23 May Simple Morning Yoga Routine

Would you love to start the day with more energy and intention?

Try practicing this simple morning yoga routine! A morning yoga practice is powerfully energising and invigorating. 

My simple morning yoga routine will help you to shake off sleepiness, stretch out stiff muscles and creaky joints, gently energise your body and focus your mind.  After this practice you’ll be all set for a fantastic, feel-good day.

The key for a morning practice is to be gentle with yourself, start slowly, keep it simple and just move how your body wants to move without any pressure or expectations. If any of these poses don’t feel good adapt them or move on.

Remember this! If you want to continue coming back to your mat regularly you have to be kind to yourself and enjoy your practice. Even if you spend just a few minutes in child’s pose and moving with your breath through cat and cow poses (the first poses of this routine) I bet you’ll feel the difference in your body and mind.

Simple Morning Yoga Routine

Hold each of these poses for 5 – 10 deep breaths.

Childs Pose – Balasana

Kneel on the floor with your big toes touching and take your knees hip width apart or wider. Sitting back on your heels lower your torso towards the floor and walk your hands out in front of you as you fold forward. 

Focus on your breath here: inhaling deeply to feel an expansion in your belly, rib cage and back body, exhaling deeply to relax your whole body and sink your forehead deeper to the earth and your hips heavier to your heels.

The deeper you breathe now the more energy you will have for your whole day ahead.

Cat and Cow Poses – Marjariasana

From childs pose lift up on to hands and knees positioning your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. As you breathe in arch your spine so your belly drops towards the floor. Gaze ahead and think about drawing your chest forward.

As you breathe out round out your back lifting your spine towards the sky. Push the floor away, draw your shoulder blades apart and tuck your chin towards your chest.Breathe as deeply as possible so you can make these movements so slow and mindful. Continue to move with your breath between your cat and cow pose.

Downward Facing Dog – Adho Mukha Savanasana

From your hands and knees tuck your toes under and lift your hips up and back. Keep your knees bent to begin and feel the stretch in your spine. Then straighten one leg at a time like you are walking on the spot. When you feel ready let both heels drop towards the floor and straighten your legs as much as you can whilst keeping your spine long. 

Low Lunge – Anjaneyasana

From downward facing dog step your right foot forward between your hands and lower your left knee to the floor. Sink your hips forward and down so you feel the opening in the front of your left hip. Stretch your arms up over head, or if that feels like too much rest your hands on your front thigh. 

High Lunge Twist – parivrtta anjaneyasana

Take your left hand to the floor in line with your right foot and stretch your right arm straight up to the sky twisting from your belly and looking up. If you like tuck your back toes under and lift your back knee.

Next, step back to downward facing dog. Repeat your low lunge and lunge twist with the left leg forward then step back to downward dog again.

Forward Fold – uttanasana

From downward dog bend both knees and slowly walk your feet forward to your hands bending your knees as you go. Take your time here feeling each foot land and the gentle opening through your hamstrings. When you reach the top of your mat take hold of opposite elbows and let your upper body hang heavily towards the floor. Try swaying gently side to side. Remember to keep your knees bent so you can release more deeply in to your spine (this pose is all about your back not your hamstrings).

Squat Pose – marjoriasana

Take your hands back down to the floor and step your feet mat width apart. Turn your toes out about 45 degrees. Bend your knees as deeply as possible and lower your hips to a squat. Bring your hands together at your heart with your outer upper arms pressing out your inner knees. To come out of the pose, engage your core strength, press down in to your feet, keep your shoulders over your hips and straighten your legs to stand up.

Warrior Two Pose – virabhadrasana 11

Step your left foot back towards the back of your mat. Position your front heel in line with mid arch of your back foot and turn your back toes in 45 degrees. Bend your front knee over ankle and reach out through both arms, gazing straight over your front fingers.

Triangle Pose – trikonasana

From warrior 2 inhale to straighten your front leg. Stretch your right arm forward and down resting it lightly on your front leg. Extend your left arm straight up to the sky and gaze to your left thumb. Keep your chest open and your legs engaged.

Next, slowly lift back up before swapping sides to practice warrior 2 and triangle with your left foot forward.

Wide Leg Forward Fold Pose – prasarita padotanasana a

Take your feet wide on your mat, hinge from your hips and fold forward. Bring your hands to the floor underneath your shoulders.

Wide Leg Forward Fold Pose with Shoulder Opener – prasarita padotanasana c

Stay in your forward fold take your hands off the floor and interlace them behind your back. Stretch your arms up and over head as far as possible. Hold for 5 deep breaths. Release your hands to your hips and breathe in deeply as you lift back up to stand.

Tree Pose – Vrksasana

Bring the sole of your right foot up and on to the inside of your left leg (above or below the knee). Find your balance and when your ready inhale your arms up over head and out wide. Hold for 5 deep breaths then swap side.

Seated Meditation with Kubera Mudra

Sit down in any comfortable seated pose. Relax your shoulder and sit tall. Bring your hands in to kubera mudra by joining your thumb index and middle fingers together and placing the other two fingers in to your palm. Sit here in silent meditation for at least 1 minute.

Kubera mudra is a mudra for manifestation. While you sit with your hands in the mudra focus on setting an intention for your day ahead. Visualise how you want your day to feel and flow, focus on whats truly important to you and any big dreams you want to bring in to being. Then step off your mat and in to your day with clarity, ease and joy.

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