A Gentle Practice to Relieve Stress, Soothe the Nervous System & Lift Your Mood
This flow is designed for those heavy days — the ones where your mind feels foggy, your chest feels tight, and motivation is nowhere to be found. Whether you’re navigating depression, burnout, or simply a tough week, this practice meets you right where you are.
Pssst. Have you bought a yoga mat yet?
There’s no pressure to perform here.
No goals. No pushing.
Just gentle, breath-led movement and grounding shapes to help you feel safe, supported, and a little more present in your body.

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🧘♀️ You’ll need: a mat, optional bolster or pillow, and a blanket or block.
🕯️ 30-Minute Mood-Supporting Yoga Flow
🔹 Minute 0–3: Seated Grounding + Breath Awareness
- Sit in a cross-legged seat or kneel on a bolster
- Rest your hands on your heart and belly
- Breathe in through the nose (count of 4)
- Exhale slowly through the mouth (count of 6)
- Repeat for 6–10 slow breaths
💬 Mantra: “I am here. I am safe.”
🔹 Minute 3–6: Seated Cat-Cow + Shoulder Rolls
- On an inhale, arch the spine and lift the heart
- On the exhale, round the spine and tuck chin
- Move slowly with the breath for 6–8 rounds
- Add gentle shoulder rolls and wrist circles
💡 These movements help break up stagnation and reconnect breath with body.
🔹 Minute 6–9: Child’s Pose with Support
- Kneel with knees wide, big toes touch
- Fold forward over a pillow or bolster
- Arms forward or beside the body
- Stay for 2 minutes
💬 Let yourself be held. Let your exhale soften your jaw and eyes.
🔹 Minute 9–14: Tabletop → Cat-Cow → Thread the Needle
- Flow through 3 rounds of Cat-Cow
- Then thread the right arm under the left
- Rest your right shoulder and temple down
- Breathe into the upper back
- Hold 1 minute each side
💡 Gentle twisting relieves upper body tension often linked to emotional stress.
🔹 Minute 14–17: Puppy Pose (Heart Melting Pose)
- From Tabletop, walk hands forward
- Keep hips over knees, forehead or chin to mat
- Breathe into the armpits, shoulders, chest
- Stay for 2 minutes
💬 Visualize your heart softening and releasing what it no longer needs to carry.
🔹 Minute 17–22: Low Lunge + Cactus Arms
- Step right foot forward into Low Lunge
- Bring arms to cactus and lift the chest gently
- Option to interlace hands behind back
- Hold for 1 minute
- Switch sides
💡 Opens the chest and shoulders — areas that collapse with low mood or fatigue.
🔹 Minute 22–25: Seated Forward Fold (with Props)
- Sit tall, legs extended
- Place a pillow or folded blanket on thighs
- Fold forward and let your body rest into support
- Stay for 2–3 minutes
💬 It’s okay to let go. Let your breath do the heavy lifting.
🔹 Minute 25–28: Reclined Twist (Supine)
- Lie on your back
- Draw knees to chest, then let them fall right
- Extend left arm and gaze left
- Breathe into the belly
- Switch sides after 1–2 minutes
💡 Helps calm the nervous system and release tension from the spine.
🔹 Minute 28–30: Supported Savasana
- Place a pillow under knees or a blanket on top
- Let the arms rest out wide, palms up
- Soften your jaw, eyes, belly
- Focus on the rhythm of your breath — no control, just notice
💬 Final mantra: “This moment is enough.”
🌿 Final Thoughts
This practice isn’t about pushing through or “fixing” anything. It’s a place to return to your body, even on the hard days.
Try this 30-minute flow once a week, or as often as you need to reset, soften, and lift the weight — just a little. You don’t have to feel amazing when you finish. You just have to feel a bit more here.

Set an intention!
In yoga, you set an intention at the beginning of your practice. As a Christian, I like to choose bible verses that can lead my practice- and day- in a positive direction. Here are some of my favorites:
- Psalm 16:9 – “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.“
- 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
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