I prefer in-person yoga and workout classes, but there’s one online instructor whose routines I always search for when I want to move my body at home and that’s Adriene Mishler, aka Yoga With Adriene.
She’s an extremely popular yoga instructor and with over 13 million subscribers she runs one of the best yoga YouTube channels. I like her because her routines are simple, often short and always beneficial.
Mishler recently shared a new routine that’s just 10 minutes long. She describes it as a “mental health break” to ground the body and the mind.
I tried during my lunch break to see if I could reduce my stress levels in just 10 minutes.
Watch Yoga With Adriene’s “Mental Health Break”
You don't need any equipment to do this routine, although a lot of it is done lying down or on your hands and knees, so you may want to roll out your yoga mat or a blanket to make your experience more comfortable.
And, as is always the case with Mishler's videos, it’s a follow-along practice, so just press play when you’re ready.
My experience trying Yoga With Adriene’s “Mental Health Break” routine
I struggle to switch off during the working day. Even when I leave my desk to go for a walk or for a quick gym session at lunch, I find that I’m still thinking about my to-do list, so I expected my mind to wander while doing this routine.
To my surprise, I found that I was able to relax. The first five minutes of the routine is spent lying down and following a guided meditation.
Mishler talks you through some breathwork, but she encourages you not to try and control or disrupt your breath, but just focus on lengthening it.
I enjoyed this, because I often find specific breathing techniques too difficult, particularly when they involve holding my breath.
By simply focusing on making the breath longer and listening to Mishler's guided meditation, my mind stayed in the moment.
The second half of the practice involved gentle stretching, which my body needed after sitting at my desk all morning.
I felt my muscles and joints actively release as I moved in and out of cat-cow, and the gentle shoulder and neck stretches were especially satisfying after hunching over my laptop.
It was a worthwhile use of my time and I felt much better going back to my desk, both in my body and mind.
I’ll return to this routine when I’m feeling overwhelmed. It’s only 10 minutes, but it made a lot of difference to my mood.
