Morning Yoga

I’ve always been one of those people who believed I couldn’t function without that first cup of tea in the morning. I felt I needed it to wake myself up and feel energized and ready for the day. Sometimes though even I need more than a cup of a tea to get going.

Even if you’ve just had a great sleep there are times when you wake up and feel that your body just needs a good old stretch. I find that gentle yoga in the morning really helps me get my limbs moving and helps focus my mind so I’m ready for the rest of the day. What makes it even better is that I can do most of the poses without actually having to get out of bed!

• Starting in Corpse pose, lie flat on your mat (or in bed if you’re still in it) with your arms by your sides and your palms facing the ceiling. Your legs are hip distance apart and your feet are falling out to the sides.

• Take 3 or 4 gentle breaths in and out and then begin to deepen the breath by taking a slightly longer inhale and a longer exhale.

• Inhale and reach your fingertips behind your head and move into a full body stretch. Exhale and bring your fingertips down by your sides. (Repeat 3 times)

• Bringing your knees to your chest give them a good hug. You can always bring one knee up at a time if that suits you better.

• Moving into a reclining butterfly bring the soles of your feet together. This gives you a gentle stretch in your inner thigh area. Take a couple of breaths here before bringing your knees to your chest again.

• From here you can rock back and forth gently on your back and pull yourself up to a cross- legged Sukhasana or you can bring yourself up to sitting in a way that is comfortable for you.

• Bringing your shoulders to your ears, circle your shoulders a couple of times one way then the other and then circle your head in one direction and then the other. This will help with any tension you have in your neck and shoulders.

• Bringing your hands to your heart, interlace your fingers and stretch your hands out in front of you and then over your head so your palms are facing the ceiling. Bring your hands back down and repeat this sequence up to 3 times.

• Now bring yourself to a kneeling position and come up onto your hands your knees into Cat/Cow. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders shoulder width apart and your fingers should be pointing forward.

• As you inhale lift your sitting bones so your bottom sticks out behind you and your chest rises towards the ceiling and your eyes gaze directly in front of you.

• On the inhale arch your back and pull your abdominal muscles inward and upward and bring your chin to your chest. Repeat 3 times then bring yourself to Child’s Pose and take a few breaths here.

• From Child’s Pose bring yourself up onto your hands and knees and then move into Downward Facing Dog. Take a few breaths here and then slowly walk your hands to your feet and let your body fall into a standing forward fold.

• Grabbing your elbows, move them from side to side if that feels good. Then slowly roll yourself up one vertebrae at a time until you’re standing up tall in Tadasana.

In Tadasana, bring your hands to your heart (palms together) take a deep breath in, move your arms to the sides and up over your head bringing your palms together and then on the exhale bring your arms down and back to your chest. Repeat 3 times then bring your hands to your heart and bow your head if that feels right for you and enjoy the rest of your morning!