In a fast-paced life, we are always trapped in busyness and rush. Tense shoulders and neck, sore waist and back have become the norm, and even breathing is a bit hurried. You may have tried countless ways to relax, but you are always discouraged by “taking too long” and “high threshold”. The 10-minute supine yoga to share today requires no complicated equipment, just a yoga mat (or even a soft mattress). Lying down can start physical and mental healing, allowing a sense of relaxation to come to you actively.

The core charm of supine yoga lies in “achieving the most effective stretch in the most relaxed posture”. Unlike standing or twisting poses that require strength and balance, the lying posture can minimize the burden on the body, allowing you to fully focus on the perception of breath and muscles. Whether it is waking up the sleeping body in the morning or calming the fatigue of the day before going to bed, this set of exercises can accurately adapt to your rhythm, and exchange 10 minutes of concentration for a deep physical and mental restart.

Preparation is not cumbersome: find a quiet corner with soft light, lie down, straighten your legs naturally, keep your feet shoulder-width apart, and your toes slightly turned outward; put your hands gently on both sides of your body, palms up, shoulders sinking away from your ears; close your eyes, and first take 3 sets of deep breaths—when inhaling, feel your abdomen puff up like a balloon; when exhaling, feel your abdomen contract naturally, and let your breath drive your body to relax slowly, temporarily leaving behind the distractions of the outside world.

Pose 1: Supine Leg Stretch (2 minutes). Maintain the lying posture. When inhaling, slowly lift your right leg, slightly bend your knee, gently wrap your hands around the back of your right leg, and pull it towards your chest. Note that your left hip should always be close to the ground and not suspended; when exhaling, feel the stretch on the back of your right leg, and keep it for 5 breaths before slowly putting down your right leg. Repeat the same action with your left leg, 1 set on each side. This pose can effectively relax the back of the thighs, buttocks and lower back, and relieve lower limb stiffness caused by prolonged sitting.

Pose 2: Supine Twist Relaxation (3 minutes). Straighten your legs. When inhaling, lift both legs at the same time, bend your knees, keep your calves parallel to the ground, and keep your hands on both sides of your body; when exhaling, slowly lean your knees to the left, and gently turn your head to the right, feeling the twist and stretch of your waist and back. After keeping it for 5 breaths, inhale and return to the upright position. Then exhale and lean your knees to the right, turn your head to the left, and keep it for 5 breaths as well, repeating 2 sets on each side. The twisting action can gently massage the abdominal internal organs, release the tension in the waist and back, and make the spine regain flexibility.

Pose 3: Supine Shoulder Opening and Chest Expansion (3 minutes). Stretch your hands to both sides, forming a “big” character, palms up, shoulders close to the ground; when inhaling, feel the expansion of the chest; when exhaling, let the shoulders sink further, and the arms relax naturally without being tense. If you want to enhance the shoulder opening effect, you can gently turn your wrists, letting your fingertips slowly turn from pointing to the head to pointing to the feet, feeling the stretch on the back of the arms and shoulders. Maintain this posture and breathe evenly 6-8 times. This pose can effectively improve rounded shoulders and hunchback, open the tight chest, make breathing smoother, and even make your mood brighter.

Pose 4: Child’s Pose for Relaxation (2 minutes). After completing the shoulder opening exercise, slowly lie on your side, support your body to sit up with your arms, then kneel on your knees, sit your buttocks on your heels, lean forward, put your forehead on the ground, and put your hands naturally in front of or on both sides of your body, palms down. Maintain this posture, breathe evenly, feel the relaxation of the back muscles, let all the strength of the body release, as if returning to the stable state in the mother’s body. After 2 minutes, slowly sit up straight and end this practice.

Ten minutes is very short, so short that it’s not enough to finish watching a short video, but it’s enough to stretch the tense body and calm the impetuous heart. Supine yoga has no restrictions on “standard movements”. You don’t have to pursue the ultimate stretch of the body. You just need to feel the dialogue between each breath and muscle within your comfortable range. If you persist for a long time, you will find that the stiffness in the shoulders and neck gradually disappears, the soreness in the waist and back is relieved, and even the sleep quality will quietly improve.

The sense of relaxation in life is never “doing nothing”, but learning to leave a little breathing space for the body and mind in busyness. From today on, you might as well incorporate this 10-minute supine yoga into your daily life, embrace yourself while lying down, and regain strength in stretching. After all, loving yourself well is the beginning of all beauty.