A yoga instructor says this flow will help you feel looser and more limber in just 15 minutes

Give your spinal mobility a boost

woman performing a low lunge with arms extended overhead, wearing blue leggings and white croptop in a living room setting with a plant to one side
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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If you spend a lot of your day sitting—at a desk, in a car or on the couch— and don’t stretch regularly, then you may have noticed your spine feeling stiff, achey or less mobile than it used to be.

That’s because without regular movement—twisting, bending and reaching—flexibility can quickly decline, especially once we’re older.

Lauren Kearns, a yoga instructor and balanced body educator for Balanced Body, has created a yoga flow that addresses mobility and flexibility to help you feel looser and more limber.

“This 15-minute flow blends breathwork, spinal mobility, strength and mindful stretching, ideal for morning vitality or a midday reset,” says Kearns.

Overview

There are 20 moves in this flow, and Kearns has provided detailed explanations of each below, but here’s the flow in brief to refer to mid-flow.

  1. Tailor sit x 5 breaths
  2. Seated arm flow x 3 breaths
  3. Seated spinal twist x 6 breaths
  4. Seated lateral stretch x 6 breaths
  5. Bound angle forward fold x 3 breaths
  6. Cat-cow x 5 breaths
  7. Downward-facing dog x 3 breaths
  8. Standing forward fold x 3 breaths
  9. Mountain pose x 2 breaths
  10. Half chair to full chair x 2 breaths
  11. Low lunge with twist x 12 breaths
  12. Plank to downward-facing dog x 3 breaths
  13. Child’s pose x 3 breaths
  14. Bridge and single-leg bridge x 3 breaths
  15. Head-to-knee pose x 6 breaths
  16. Seated sage twist x 6 breaths
  17. Wide-leg seated fold with torso rotation x 9 breaths
  18. Reclined hamstring stretch x 6 breaths
  19. Reclined spinal twist x 6 breaths
  20. Tailor sit x 3 breaths

1. Tailor sit

woman wearing blue leggings and vest sat cross legged with hands in prayer position on a black exercise mat on carpet indoors

(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 5 breaths

  • Sit on the floor with one foot tucked into your inner thigh close to your groin and the other in front.
  • Hold your palms together in front of your chest.
  • Close your eyes and take five slow, steady breaths.
  • Let your awareness settle into your breath and body.

2. Seated arm flow

Image 1 of 2
woman sitting cross-legged reaching her arms upward on a black yoga mat in a living room
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 3 breaths

  • Inhale as you sweep your arms overhead, lift your chest and look up.
  • Exhale as you lower your arms to your sides, gently bringing your chin to your chest.
  • Perform a total of three times, coordinating your breath with the movement.

3. Seated spinal twist

woman sitting cross legged twisting to one side on a black yoga mat in a living room.

(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 6 breaths

  • Place the back of your left hand on your right knee and your right hand behind you, turning your torso to the right, but look over your left shoulder.
  • Hold for three breaths—lengthening through your spine as you inhale and deepening the twist as you exhale.
  • Repeat on the other side.

4. Seated lateral stretch

woman sat cross legged reaching to one side for a side body stretch on a black yoga mat in a living room

(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 6 breaths

  • Place your left hand or elbow on the floor and reach your right hand overhead to your left-hand side.
  • Hold for three breaths, then switch sides.

5. Bound angle forward fold

Image 1 of 2
woman blue wearing vest and leggings sitting on the floor with feet together and knees out, looking up
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 3 breaths

  • Bring the soles of your feet together.
  • Inhale as you lift through the spine and look up.
  • Exhale as you fold forward, gently rounding your spine.
  • Let your head drop and jaw soften.
  • Perform a total of three times.

6. Cat-cow

Image 1 of 2
woman wearing blue vest and leggings performing cat cow yoga pose
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 5 breaths

  • Get on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
  • Inhale as you arch your spine, lifting your chest and chin to form cow pose.
  • Exhale as you round your spine, tucking your chin to form cat pose.
  • Perform a total of five times.

7. Downward-facing dog

Image 1 of 2
woman wearing blue vest and leggings performing a downward facing dog yoga pose on a black yoga mat in a living room
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 3 breaths

  • From cat-cow, tuck your toes and extend your legs to lift your hips up and back.
  • Keeping your back flat, pedal your heels toward the mat to stretch your calves eight times.
  • Then hold the position for three breaths, feeling the stretch in your spine and upper body.

8. Standing forward fold

woman doing a standing forward fold on a yoga mat in a living room setting.

(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 3 breaths

  • From downward dog, walk your feet toward your hands as far as you can
  • Bring your hands to your calves and your chest toward your thighs, bending your knees as needed, and let your head hang.
  • Hold for three breaths, then slowly roll up to standing.

9. Mountain pose

Time: 2 breaths

  • Stand with your feet together, arms by your sides and palms facing forward.
  • Feel your feet in contact with the floor and lengthen your spine.
  • Breathe mindfully for two breaths.

10. Half chair to full chair

Image 1 of 2
woman performing a chair pose in a living room setting on a black yoga mat wearing blue leggings and vest.
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 2 breaths

  • From mountain pose, bend your knees and reach your arms forward, shifting your hips backward
  • Keeping your core engaged and your weight in your heels throughout, reach your arms diagonally upward while maintaining a flat back and bent knees.
  • Return to the start and perform a total of two times.

11. Low lunge with twist

Image 1 of 2
woman performing a low lunge with twist in a living room on a black yoga mat
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 12 breaths

  • Place your hands on the floor, then step your feet back and raise your hips to come into downward-facing dog
  • Step one foot forward and lower the back knee to the floor.
  • Inhale as you reach your arms up, stretching through your spine.
  • Hold for three breaths.
  • On your last exhale, twist and bring one elbow to the outside of your opposite knee.
  • Hold for three breaths.
  • Step back to downward-facing dog, then repeat on the other side
  • Return to downward-facing dog to finish.

12. Plank to downward-facing dog

Image 1 of 2
woman holding a plank position on a black yoga mat in a living room setting
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 3 breaths

  • From downward-facing dog, inhale as you move your shoulders forward so they are directly over your wrists, with your body in a straight line from head to heels.
  • Exhale as you press through your hands to return to downward-facing dog, pressing your heels toward the floor.
  • Perform a total of three times, in time with a steady breath.

13. Child’s pose

woman performing child's pose on a black yoga mat on carpet floor

(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 3 breaths

  • From downward dog, lower your knees to the floor
  • Sit your hips back toward your heels and reach your arms forward.
  • Let your forehead rest on the mat. If it’s comfortable, lift your wrists to create space between your shoulders and armpits.
  • Hold for three breaths, then roll onto your back.

14. Bridge and single-leg bridge

Image 1 of 2
woman performing bridge pose on a black yoga mat in a living room
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 3 breaths

  • Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor hip-width apart, with your arms by your sides.
  • Lift your hips and interlock your fingers under your buttocks.
  • Hold for three breaths.
  • Bring your feet closer, extend one leg up for single-leg bridge.
  • Hold for three breaths, then repeat on the other leg.
  • Lower your hips back to the floor.
  • Hug your knees to your chest.

15. Head-to-knee pose

Image 1 of 2
woman performing a yoga stretch sitting on the floor with one leg extended and the other bent in a living room on a black yoga mat
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns )

Time: 6 breaths

  • Sit upright with your right leg extended and your left foot on your inner thigh.
  • Inhale as you reach your arms up.
  • Exhale as you fold over your extended leg as far as you can.
  • Hold for three breaths, then repeat on the other side.

16. Seated sage twist

woman performing a seated yoga twist on the floor with one leg extended and the other bent

(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 6 breaths

  • Sit upright with your right leg extended and your left knee bent and left foot flat on the floor as close to your butt as is comfortable.
  • Hug your left knee with your right arm, and twist your torso to the left, placing your left hand behind you for support.
  • Hold for three breaths—lengthening through your spine as you inhale and deepening the twist as you exhale.
  • Repeat on the other side.

17. Wide-leg seated fold with torso rotation

Image 1 of 2
woman seated on the floor on a black yoga mat, legs wide folding forward
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 9 breaths

  • Sit upright and extend your legs wide, keeping your feet flexed.
  • Fold forward and hold for three breaths.
  • Walk your hands to one leg, reaching your hands toward your feet and stretching sideways over your leg.
  • Hold for three breaths.
  • Repeat on the other side.

18. Reclined hamstring stretch

Image 1 of 3
woman lying on her back on a black yoga mat in a living room performing a leg stretch with one leg extended and the other bent
(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 6 breaths

  • Lie on your back, extend one leg on the mat and lift the other leg, straight if comfortable or with a bent knee.
  • Hold behind your thigh, calf or foot.
  • If your flexibility allows, lift your shoulders and head to reach your hands to your ankle, drawing your leg further into your chest.
  • Hold for three breaths, then repeat on the other side.

19. Reclined spinal twist

woman lying on her back performing a spinal twist with one knee crossed over her body

(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 6 breaths

  • Lie on your back and lift your right leg, bend your right knee and cross it over your body to the left.
  • Extend your right arm to the right and look right.
  • Hold for three breaths, then switch sides.

20. Tailor sit

woman wearing blue leggings and vest sat cross legged with hands in prayer position on a black exercise mat on carpet indoors

(Image credit: Lauren Kearns)

Time: 3 breaths

  • Return to the first pose. Sit on the floor with one foot tucked into your inner thigh close to your groin and the other in front.
  • Hold your palms together in front of your chest.
  • Close your eyes and hold for three slow, steady breaths.
  • Feel the effects of your practice through your breath and body.
Lou Mudge
Lou Mudge
Fitness Writer

Lou Mudge is a Health Writer at Future Plc, working across Fit&Well and Coach. She previously worked for Live Science, and regularly writes for Space.com and Pet's Radar. Based in Bath, UK, she has a passion for food, nutrition and health and is eager to demystify diet culture in order to make health and fitness accessible to everybody.

Multiple diagnoses in her early twenties sparked an interest in the gut-brain axis and the impact that diet and exercise can have on both physical and mental health. She was put on the FODMAP elimination diet during this time and learned to adapt recipes to fit these parameters, while retaining core flavors and textures, and now enjoys cooking for gut health. 

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