Yin Routine · All Levels

Heart & Chest Opener

20 minutes to undo the day's hunch

19 min · 7 poses · no props

For the rounded shoulders and tight chest that a day at a desk leaves behind. Twenty minutes of gentle, supported opening across the front of the body — the chest, the shoulders, the upper back. These are softening backbends, not deep ones: you're inviting the front body to lengthen, not forcing it. Move slowly, keep the throat and jaw soft, and back off the moment the low back complains.

Save this routine

Press play and follow along — each hold is timed, with a gentle chime and a moment to ease out before the next pose. Use Skip or Prev to move at your own pace.

What's in this routine

  1. Child's Pose Arrive and let the upper back round and soften first.
    2 min
  2. Melting Heart Hips over knees, chest melting toward the floor. Gentle, not deep.
    3 min
  3. Sphinx Prop on the forearms and lift softly through the chest.
    3 min
  4. Seal A little more lift through straighter arms — only as much as feels kind.
    2 min
  5. Supported Fish Rest back over a bolster or cushion and let the chest fall open.
    4 min
  6. Thread the Needle Thread one arm through to release between the shoulder blades.
    2 min each side
  7. Corpse Rest flat and let the front body settle after the openers.
    3 min

Common questions

Who is a heart and chest opener good for?

Anyone who sits or hunches over a screen or phone. It gently counters the forward-rounded posture the day builds up, opening across the chest, shoulders and upper back.

My lower back feels these backbends — is that okay?

Backbends should be felt across the front of the body, not pinched in the low back. Keep everything gentle, take the easier option, and come out sooner if the low back complains — supported-fish over a cushion is the kindest of the group.

Do I need props for this routine?

A bolster, cushion or rolled blanket makes the supported-fish far more restful, but it's optional — you can rest back over anything soft, or simply lie flat. Everything else needs nothing at all.

When you have longer

Two hours to completely switch off

✦ A members-only class — free for you

This is a 20-minute practice. When you have a little longer and want to properly switch off, I'll send you my free two-hour Yin, restorative and Yoga Nidra retreat — yours to keep, and to come back to any time.

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More routines

Bedtime Wind-Down 20 min · A gentle 20-minute bedtime Yin routine — soft, supported shapes to downshift the nervous system and melt toward sleep, with a built-in hold timer. Deep Hips & Lower Body 30 min · A 30-minute deep-hips Yin routine — inner thighs, outer hips, hip flexors and hamstrings, opened slowly with a built-in hold timer. Full-Body Reset 30 min · A balanced 30-minute full-body Yin sequence — back, shoulders, hips and spine, held long and slow to leave you loose and calm.