The sequence
- Mountain Pose · 60 seconds. Feet hip-width. Press the feet down before you do anything else.
- Chair Pose · 45 seconds. Sit the hips back as if there were a chair. Knees point the same way as the toes.
- Standing Forward Fold · 45 seconds. Knees deeply bent. The fold is in the hips, not a tug on the lower back.
- Halfway Lift · 30 seconds. Hands on shins. Lengthen the front of the body.
- Downward-Facing Dog · 50 seconds. Hips high, knees bent, heels wherever they land. Pedal the feet if the calves feel loud.
- Low Lunge · 40 seconds. Right foot forward. Back knee down. Hands can stay on blocks or the front thigh.
- Low Lunge · 40 seconds. Left foot forward. Same shape. Keep the back of the neck easy.
- Warrior I · 40 seconds. Right foot forward, back heel down if it can. Bend the front knee. Arms can stay on the hips.
- Warrior I · 40 seconds. Left foot forward. Shorten the stance if the hips feel stuck.
- Warrior II · 40 seconds. Right foot forward. Arms reach. Gaze over the front hand, not up.
- Warrior II · 40 seconds. Left foot forward. Front knee tracks over the ankle, not past it in a painful way.
- Mountain Pose · 40 seconds. Stand still and feel the difference in the legs.
- Child’s Pose · 60 seconds. Knees wide, arms forward, forehead down.
- Corpse Pose · 150 seconds. Rest. Let the breath land low in the ribs.
If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.
Day 3 · Standing up is a 12-minute practice written from the pose pages on this site. Mountain, Chair, a short Downward Dog, and both Warrior poses. Bend the knees whenever the hamstrings pull you around. The player above is a timer and a list of cues. It is not a video class, and it is not next to an advertisement. Use the written sequence under the player if you would rather read than watch a clock.
The opening cues include: Feet hip-width. Press the feet down before you do anything else; Sit the hips back as if there were a chair. Knees point the same way as the toes; Knees deeply bent. The fold is in the hips, not a tug on the lower back. Follow the seconds as a suggestion. If a pose says to stay and your knee or your breath disagrees, come out early. Pausing the timer is part of using it correctly. You do not earn the practice by finishing a number.
Nothing in this routine is offered as a treatment. A short practice may help an ordinary stiff day, a loud afternoon, or the few minutes before sleep, depending on which routine you opened. It does not cure back pain, insomnia, anxiety, or an injury. If you are pregnant, hurt, or unsure whether a shape is appropriate, consult a doctor first. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, chest pain, or dizziness.
Read the pose page linked from any line you have not tried. The safety note there is more specific than this overview. Then come back and do the shorter version if the full 12 minutes is more than you wanted. A shorter honest practice is the one worth repeating.
Day 3 · Standing up stays inside this site’s pose library. The minutes on the page are a ceiling, not a target you have to hit. Come out of a shape early, use the modification on the pose page, and leave the last cue for another day if you want. The practice counts when it is calm enough to repeat, including a practice you cut in half.