(Photo: Courtesy of Ramone Overton)
Posted on May 12, 2026 at 12:16 pm
Yoga teachers often assume that students can get up and down easily. But this is not always the case.
For some students, getting onto the mat can be physically exhausting. For others, it’s simply not practical, whether they’re suffering from joint pain, recovering from an injury, after a long day at work, or simply don’t feel like sitting or lying down.
This is where standing yoga poses come into play. They provide a way to move your body without the added stress of sitting on the floor or standing after kneeling. A standing yoga sequence is also one of the most adaptable ways to practice, whether you’re in a classroom, in a hotel room, or at the airport. You don’t even need a mat.
Practice standing yoga pose for 5 minutes to feel comfortable
This quick yoga practice helps relieve stress and ensures you get through your yoga session without disrupting your day.
1. Mountain pose
Stand with your feet together or hip-width apart. Press your feet into the floor and reach the crown of your head toward the ceiling. Place your arms at your sides Mountain pose. Take a few long, slow breaths here.
2. Side stretch
Inhale, sweep your arms over your head, and touch your palms together. As you exhale, lower your arms down. Inhale and pass your arms over your head again, and this time, interlock your fingers and point your index fingers toward the ceiling. Exhale as you tilt your torso to the right, then inhale as you return to center. Go left, then back to the center. Repeat several times.
Exhale and bend your torso slightly to the right while tilting your hips to the left. Press your thighs together and keep your arms straight. Take a few breaths here, then come back to center. Exhale and repeat on your left side.
3. Stand back
With your arms above your head and your hands clasped, look up toward the ceiling and arch your back. Extend your hands toward the ceiling or more intensely backbendExtend your arms toward the top of the wall behind you and turn your gaze there as well. Take a few breaths here, then return to standing.
4. Stand forward
With your arms above your head and your hands interlocked, lean forward while pulling your chest toward your thighs. Lower your hands on the floor, blocks, or stacks of books Stand forward fold. Settle into the position – bend one knee, then the other, and release your neck. Take some breaths here.
To come out of it, raise your arms overhead and keep your back flat as you return to standing. Lower your arms to your sides.
5. Chair position
Bend your knees and bring your hips back as if you were going to sit in a chair. Shift your weight to your heels, extend your arms in front of your chest with your palms facing the floor, and pull your shoulders away from your ears Chair position. Take some breaths here.
Return to standing, shift your weight onto the balls of your feet, and lift your heels off the floor. Bend your knees and lower back in chair position. If you fall, try again. Take a few breaths here, then return to standing. Lower your arms to your sides. Swing your arms back and forth to release any tension.
6. Bend the knee
Stand with your feet wider than hip width. Place your hands on your hips. Slowly bend your right knee, then straighten it. Bend your left knee, then straighten it. Repeat several times on each side, ending with both legs straight.
7. Wide-legged forward fold
Press your feet into the floor as you hinge at your hips and lower your chest toward the space between your legs Wide leg front. Lower your hands to the floor or grab the backs of your heels, ankles, or legs. Take some breaths here. Slowly roll up to standing.
8. Hip circles
Stand with your hands on your hips. Lower your hips to the left, then forward, then right, then back. Repeat the hip circle in the same direction several times. Then take a few hip circles in the opposite direction.
Step your feet together into mountain pose. Raise your arms up with your palms together, then lower your hands to a prayer position at your chest (Anjali mudra). Take a long, slow breath in followed by an exhale and see if you feel a little more relaxed than you did before you started this practice.
