Nach der Arbeit mache ich Yoga, damit ich mich entspanne.

After work I do yoga so that I relax.

Breakdown of Nach der Arbeit mache ich Yoga, damit ich mich entspanne.

• ich: I
• die Arbeit: the work
• nach: after
• damit: so that
• mich: myself
• machen: to do
• der: the; (feminine, dative)
• sich entspannen: to relax
• das Yoga: yoga

Questions & Answers about Nach der Arbeit mache ich Yoga, damit ich mich entspanne.

Why does it say Nach der Arbeit and not Nach die Arbeit?

Because the preposition nach (in the sense of after) requires the dative case.
die Arbeit (nominative/accusative) → der Arbeit (dative, feminine).
So Nach der Arbeit = after work.

Why is the verb before the subject in Nach der Arbeit mache ich Yoga?

German main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb is in position 2.
Here, Nach der Arbeit is in position 1, so the verb comes next, then the subject:

• Nach der Arbeit (1) mache (2) ich (3) Yoga (4)

Could I also say Ich mache nach der Arbeit Yoga?

Yes. That’s also correct and very common.
Both mean the same, but the focus differs slightly:

• Nach der Arbeit mache ich Yoga. (focus on when)
• Ich mache nach der Arbeit Yoga. (more neutral / focus on I do yoga)

Why is there a comma before damit?

Because damit introduces a subordinate clause (a purpose clause). In German, subordinate clauses are separated from the main clause with a comma:

• …, damit …

What does damit do grammatically, and why is the verb at the end in damit ich mich entspanne?

damit introduces a subordinate clause expressing purpose (roughly so that / in order that).
In German subordinate clauses, the finite verb goes to the end, so:

• damit ich mich entspanne (verb entspanne is last)

Why does ich appear twice (once in each clause)?

Each clause needs its own subject. German doesn’t usually “carry over” the subject across clauses the way English sometimes feels like it does.
So you say:

• (I) mache ich Yoga, damit (I) ich mich entspanne.

Why is it mich entspanne and not just entspanne?

Here entspannen is used reflexively: sich entspannen = to relax (oneself) / to relax.
So the object must match the subject:

• ich → mich
• du → dich
• er/sie → sich, etc.

Is Yoga a noun in German, and does it get capitalized?

Yes. Yoga is a noun (a loanword) and in German all nouns are capitalized, so Yoga is written with a capital Y.

Why is it mache ich Yoga—is Yoga machen the normal verb choice?

Yes. German commonly uses machen with activities: Yoga machen, Sport machen, Gymnastik machen.
You may also hear Yoga praktizieren, but it’s more formal and less common in everyday speech.

What tense is mache / entspanne, and does it describe a habit or something happening right now?

Both verbs are in the present tense (Präsens). In German, Präsens can mean:

• a habit/routine: After work I (usually) do yoga…
• something currently happening (depending on context)

In a sentence like this, it most naturally reads as a routine.