Need a boost? Try this energizing yoga routine.

To counteract the midday gloom, consider a brief yoga break. (Theodore Tae/The New York Times)

By CHRISTINE YU

For many people, the afternoon is a dreaded time of day when energy slumps, concentration fizzles and stress builds.

To counteract the midday gloom, consider a brief yoga break. It’s a great way to pause and reset your body and mind, said Elena Cheung, a yoga instructor and yoga teacher trainer in Seattle.

Yoga can also help offset the effects of prolonged sitting, said Christiane Brems, a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University and a registered yoga teacher. Yoga generally takes your body through a wide range of motion, which can relieve tension in your neck, shoulders and hips.

The combination of movement and breathing in yoga also strengthens the mind-body connection. This greater awareness of your physical sensations and passing thoughts can help bring you a calm focus, which can help you perform better when you return to your to-do list, Cheung said. Some research also suggests that yoga can help reduce stress.

Even 10 minutes of yoga can be enough to unwind and prepare yourself for the rest of the day. “Don’t think of it as a workout or trying to become more flexible,” Cheung said. “The point is to get movement in.”

Before you begin, Brems suggests, sit and take a few minutes to reflect on your day so far, noting how you feel. This can help you determine what your body needs from this short session and how vigorously — or not — you want to move.

Overview

Time: 10 minutes

Intensity: Low

What You’ll Need

— A yoga mat

— Yoga block or thick book

Cat-cow

Start in a tabletop position with your wrists stacked under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Inhale, release your belly toward the floor and draw your chest forward as you press your palms into the mat for cow pose. Your tailbone will lift toward the ceiling. As you exhale, round your spine, curling your tailbone and drawing your navel toward the ceiling for cat pose. Let your gaze fall toward the ground. Alternate between the two poses five to seven times, moving slowly with your breath.

Downward-facing dog

From a tabletop position, tuck your toes and press your palms into the mat, lifting your knees. Keep your arms long and your knees bent as you press your hips up and thighs back. Bring your chest toward your thighs to come into an upside-down V shape. Your heels can hover off the mat or touch the ground. Hold for five to seven breaths.

Rag doll

Stand at the top of your mat with your feet hip-width apart. Soften your knees slightly and slowly fold your torso over your legs. Cross your arms to clasp your opposite elbows. Gently sway from side to side before settling into stillness. Let your head hang heavy, dropping toward the mat. Take five to seven breaths.

Low lunge with a side bend

Kneel on your mat. Step your right foot forward, stacking your knee over your ankle and your head and torso over your pelvis. Place your right hand on a block on the outside of your right hip. Lift your left arm up toward the ceiling. Keep your chest facing forward as you bend to the right, lengthening through the left side of your body. Hold for five to seven breaths and then switch sides.

You can deepen the stretch by placing your hand on the ground instead of on a block.

Warrior II

Stand facing the long side of the mat in a wide stance with your feet parallel to the edges of the mat. Turn your left toes 90 degrees, so they point toward the front edge of the mat, and angle your right toes in slightly. Raise your arms out to the side, over your legs. Reach through your fingers and lengthen your spine. Bend your left knee, stacking it over your ankle, and press through the outer edge of your back foot. Maintain the position of your front knee so it doesn’t collapse inward. Hold for five to seven breaths.

Press through your feet to straighten your front leg. Turn both feet to come back to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.

Wide-legged forward fold

Stand facing the long side of the mat in a wide stance with your feet parallel to the edges of the mat. Lift up through the inner arches of your feet. Place your hands on your hips and hinge forward, lengthening your torso as you begin to fold over your legs while maintaining a flat back. If your hamstrings are tight, bend your knees slightly as you fold.

Place your hands under your shoulders or rest them on blocks. Stay here or, if it feels comfortable, continue to fold forward, walking your hands toward your feet. Hold for five to seven breaths.

To come out of the pose, walk your hands back under your shoulders. Place your hands on your hips, bend your knees slightly and press through your feet to come back to a standing position.

Figure four

Lie on your back and let your head rest on the mat. Cross your right ankle over your left thigh. Take your right hand to your right thigh and gently open your knee toward the floor. You should feel a stretch in your outer hip. Stay here or reach your right hand through the opening between your legs and clasp your hands behind your left thigh. Gently pull your leg toward your chest while keeping your pelvis grounded on the floor. Hold for five to seven breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Supine twist

Lie on your back and stack your knees over your hips in a reverse tabletop position. Allow your bent legs to fall over to the right. Extend your arms out to the side in a T shape. You can take your gaze wherever is comfortable — toward your right fingers, up to the ceiling or toward your left fingers. Hold for five to 10 breaths. Switch sides.