I often turn to yoga when my muscles feel stiff or I’m looking for a simple way to move my body.
But the biggest change I notice after rolling out my mat is usually that I feel less stressed and mentally clearer.
My go-to instructor for online routines is Adriene Mishler—better known as Yoga With Adriene. I’ve been using her gentle routines to reset my day and stretch my body for 10 years.
When I saw she'd posted a new 20-minute routine for anxiety and overthinking, I was both excited to try it and a little apprehensive.
I often struggle to settle into meditative yoga practices like these; I find myself overthinking instead of relaxing and quieting my mind.
But given my positive experiences with Mishler’s routines, I decided to give it a go.
How to do the routine
This is a follow-along video. All you need is a mat and a blanket to cushion your knees.
My verdict
I tried this on my lunch break to see if it could help clear my mind.
The first five minutes of the practice were challenging, requiring me to sit still and be meditative, but Mishler acknowledges that this can be difficult and encourages viewers to do an “internal weather report.”
This is an idea Mishler has borrowed from yoga instructor Donna Farhi, which involves taking a minute to reflect on how you feel and then reporting that information back to yourself. Doing this helped me focus and relax without making me feel like I was being forced to mentally suppress anything.
Next, we did some simple breathwork, inhaling for four counts and exhaling for six. Again, this was hard initially but became easier.
After the breathwork, my mind finally started to quiet. The session then moved on to some very gentle stretching—cat-cow, downward dog and child’s pose—which relieved my stiff muscles.
The routine also features waterfall pose towards the end, which involves lying on your back with both legs raised straight in the air.
I often do this before bed to wind down and it made me feel similarly relaxed here—I almost dozed off!
However, when I did get off my mat, I felt completely refreshed and ready to get back to my desk with a much clearer head—pretty impressive for just 20 minutes of yoga.