Rise and Shine Yoga: 15 Min Workout
The morning is one of the best time of the day to practice, and a great to stary the morning, Help shake off the muscles after and wake up the body, mind and soul before you start the day.
If you need to eat beforehand, try and have something light like a yoga at least an hour beforehand.
Once you start a yoga flow, you will find it hard to stop, it will make you feel so good you won’t want to stop! You can do this yoga flow at any time to get the energy you need to get through the day.
Warm up to Work Out
As always, I recommend you don’t go into any of these poses ‘cold’ but take some time to ‘warm up’ the body – just you would for any exercise you are about to do. Ensuring you take time (about 5-10 minutes) to gently warm up will help to avoid any injury, as you can ease your body into it with gentle and smaller movements.
This practice is for:
Anyone who is new to yoga
Anyone who wants a quick morning work out
Anyone who wants to feel refreshed and energised any time of the day
Seated Side Twist
Start by sitting with your legs out in front of you. Take your left leg over your right and tuck your right foot under your left glutes.
Take your right elbow and hook it over your left knee and turn to look over your left shoulder.
Hold for 20-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Forward Fold
This is a great pose to wake up the legs and hamstrings and will help you to feel longer and more open for the day.
Start with your feet hip width apart, and hinge forward from the waist, exhaling as you fold forward. Let your head hang loose and heavy, and let your hands hang or hold opposite elbow with opposite hand.
You can hold this for up to 5 minutes if that feels comfortable, and see if you can notice a difference over time!
Cat Cow
The pose will open up the heart, chest and lungs, as well as a great stretch to open the shoulders and back. Works wonders if you feel stiffness in the mornings.
Coming onto all fours, with your hands shoulder width apart and knees hip width apart, as you inhale, drop your stomach and glutes, lifting up the head and gazing upwards.
As you exhale, curve the back upwards, pressing the hands to the floor, engaging your core and sucking your stomach in.
Repeat 3-5 times each way, holding for 10-20 seconds or for as long as feels comfortable.
Butterfly Pose
This pose is good for opening up the hips if you find them tight in the mornings! Start by sitting down (on your bed or floor, whatever you prefer), and bring the soles of the feet together.
Interlace the fingers and hold around the feet, slowly moving the knees up and down. For a deeper stretch, as you exhale fold forward.
Downward Facing Dog
There is nothing better than a stretch in downward facing dog to wake up the entire body! You can come into this from lying down or standing – depending on if you are up or not! From a lying down position, come to a plank or tabletop. As you exhale, push the hips upwards.
Use the breath to bring the feet closer to the floor, but don’t worry if they don’t reach yet – especially if you are new to this. Take some time to pedal the feet up and down, and then hold for 3-5 breaths, or 20-30 seconds.
Childs Pose
And relax! This is a wonderful resting pose if it’s all got a bit too much, but also a great stretch across your back. Start by kneeling down, with your knees together or apart as wide as the map if you want to stretch your hips open too.
As you exhale fold forward, either stretching your arms and hands out in front of you or taking them behind you if you want to give your shoulders a rest. And stay here for as long as you want!
Low Lunge with Raised Arms
From a standing position, take the left leg back, pivoting on the toes so they are facing forward, dropping the knee to the floor, hands either side of your right foot., Untuck the toes to get some stability on the floor.
You can stay here, or as you inhale, raise your hands up, either with the palms facing each other and the arms open, or bring the hands together looking up at them. Hold for 20-30 seconds, or 3- 5 rounds of breath and then repeat on the other side.
Warrior II
Start with your feet open wider than your hips, about 3-4 feet wide. Turn your left foot in to a 45-degree angle, and the right food facing forward.
Take your arms up shoulder height, parallel to the floor, bending the right knee so that is also parallel to the floor. Turn your gaze to look at your right hand, sinking deeper if you can.
Triangle Pose
From Warrior 2 Pose, straighten up your legs, and bring the feet in so they are about 2-3 feet apart, hips facing forward. Inhale and as you exhale lean to the right as far as you can. From there drop the right hand as close to the floor and right ankle if you can (using props like a block if you need to!)
Taking your left hand upwards, if you can, turn your gaze to face your left hand. Hold for 3-5 breaths and then repeat on the other side!
I hope you enjoy trying all these poses as a great way to wake up and start the day! Over time see if you can repeat several times and start your day in the best way possible.
If you want to find out more, get your FREE Yoga Guide to Flexibility now. This is filled with my top tips and poses if you are just starting out.
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