Taylor Lorenz—known online as Taylor’s Tracks—is a certified yoga teacher with more than 800 hours of training in vinyasa, hatha, and yin yoga. Here, she leads a yoga practice designed to counter your everyday slouch.

The pursuit of better posture is part of being a person. And these days, it’s not exactly something that’s easy to achieve. Your days are likely built mostly, if not entirely, around sitting, which means developing a slouch seems an almost unavoidable side effect.

Practicing any type of yoga can go a long way toward improving your posture. Lengthening and strengthening your muscles as well as taking a moment to experience proper alignment can be a welcome reminder of you how good you could—and should—feel in your body. The following mini yoga flow is a quick and targeted approach that’s specifically designed to address your slump.

8-Minute Yoga for Posture Practice

No props are needed for this yoga for posture practice—just you, your mat, and a commitment to standing a little bit taller.

Thunderbolt Pose

Begin kneeling in a Thunderbolt position, sitting back on your heels with your toes tucked and your hands on your thighs. Sit as straight as possible, visualizing your spine and its vertebrae running directly down your back and into the earth.

Stay here for 5 cycles of breath.

Kneeling Cow Pose

With your next inhalation, arch your spine and draw your shoulders back in a kneeling variation of Cow Pose.

Kneeling Cat Pose

As you exhale, round your spine, tucking your chin and drawing you shoulders forward in a variation of Cat Pose.

Repeat this patten of movement 3 times with the pace of your breath.

Eagle Arms

Come back through center and sit tall. With your next inhalation, sweep your arms up toward the sky. Exhale as you bring your left arm beneath your right, bending your elbows and pressing your palms or your forearms together in front of your face in Eagle arms.

Begin to draw small circles with your elbows. Make 3 circles before changing direction.

Cactus Arms

Reach your arms back toward the sky. Come up high onto your knees, cactus your arms, and take a gentle backbend.

Low Lunge

Inhale as you reach your arms upward. Exhale as you step your right foot forward in Low Lunge.

Low Lunge with Side Bend

Inhale as you lift your arms higher. Exhale as you take your right hand to your right hip and reach your left arm up and overhead in a big side bend. Take 1 full breath here before coming back to center.

Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend

Place your hands to the inside of your right foot, tuck your back toes, and pivot toward the long edge of your mat in a Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend.

Revolved Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend

With your next exhalation, plant your left hand or fingertips underneath your face and reach your right arm up toward the sky. Take 1 full breath here.

When you’re ready, come back through center and twist toward the opposite side.

Downward-Facing Dog

Bring both of your hands to your mat and pivot to face the front of your mat. Exhale to step back to Downward-Facing Dog.

Take 3 full breaths here, exploring any movement that feels good for you.

Thunderbolt

With your next exhalation, soften your knees toward the ground and sit back on your heels in Thunderbolt.

• Repeat the following poses on the opposite side:
• Eagle Arms
• Cactus Arms
• Low Lunge
• Low Lunge with Side Bend
• Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend
• Revolved Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend

Standing Forward Bend

Return both hands to the ground. Turn to face the front edge of your mat, step your right foot beside the left, and exhale deeply in your Standing Forward Bend.

Grab hold of your elbows and allow yourself to dangle here for 3 full breaths.

Mountain Pose

Release your fingertips toward the ground, press into your feet, and roll up as slowly as you can.

Roll your shoulders up, back, and down and face your palms forward in Mountain Pose. Take a full breath here and notice your height.

Standing Side Bend

Inhale to sweep your arms up toward the sky. Grab hold of left wrist with your right hand and exhale to reach up and over.

Inhale back through center. Bring your left hand to your right wrist and exhale to reach up and over to the left. Come back through center and return to Mountain Pose.

Closing

Bring your hands to heart center in a prayer-like position. Bow your head so your forehead meets your fingertips, thanking yourself for dedicating this time to your well-being—and your posture.