10 Minute Yoga To Help You Get Ready For The Day

Even if you’ve just had a beautiful, blissful sleep there are times when you wake up in the morning and feel that your body needs a good old stretch. I find when I’m having one of those days that some gentle yoga in the morning really helps me get my limbs moving and helps focus my mind so I’m ready to take on the day.

Cat/Cow Pose

• Lower your knees to the floor and put your hands in front of you so you’re on all fours.
• Keeping your arms straight, place your palms directly under your shoulders maintaining a neutral spine.
• Inhale and drop your belly and roll your shoulders back into Cow Pose. Gaze Ahead.
• On the exhale press your palms into the floor and arch your back, dropping your tailbone into Cat Pose.

Repeat this sequence a few times to help relieve tension in your back then when you’re ready bring yourself back to table top position.

Puppy Pose

• Start in a tabletop position with your feet parallel and hip distance apart.
• On an exhale walk your hands out in front of you and bring your chest to the floor and rest your forehead on the mat.
• Spread your fingers out and press your palms firmly into the mat, keeping your shoulders away from your ears and your elbows off the mat.
• As you inhale deepen the stretch by pointing your hips and back behind you.
• With each breath you will feel yourself nestling into the mat a little more and should feel a soft and gentle stretch in your back, your chest and your shoulders.
• Stay here for a few breaths and then bring yourself out of the pose by going back into tabletop position.

Downward Dog

• Starting on all fours with your knees hip distance apart and your hands shoulder width apart and fingers facing forward.
• Move your hands a little further forward, tuck your toes under, lift your hips to the ceiling and straighten your legs.
• Press your fingers into the mat and drop your heels down towards the mat. Your heels don’t have to touch the floor just pulling down towards the floor will give you a good stretch.

When you’re ready walk your hands towards your feet and slowly bring yourself up to standing.

Forward Fold

• Standing in Mountain Pose, lift your arms up and dive forward into a Forward Bend, keeping your back flat and your hands on the floor or wooden block.

You can keep your legs straight or bend your knees slightly depending on your flexibility and comfort. Stay here for a few breaths then slowly roll yourself back up one vertebrae at a time until you come up to standing.

Shoulder Rolls

As I have a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders I always like to do a few shoulder rolls.

• Standing upright with your arms down by your sides gently lift your shoulders to your ears and roll your shoulders back and forth in circular motion for 4 repetitions.

Then reverse the action by going in the opposite direction for 3 repetitions.

Side Stretch

• Staying in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), stretch your arms up to the ceiling and grab your right wrist with your left hand and stretch to the right.
• Come back to centre and then grab your left wrist with your right hand while stretching to the left.

Coming back to centre, stretch your arms up, put your palms together and bring your hands to your heart’s centre.

Breathe … and you’re ready for the day …