Morning yoga doesn’t always have to be gentle. You can combine strengthening poses with stretching to get a boost in energy as you wake up the body.
For this short full body flow, have 1 block handy.
1. Supported Bridge Pose – Lay down on the back, bend the knees and bring feet to the floor. Lift the hips and slide the block on its lowest level underneath the hips. This gentle inversion brings the hips slightly higher than the heart. Shrug the shoulders down away from the ears. Rest your arms where comfortable. Connect to the breath. To get deeper into the hips hug the right knee into the chest, possibly also extending the left leg out. Switch legs. Remove block and lower to mat.
2. Ab Work – Place the block between your upper inner thighs. Extend the legs up to the sky. Point the feet, and curl the toes back and spread them. Bring your hands behind your head. Squeeze the block, push the low back into the floor. Inhale, lift head and shoulders. Exhale, squeeze blocks and curl tailbone up. Inhale to hold. Exhale to lower down. Repeat about 5 times.
3. Bridge – Return feet to the floor, keeping the block where it is. Lower the arms at the sides, rolling shoulders down. Press into the feet, squeeze the block, curl the tailbone up. Peeling the spine off the mat. Use the block to engage your inner thighs.
4. Three-Legged Plank – Come to downward dog. Kick the left leg up, keeping the left hip rotating down. Inhale forward, bringing shoulders over wrists and finding one long line. Keeping the left foot elevated. Engaging the core.
5. Modified Side Plank – Lower the left knee to the floor. Roll to the inner edge of your left foot. Extend the right arm up to the sky. Shifting the gaze up. Return the left hand to the floor.
Step back and take a flow. Repeat 4 and 5 on the other side.
6. Low Lunge with Twist – Come to table top. Step the right foot between the hands, with knee over the ankle. Bring your right hand to the thigh, pushing it forward. Roll the right shoulder back. Let the hips be heavy. Return to forward, bringing right hand down to the mat. Straighten the right leg and flex the foot. Pull your heart forward. Step back and repeat on other leg.
Prefer to move through the whole quickie morning practice with me? Press play below.
Namaste,
Kassandra
