FitnessWorkouts

Relax to the Max With This 20-Minute Yoga Flow You Can Do Entirely Lying Down

Want to relax and unwind? This 20-minute yoga flow lying down is everything you need and more. Try it today!

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Photo: Getty Images/Manu Vega
Published Apr 25, 2024

Written by 

Katherine Englishman

Resting tends to be something we put off or save for later when there’s “more time.” Yet, when we’re feeling fatigued, rushed, or distracted, slowing down can be one of the most productive ways to recharge a tired body and fragmented mind.

Experts in This Article

Victoria Rutledge

registered yoga teacher with 500 hours of training.

“So much of our day-to-day life is ruled by demands on our time, energy, and bodies,” says yoga teacher Victoria Rutledge, E-RYT 500. “Slowing down allows us to notice our patterns of thought and cultivate a non-judgmental self-awareness that primes us for honest and generous communication with ourselves and our communities.”

If you’re imagining a long mid-afternoon nap, go for it. (Really, we mean it!) But for those of us who only have so much time to spare, you’ll be pleased to know that a 20-minute yoga practice done entirely lying down is just as good—if not better—than a nap.

With no more than a yoga mat, timer, blanket, and two yoga blocks (if you have them), you can effectively down-shift into a state of physical relaxation and a more calm yet focused mind in a matter of minutes.

Supine (lying on your back) poses are a wonderful way to use the force of gravity to your advantage and relax your whole body. And, these yoga poses are a great antidote to the downward pressure put on your spinal column and pelvis that you feel after sitting or standing for long periods of time.

What’s more, when you lie on your back, you support the circulation of the blood around your spine and vertebrae, according to Rutledge.

“This can support the long-term health of the spine, meaning more mobility later into life,” she says.

This 20-minute yoga flow lying down can help you release tension, improve your breathing, and be more present simply by creating a little more space between you and the outside world.

TIP

Before you begin your yoga flow lying down, dress so you don’t get cold or uncomfortable, and consider setting up your space by setting a blanket down over your yoga mat if you know you prefer extra padding or warmth. You can use an eye mask to block out light and to help relax your facial muscles, which are intricately connected to your nervous system.

1. Corpse pose with knees bent (Savasana)

This knee-bent corpse pose modification helps to relieve low back tension that may arise if your legs are fully extended, and it grounds you with your feet placed flat on the floor.

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If you feel some gentle movement might help you feel more comfortable, try slowly tilting your pelvis back and forth a few times as if you were in a reverse cat-cow pose. Then, come into stillness.

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Photo: Katherine Englishman, RYT-500
  1. 1.
    Lie down on your back and bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Turn your toes slightly in and allow your knees to fall in toward each other.
  2. 2.
    Extend your arms straight down at your sides to gently stretch the front and back of your chest.
  3. 3.
    Inhale to fill your lungs from bottom to top.
  4. 4.
    Slowly exhale and release all your body weight down into the support of the mat beneath you.
  5. 5.
    Remain here for 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Eye of the needle pose (Sucirandhrasana)

This pose that gently opens up tight hip muscles and softens tension in your lower back. If you have an extra minute to spend on each side, remain here and feel even the tightest hips melt like butter in this pose.

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Photo: Katherine Englishman, RYT-500
  1. 1.
    Lie down on your back and bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Turn your toes slightly in and allow your knees to fall in toward each other.
  2. 2.
    Lift your left foot up to cross your left ankle over your right knee.
  3. 3.
    If you feel a lot of tension in your hips, stay here and focus on taking deep, full breaths. If you’d prefer a deeper stretch, clasp both hands behind your right thigh and gently draw your legs in toward your chest only far enough so that your hips remain on the mat.
  4. 4.
    Inhale to fill up the back of your lungs.
  5. 5.
    Exhale to soften and relax your body.
  6. 6.
    Remain here for two minutes, then switch sides.

3. Twisted eye of the needle pose (Parsva Sucirandhrasana)

This supine twist essentially puts the eye of the needle pose onto its side for a posture that delivers an even bigger outer hip stretch, IT band release, and can reduce spinal tension.

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Photo: Katherine Englishman, RYT-500
  1. 1.
    Lie down on your back and bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Turn your toes slightly in and allow your knees to fall in toward each other.
  2. 2.
    Lift your right foot up to cross your right ankle over your left  knee.
  3. 3.
    Inhale to lengthen the spine and as you exhale, allow both legs to fall to your left side in the same position, so your left leg is on the ground beside you and your right foot is now flat on the floor.
  4. 4.
    Gently wedge your left elbow and hand between the mat and your knee, so the elbow is on the ground, and your palm is gently supporting the inside of your right knee. If this feels awkward or uncomfortable, simply hold your right ankle with your left hand or stretch your arms out to the side with the top knee pointing up.
  5. 5.
    Use your exhalations to relax your head, neck, back, and pelvis down into the mat.
  6. 6.
    Turn your head to look over your opposite shoulder, as long as there’s no sensation of strain or discomfort.
  7. 7.
    Remain here for two minutes, then switch sides.

“Slowing down allows us to notice our patterns of thought and cultivate a non-judgmental self-awareness that primes us for honest and generous communication with ourselves and our communities.” —Victoria Rutledge, E-RYT 500

4. Reclined bound angle pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

Practice this reclined version of cobbler’s pose (Baddha Konasana) as a more gentle way to stretch your inner thighs, groin, and hips. This pose also opens up your chest to improve breath capacity and relaxes your spine.

You can practice this on your back without props, or you can place a yoga block underneath the outside of your knees for support. If you don’t have blocks, try rolling up a blanket and wrapping it around your outer ankles.

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Photo: Katherine Englishman, RYT-500
  1. 1.
    Lie down on your back and bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor.
  2. 2.
    Slowly open your knees out to the sides, lowering them toward the ground. Bring the soles of your feet together as your knees fall apart. Add props like the two blocks or rolled up blanket as mentioned above, or lie back on a yoga bolster if you prefer.
  3. 3.
    Place your hands on your stomach and take a deep, diaphragmatic breath.
  4. 4.
    Exhale and soften your jaw, release the weight of your pelvis, and close your eyes.
  5. 5.
    Remain here for two to three minutes.

5. Supported bridge pose (Setu Bandhasana)

It’s amazing what a difference placing a single yoga block beneath your pelvis in bridge pose can make. Adding a stable form of support to suspend your hips above your heart does more than merely stretch your frontal hips and quadriceps. It slows down your heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and can make you feel both feather light and firmly grounded all at once for an almost magically relaxing experience.

If you don’t have a yoga block, a bolster or several thick folded blankets can also prop up your hips and aid in relaxing your upper body. The goal here is to elevate your heart over your head. Less thinking, more being.

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Photo: Katherine Englishman, RYT-500
  1. 1.
    Begin lying on your back with the knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Your knees should be stacked directly over your ankles and your toes should point forward.
  2. 2.
    Exhale to lift your hips and place a yoga block on the middle height, lengthwise, underneath your hips.
  3. 3.
    Roll one shoulder at a time underneath you to broaden your chest for a deep, full breath.
  4. 4.
    Gently lift your head and place it down so the flat part of the back of your skull is resting on your mat, with your neck in a neutral position (not flat on the mat or overarched). There should be no compression, discomfort, or pain sensation in your neck. If there is, exit the pose immediately and try lowering the block or blanket.
  5. 5.
    Once you feel comfortable, release any effort to your breathing and relax your weight down into the mat or your props. Cover your eyes with your eye pillow if you’d like.
  6. 6.
    Remain here for three to five minutes.
  7. 7.
    To exit the pose, inhale to lift your hips and remove the prop. Exhale to lower back down.

6. Banana pose (Bananasana)

End your yoga flow lying down with a wonderfully relaxing pose that offers a deep release in your side body and lower back—requiring very little effort for a very big reward. Sounds good, right?

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Banana pose is named as such because it resembles the shape of its namesake fruit. If you have more time to spare, spend as long as five minutes on each side and reap the many, many benefits that come as a result of your restful practice.

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Photo: Katherine Englishman, RYT-500
  1. 1.
    Begin on your back with your arms overhead and legs extended.
  2. 2.
    Inhale and stretch to elongate your whole body.
  3. 3.
    Exhale to shift your hips over to the left side of the mat, while moving your feet and hands to the bottom and top right corners.
  4. 4.
    Pause for a moment to notice how this crescent shape feels first, then, as you inhale, decide to gradually deepen the stretch (or not!) by crossing your right ankle over the left and right hand over your left palm to stretch yourself a little longer in both directions.
  5. 5.
    Exhale and relax your whole body down into the mat.
  6. 6.
    Remain here for three minutes. As you exhale, slowly return to the center, pausing for another moment before switching sides.

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FitnessWorkouts

Adult Ballet is on the Rise—And Yes, You Should Totally Try it

Here's what to know before your first class.

Published Feb 26, 2025

Written by 

Lauren Wingenroth

Maybe it's the reemergence of balletcore, or maybe we're all just trying to discover our inner child, but ballet classes for adults are majorly on the rise. 

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Former Miami City Ballet dancer Miriam Landis has seen the adult ballet boom firsthand in her adult beginner classes at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle. “My classes have grown up to the point where I’ll have 50 people in one class,” she says. “Especially since COVID, people really have this need for connection and shared sense of purpose. It’s really different from going to an exercise class—it’s a little bit of a meditation.” 

While many adults are finding community, creativity and purpose in ballet classes, there can also be an intimidation factor. After all, it’s an art form often depicted as elite and exclusive. But Landis says the vibe of most adult classes couldn’t be further from the cutthroat worlds of Center Stage or Black Swan. 

“People do feel like it has an exclusive aura,” she says. “But we’re really trying to include rather than exclude. I’ve had students say they were always too scared to come, but they were so glad they did. When people discover it, it really becomes something meaningful in their life.”

Inspired to hit the ballet barre? Here’s what veteran teachers and adult ballet regulars think you should know before you go, plus the benefits you can expect to get out of ballet as an adult. 

What to know before your first adult ballet class

“Beginner” doesn’t always mean beginner.

Confusingly, just because a class is labeled “beginner” doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for first timers, says Landis. Instead, look for classes called “absolute beginner” or “fundamentals” to learn the basics. “It’s like a language,” says Landis. “It’s not like a yoga class where you can go in and follow along.” 

If you aren’t sure, call the studio to ask if a class is intended for first timers. Or, some studios will even let you observe a class before you try it, says Dawn Hillen, who teaches absolute beginner ballet at The Ailey Extension in New York City. “Go see the teacher, and watch how they interact with the students,” she says. “That’s the single best way to know if it’s a good fit for you.”

It isn’t a fitness class.

Yes, ballet is a form of exercise. But a ballet class is not a fitness class. Plenty of first timers come in with that mindset, only to have their understanding deepen over time, says Landis. “There’s a real artistic aspect to it that doesn’t exist in an exercise class,” she says. “You’re going to be thinking about every part of your body, not just executing a step, but how you execute the step; the quality of it.” (FYI: Though barre classes often claim to be ballet-inspired, real ballet classes are actually very different.) 

Expect your ballet teacher to speak in metaphors and imagery more than you may be used to. (For instance, Landis might tell students to hold their hand as if they have “a million diamonds on their fingers.”) There’s also the focus on moving to the music, and on performing for an imagined audience. “Everything is taught based on how your audience is going to receive it,” Landis says. “How are you going to offer your cheek to the person sitting in the third ring so that what you’re projecting reaches them?” 

Though you’ll likely gain strength, coordination and flexibility from a ballet practice, ultimately ballet is about learning a craft, says Landis. 

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You don’t have to splurge on leotards—unless you want to.

If your adult ballet dreams involve a leotard, pink tights and a ballet skirt, that’s great. Hillen says for some students, feeling like they look the part enhances their experience. But if you don’t feel comfortable in traditional ballet attire—or you don’t want to spend money for an activity you aren’t sure you’ll stick with—she says anything you can move in is fine to wear. Form-fitting activewear is ideal, she says, so that teachers can see the alignment of your body, but she understands that some beginners might feel better in looser clothes. 

Shoes are a different story. Street shoes are typically not allowed in dance studios, so you’ll either want to invest in ballet shoes (jazz shoes are also fine, says Hillen) or wear socks. But be aware that socks can be slippery, says Landis, who often sends new dancers to the school’s lost and found to try and find a pair that’ll work for them.

Be respectful, but don’t worry too much about “ballet etiquette.” 

If you’ve watched enough ballet movies, you may be familiar with the concept that ballet culture contains countless unspoken rules and etiquette norms. While there’s some truth to that, in the low-stakes world of an adult ballet class, you don’t need to worry about much that isn’t common sense or similar to what you’d encounter in a fitness class.

For instance, you’ll be in close proximity to others, so be mindful about personal hygiene and not wearing heavy perfumes, suggests Landis. Arrive early, try to avoid having to leave and reenter the class, and keep your phone in your bag and on silent. 

Spatial awareness is key: Avoid standing too close to anyone else, or standing directly in front of anyone while working in the center of the room. Landis says that it’s common for regulars to use the same barre spot during every class, so it’s a nice courtesy to ask someone if a spot is available before parking yourself there. And when you’re doing steps that travel across the floor, “maintain the traffic pattern, even if you mess up the steps,” says Hillen. “If you come to a dead stop and people are traveling behind you, people can get injured.”

It’s customary to thank your teacher (and pianist, if there is one) at the end of class, but Hillen recommends also saying hello before class begins, to introduce yourself, explain that you’re new, and flag any injuries you may have. 

Embrace the corrections. 

Unlike in a yoga class, where you may get one or two hands-on adjustments, or a fitness class, where the coach may give some general form suggestions, in ballet, teachers give individualized corrections near-constantly. 

When a teacher gives you a correction, rather than dwelling on the fact that you’re doing something wrong, try to see it as an opportunity to learn and grow, says Hillen. Often, she says, teachers give corrections because they see potential and they want to help you reach it. “If a teacher turns their eye to you, it’s a gift,” she says. That said, if you feel the environment of the class is such that corrections aren’t well-intended or are making you uncomfortable, you may want to find a teacher who is a better fit for you.

“I always tell students that they can mess up in front of me; that this is a safe space and I’m here to support their journey,” says Landis. “Even if teachers aren’t skilled at communicating that, their role is to help you learn the skill you’re there to learn.” 

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The benefits of adult ballet classes 

Practicing ballet as an adult has myriad benefits, depending on what you’re hoping to get out of it. First, there’s the physical: A ballet class is a form of anaerobic exercise, says Hillen, meaning there will be short bursts of movement that get you huffing and puffing, followed by rest as you learn the next combination. She says ballet also develops strength, flexibility, mobility, coordination, balance and good posture. 

There are also the mental benefits, she says, like greater spatial and body awareness. “You’re constantly being asked to remember new things,” Hillen says. “So you’re making a healthier brain by learning something quickly and producing it physically.”

For Beverly Lippman, a regular at Hillen’s class, ballet helps her “focus on the moment,” she says. “Everything else goes away. It’s a very restorative space.” Landis agrees. “The ability to slow down, listen to music, be in your body and be present is incredibly valuable,” she says. “That is so missing from our general lifestyle.” 

Often, adult ballet classes are highly social, welcoming spaces, says Adrienne Chan, who takes Landis’ class at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. “I’ve made a lot of friends—it’s been wonderful,” she says. “Everyone cheers each other on.”

For Melissa Castañeda, who teachers adult beginner ballet at the Ballet Hispánico School of Dance in New York City, there’s power in learning that you are capable of something new as an adult. “It’s always a joy to see students discovering something they didn’t know about themselves,” she says. “It’s common for people to discover that their bodies are able to move in ways they never thought they could move. Your confidence will increase if you’re training with a good instructor who allows you to discover that in yourself.”

“They’re just immeasurable,” says Hillen on the benefits of ballet. “It expands your life.”

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