31 Yarn to Yoga Routines that Get the Knots Out

A yoga routine for every day of the month!

In the rhythmic dance of fiber arts, our fingers work, our minds find peace, and our bodies…well, sometimes they find a few knots – and I’m not talking about the yarn!

After hours of bending over a craft and gripping tools, our muscles, joints, and tendons can become tight and inflamed.

Fortunately, we aren’t alone, and many crafters have combined a love of yoga with their love of craft and come up with routines to alleviate aches and pains and keep our bodies humming.

We’ve curated 31 routines geared toward the particular overuse areas common to crafters and artists.

Stretch, soothe, and balance your body to continue to do what you love.

We’ve collected yoga routines from a wide variety of creators. See who resonates with you.

Table of Contents

Wrists and hands
Neck
Arms
Shoulders
Back
Hips
Full body routines
Chair yoga
Yin yoga

Wrists and hands

Focusing a little love on your hands and wrists will increase your flexibility, strengthen the tiny muscles that control your talented fingers, and melt the tension caused by small repetitive motions.

Your hands are your most valuable crafting asset – besides your brain.

Here are four routines that will show them a little love:

1. Yoga for Knitters – Carpal Tunnel

Yoga for Knitters – Carpel Tunnel from LionBrandYarn

2. Yoga for Knitters – Hands and Wrists

Yoga for Knitters: Hands and Wrists from Knit With Hannah

3. 5 Minute Yoga Stretches for Wrists

5 min Yoga Stretches for Wrists from Yoga with Kassandra

4. Hand Yoga for Stiff Fingers

Hand Yoga for Stiff Fingers and Wrist from Virtual Hand Care

Neck

Bending over your work for hours might be your happy place, but your neck might not have gotten the memo.

Try one of the below routines that target the neck and upper shoulder area to reduce some built-up tension.

5. 10 Minute Mobility Yoga

10-minute MOBILITY Yoga for Neck & Shoulder Relief from SarahBethYoga

6. Stretches for Neck, Shoulder

Stretches for Neck Shoulder and Upper Back pain from Mady Morrison

Arms

Boost circulation and build endurance with these routines that focus on arm tension.

7. 30 Minute Gentle Yoga – Tight Arms and Legs

30 Minute Gentle Yoga | Tight Arms & Legs from Candace Cabrera Tavino

8. Yoga for Biceps

Yoga for Biceps from Yoga with Joelle

Shoulders

Long work sessions create some serious stiffness in the shoulder area. Focusing on your shoulders will allow for more comfortable crafting and better posture.

We found four routines to work out all the kinks:

9. Yoga Swatch – Arms and Shoulders

Yoga Swatch – Arms and Shoulders from Yoga for Knotted Knitters

10. 15-Minute Mobility Yoga for Posture

15 minute MOBILITY Yoga for Posture, Upper Back Pain & Fix Rounded Shoulders from SarahBethYoga

11. Knitting Yoga – A Practice

Knitting Yoga- A Practice for Tight Shoulders from The Woolly Thistle

12. Neck and Shoulder Tension

Neck and Shoulder Tension Release Yoga Class from Five Parks Yoga w/Erin Sampson

Back

The intricate work of fiber arts can sometimes mean we aren’t giving our backs the attention they deserve. It’s easy to forget about posture when you’re in the flow.

Yoga is the perfect remedy to align the spine, ease out the knots, and strengthen our core.

Here are four routines to ensure your back is supported and healthy:

13. Yoga for Back Pain

Yoga For Back Pain from Yoga Dose

14. Yoga for Back Pain 30 Minute

Yoga For Back Pain from YOGATX

15. Yoga for Lower Back Pain

YOGA FOR LOWER BACK PAIN + TIGHTNESS from Tana Young

16. Lower Back Stretches – 15 Minute Yin

Lower Back Stretches – 15 min Yin from Yoga with Joelle

Hips

Sitting on our rumps for hours is necessary for most fiber crafts. We forget to get up and take a stretch break – until we stand up. Then, our hips groan in protest.

Hip-focused yoga will release tension and restore flexibility and circulation to the hip area.

Try out one of the four routines below:

17. Yoga for Hip Flexibility

Yoga For Hip Flexibility from Yoga with Bird

18. 24 Minute Yoga Flow for Tight Hips

24 Minute Yoga Flow For Tight Hips and Hip-Flexors from Well + Good

19. Good to Know 5 Poses for Tight Hips

5 Yoga Poses to Open Your Tight Hips from YouAligned

20. 15-Minute Yoga for Tight Hips

15 Minute Yoga for Tight Hips from Laura Baumann

Full body routines

If you want to give your body a wonderful once-over and address all the achy bits, here are four full-body routines to try:

21. Bedtime Yoga Stretch for Artists

Bedtime Yoga Stretch for Artists from Yoga Candi

22. Awaken the Artists Within

Awaken the Artist Within from Yoga with Adriene

23. 35 Minute Yoga for Flexibility

35 min Yoga For Flexibility from Yoga with Uliana

24. Gentle Yoga Stretch

Gentle yoga stretch for KNITTING and CROCHETING from Well With Hels

Chair yoga

Chair yoga is a beautiful way to begin practicing. If you’re a little shaky or new to yoga, using a chair for support is ideal.

It’s also a wonderful skill in your crafter tool belt if you’re at a UFO day or crafting with friends and don’t want to bust out the yoga mat and get on the floor.

And don’t be fooled – chair yoga routines are often labeled “for seniors.” That’s because the support of the chair makes it safe for just about anyone. However, a few good chair routines will allow you to release anywhere quickly.

Try one of these three routines below:

25. Chair Yoga for Quilters

Chair Yoga for Quilters from Homemade Emily Jane

26. Chair Yoga for Restricted Mobility

Chair Yoga for restricted mobility & Seniors 65 and up from Yoga by Kierstie Payge

27. Chair Yoga for Seniors

Chair Yoga for Seniors & Beginners from Senior Shape Fitness

Yin yoga

Last, nothing beats Yin Yoga for total body and mind relaxation.

The four routines below will give you a taste of this practice. This is an excellent place to start if you’ve never tried yoga.