4 easy yoga poses to do at home in 15 minutes

How to do it:

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, pointing forward. Take a deep breath in and raise your arms straight up over your head.

2. Push your shoulders down and away from your ears. Then, bend at your hips and lower yourself, as if sitting in a chair. Go as low as you feel comfortable. Lengthen through your spine, and breathe deeply. Try to hold this pose for six to eight breaths. Return to standing. Repeat.

How to do it:

1. From the chair pose, reach your hands up to the ceiling and return to standing. Breathe out, bend at your hips and lower your head as far toward the floor as possible.

2. Cross your forearms and hold your elbows. Let your head hang and relax. Breathe in, lengthening the front of your body; as you breath out, reach your hips toward the ceiling. Hold for eight breaths, then place your hands on your hips and, with a flat back, come back to standing. Repeat.

How to do it:

1. Place your hands on the floor, shoulder-width apart, and walk your feet back until you are in a straight plank position. Spread your fingers out as much as possible.

2. Lengthen through your spine and send the top of your head away from your heels in a straight body position. You should feel a stretch across the muscles of your back as you rotate your shoulders out from your body. Hold this pose for eight breaths. Lower to the ground. Repeat.

How to do it:

1. Get into plank position. Bend at the knee, reaching one foot foward, placing it between your hands.

2. From this position, reach for the ceiling with both hands so your upper body is now straight. (Your back leg remains straight and your front leg is bent at 90 degrees.) Your lower-body muscles should be engaged. Hold this pose for eight breaths. Return to plank pose and then repeat on the other side.

A version of this article appeared in our January 2014 issue with the headline “Squeeze in yoga,” p. 58.