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If you experience tightness or pain in your hips and lower back when you wake up, these stretches will help you target that area to find some relief.
We will do some forward folds, hip openers, and twists to get in to this area of the body.
If you are doing this sequence in the morning, respect and honor the limitations of the body. Note that it is perfectly normal to be a bit tighter when you first get out of bed.
1. Turtle – Come to a seat, with knees bent. Bring the soles together, bringing the feet much farther away from the body then usual. Drop the knees out to the sides, so the knees have a bit more than a 90 degree angle. Start to round forward over the legs, making it passive. If you are close to the legs, thread the arms under the legs. Turn the palms up. Relax and let gravity do the work.
2. Spine Stretch – Bring your knees up. Hold on to the ankles. Round and contract the spine. Dropping the chin to the chest. Hold here, getting a big stretch along the spine. After a moment here, inhale to lift up and expand the heart.
3. Seated Pigeon – Straighten the legs. Cross the left ankle over top of the right knee, dropping left knee out to the side. Bring the right foot in. Bring the hands down for support. Rock gently side to side. Hold for a moment, feeling the opening into your hips and glute. Repeat on the other leg.
4. Low Lunge – From downward dog, kick the right foot up, then step it through to the top of the mat. Lower the back knee down. Push into the legs as you lift your hands off the floor. Sink the hips low. Bring hands together at the heart. Cross over, bringing the left elbow to the right knee. Push the elbow into the thigh as you open into the twist. Hold for a few breaths. Then lower fingertips to floor.
5. Seated Twist – Bring the left knee behind the right foot. Sit the hips down. Bring the right foot over the left thigh. Wrap the left arm around the right leg. Bring the right hand back behind you. Focus on finding length in your spine, avoid slouching or rounding.
6. Happy Baby – Bring both feet forward and arms out in front of you. Contract the spine, as you start to lower down to the mat. Kick the feet up, catching hold of the outer edges. Stack the ankle over the knees. Rock side to side to massage your low back.
7. Bridge – Release the feet flat to the mat. Push into the heels to lift the hips up and come into bridge. Lean onto the left leg. Lift the right foot, trying to straighten the leg so thighs are parallel. Bend the knee and bring the foot back down. Lean onto the right leg, lifting the left leg up. Roll down inch by inch.
Repeat 4 through 7 on the other side.
Want more of these 10 minute morning yoga practices? Want to commit to 30 days in a row? Join the Morning Movement Challenge here!
These 7 poses come from day 19 of the Morning Yoga Challenge. Practice with me in the video below.
Namaste,
Kassandra
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