Asanaverse

Phase 1 · Three Weeks, and a Number to Beat

Part of the 8 Week Yoga Program for Everyday Mobility

10 Minute Daily Yoga Sequence for Mobility

Ten minutes on the days between. Standing, overhead, five sit to stands, and down to the floor.

The short one. Ten minutes, and it contains the two movements that are worth doing daily: reaching overhead and getting out of a chair. Both are trainable, both go quietly if nothing asks for them, and both take about four minutes between them.

10 min · Level 1

← Back to the full program

When it helps

On the days between the main sessions. Ten minutes. A chair. A chair or a wall within reach for the standing balance work, always. This program is about everyday movement rather than fall prevention: balance scores improve in the research, and the two largest trials found more falls in the yoga group rather than fewer. If you have osteoporosis, keep forward bends coming from the hips and skip deep twists.

Getting up

Five slow sit to stands. It is the exercise most likely to change something you actually notice.

Overhead reach

Two minutes of arms overhead. Shoulders lose range quietly and get it back with regular small doses.

Availability

Ten minutes and a chair. That is the whole equipment list.

Ten minutes

Stand, reach, get up five times, and finish on the floor.

Mountain PoseTadasana
01
2 min

Mountain Pose

Feet hip width, weight moving slowly forward, back and side to side.

The same two minutes as the long session, so nothing about this needs learning.

Learn more about Tadasana
Upward SaluteUrdhva Hastasana
02
2 min

Upward Salute

Both arms overhead, as far as they go, a few times. Wider is fine.

Overhead reach, daily. This is the one that keeps high cupboards available.

Learn more about Urdhva Hastasana
Chair PoseUtkatasana
03
1 min, five times

Chair Pose

Sit down slowly counting to three, stand back up counting to three. Five times, hands on the chair arms if needed.

Slow is harder than fast, and control on the way down is what stops a drop into the seat.

Learn more about Utkatasana
Cat PoseMarjaryasana
04
2 min

Cat Pose

On hands and knees, rounding on the out breath, then chest forward. Or seated over the thighs.

The spine, both directions, and a reason to get down onto the floor.

Learn more about Marjaryasana
Knees to Chest PoseApanasana
05
1 min

Knees to Chest Pose

On your back, knees towards the chest.

A small ending.

Learn more about Apanasana
Corpse PoseSavasana
06
1 min

Corpse Pose

A minute lying still. Roll to your side, push up to sitting, then stand.

One minute, and the way back up. That last part is why this ends on the floor rather than in the chair.

Learn more about Savasana

Integration

On the days between the main sessions, for the eight weeks and afterwards. It works next to a kitchen chair.