Published July 9, 2026 05:55AM
Your ideal daily yoga practice is whichever one you can actually build into your everyday life. Although studio classes and 1-hour practices have their place, trying 10-minute yoga at home is a much more doable and immediately gratifying way to move your body, offer yourself some grounding, experience relaxation, and replenish your energy reserves.
This practice is designed to help you unwind and ready take on the rest of your day (or evening).
10-Minute Daily Yoga Stretching Routine
No props are needed for this practice—just you, your mat, and a place to move. Your living room is a great option, but if you have the ability to take this stretching routine outside (even occasionally), definitely do so.
Child’s Pose
Begin in Child’s Pose. Spread your knees as wide as you’d like, bringing your big toes together to touch and walking your hands forward as you lower your head to the mat.
Stay here for 1-2 minutes.
Cow Pose
When you’re ready, take your gaze forward and press up to a Tabletop position. With your next inhalation, lower your belly, lift your chin and chest, and arch your back in Cow Pose.
Cat Pose
Exhale as you round your back and tuck your chin in Cat Pose.
Repeat these poses 6 times, moving with the pace of your breath.
Downward-Facing Dog
With your next exhalation, tuck your toes and send your hips up and back in Downward-Facing Dog. Feel free to pedal out your feet here, take some big bends in your knees, or sway from side to side before settling into stillness.
Stay here for 6 cycles of breath.
Low Lunge
Take your gaze ahead of you and step your right foot forward to land between your hands, dropping your back knee to the mat in Low Lunge. Lift your chest and allow your palms to rest on your right thigh.
If you’d like, take your arms up overhead while still lifting out of your lower back.
Stay here for 5 cycles of breath.
Downward-Facing Dog
Exhale as you land your hands on the mat and step back to Downward-Facing Dog.
Plank Pose
Inhale as you shift forward to Plank Pose.
Knees-Chest-Chin
Exhale as you lower your knees, chest, and chin to your mat.
Cobra Pose
With your next inhalation, draw you heart and chest upward in Cobra Pose.
Exhale back to Downward-Facing Dog. Take your gaze forward and land your left foot between your hands, repeating the following poses on the opposite side:
- Low Lunge
- Downward-Facing Dog
- Plank Pose
- Knees-Chest-Chin
- Cobra Pose
- Downward-Facing Dog
Three-Legged Dog
Inhale to sweep your right leg to the sky in Three-Legged Dog.
Low Lizard Lunge
With your exhalation, send your right foot forward and land it to the outside of your planted hands for Low Lizard Lunge. Release your back knee down to the mat.
Stay here for 1 full cycle of breath.
Half Splits Variation
Now, connect breath to movement. With your next exhalation, shift your weight back, come up onto your right heel, and fold your chest forward inside your right leg. Walk your arms ahead of you and come onto your fingertips in a Half Splits Variation.
Inhale to come back to Low Lizard Lunge. Repeat this cycle of movement 5 times with the pace of your own breath.
High Lizard Lunge
With your next inhalation, tuck your back toe and lift your back knee in High Lizard Lunge. Stay here for 1 cycle of breath.
High Twisting Lunge
Keeping your left hand planted, send your right arm toward the sky in a High Twisting Lunge. Stay here for 3 cycles of breath. Exhale to release, landing your right hand to the mat and stepping back to Downward-Facing Dog.
Inhale through Plank Pose, Knees-Chest-Chin, and Cobra Pose, finishing in Downward-Facing Dog.
Repeat the following poses on the opposite side:
- Three-Legged Dog
- Low Lizard Lunge
- Half Splits Variation
- High Lizard Lunge
- High Twisting Lunge
- Downward-Facing Dog
Once again, inhale through Plank Pose, Knees-Chest-Chin, and Cobra Pose, finishing in Downward-Facing Dog.
Take 1 full breath here.
Puppy Pose
Softly release your knees to the mat. Stack your hips over your knees and walk your hands forward, melting your heart toward your mat while keeping your hips over your knees in Puppy Pose. Plant your chin or your forehead to the mat, and feel free to come up on tented fingertips for a more intense shoulder stretch.
Stay here for 5 cycles of breath.
Thunderbolt Pose
Move through Tabletop before sitting back on your heels in Thunderbolt. Inhale to reach your arms overhead, and exhale to draw your hands together at heart center.
Pause here and allow your energy to settle, coming back to your body and breath. Thank yourself for making daily yoga a part of your routine.
