arm. Take a few breaths here.
5. Seated Side Stretch
Come to a comfortable seated position. Inhale as you reach your arms overhead, interlace your fingers, and flip your palms to face the ceiling. Exhale and lean toward the right. Shift your gaze toward the left if it feels good, otherwise look straight ahead. Inhale and return to center. Exhale and lean toward the left, gazing toward the right if it’s comfortable. Inhale and return to center.
6. Cat-Cow
Come to your hands and knees. As you inhale, lift your chest, let your belly lower toward the mat, and arch your back in Cow Pose. As you exhale, press your palms into the mat, round your back, and draw your chin toward your chest in Cat Pose.
7. Toe Squat Variation
From your hands and knees, tuck your toes and draw your hips toward your heels. Straighten your arms and press your hands into the mat. Remain leaning forward (instead of sitting upright) in this Toe Squat variation. Take a few breaths here.
8. Knees-Down Plank
Come to your hands and knees. Walk your knees a few inches behind your hips. Press your hands into the mat and rotate your elbows so they’re pointing toward the wall behind you in Knees-Down Plank. Take a few breaths here.
9. Chaturanga Variation
From Knees-Down Plank, bend your elbows and slowly lower your chest to the mat in a knees-down Chaturanga variation.
10. Cobra Pose
Inhale as you press your hands into the mat, straighten your legs behind you, and lift your chest as much or as little as feels comfortable in Cobra. Exhale as you lower your chest to the mat.
11. Crocodile Pose
Stack one hand on top of the other, then rest your forehead on your top hand. Let your whole body sink into the mat. Take a few deep breaths here.
12. Hands and Knees or Downward-Facing Dog
Press your hands into the mat and draw your hips toward your heels. Come to your hands and knees or tuck your toes and lift your hips in Downward-Facing Dog. Take a few breaths here.
13. Low Lunge
If you’re not there already, come to your hands and knees. Draw your right knee toward your chest and step your foot in front of you. Lift your chest and place your hands on your right thigh in Low Lunge. Take a few breaths here. Return to your hands and knees.
Repeat Knees-Down Plank, Chaturanga Variation, and Cobra, or simply come onto your hands and knees or Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat Low Lunge on the left side.
14. Child’s Pose
Come to your hands and knees. Separate your knees and lower your hips toward your heels. Walk your hands forward and lower your chest toward the space between your knees. Rest your forehead on the mat or a block in Child’s Pose. Take a few deep breaths here.
15. Standing Half Forward Bend
Come to your hands and knees or Downward Dog. Then walk to the top of the mat. Bring your big toes to touch or keep your heels hip-distance apart. Reach your chest forward, flatten your back as its parallel to the mat, and place your hands on your shins or your thighs in Standing Half Forward Bend. Take a few breaths here.
18. Standing Forward Bend
Exhale as you lower your chest toward your thighs and and place your fingertips on the mat or blocks in Standing Forward Bend. Release your neck and let your head hang heavy.
19. Upward Salute
From Standing Forward Bend, slowly roll up and reach your arms overhead. Lift your gaze toward the ceiling in Upward Salute.
20. Mountain Pose
From Upward Salute, lower your arms to your sides and press your feet into the mat. Reach the crown of your head toward the ceiling in Mountain Pose. Take a few breaths here.
Return to Standing Forward Bend.
21. High Lunge
From Standing Forward Bend, step your left foot back and press the ball of your foot into the mat. Bring your feet hip-distance apart or wider. Reach your arms overhead in High Lunge. Take a few breaths here.
To come out of the pose, place your hands on either side of your right foot and step your left foot forward in Standing Forward Bend. Repeat High Lunge on the left side.
22. Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose
Sit on the mat with your right leg bent (as in Bound Angle Pose) and your left leg straight out to the side. Slowly bend over your left leg, leaning your chest toward your toes and reaching your left hand for your shin or thigh. Stay here or wrap your right arm behind you. Turn your chest toward the right in Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose. Stay here or reach your left arm up toward the ceiling. You want to feel the stretch but without too much strain. Then reach your right arm over your left leg, Take a few breaths here, then return to center. Switch sides.
23. Windshield Wipers
Sit with your knees bent and your feet on the mat hip-distance apart or wider Press your hands into the mat behind you. Lower both knees toward the right side, then the left in Windshield Wipers. Repeat a few times.
24. Wrist Circles
Find a comfortable seated position. Interlace your fingers and press your palms together. Slowly roll your wrists in circles in one direction, then switch directions.
