Take some time this morning to flow on your mat. Doing these 7 poses will help you to improve your flexibility and mobility as you wake up. With a little bit of strength work to energize you for the day ahead.
These are appropriate for all levels and no props are required.
- Wide-Legged Child’s Pose – Start kneeling, bringing the big toes together. Take the knees wide, choosing the distance that works for you this morning. Send the hips back towards the heels. Walk your hands forward, lowering the forehead to the mat. Melt the heart down. Keep length in the neck.
2. Circular Cat/Cow – Get into the front and back as well as the side body. Come to table top. Start to fluidly trace circles with the hips and shoulders, as you also round and contract the spine. Inhaling and exhaling through the nose, using your breath to guide the movement.
3. Vinyasa Flow – Walk the hands ahead of the shoulders. Tuck your toes under, lifting your hips up and back. Curling the tailbone up. Don’t worry if your heels are lifted, as your hamstrings may be tight first thing in the morning. Inhale, forward to plank. Stay strong as you lower down to the belly. Untuck the toes. Inhale, rolling the shoulders back, keeping the elbows in, lift your heart for cobra. Exhale, release and return to downward dog.
4. High Lunge – Step the left foot between the hands, feet should be hip width apart. Push into the feet to lift up. Draw the belly in and lift out of the low back as you reach the hands overhead. Add in a twist, by opening the right arm forward and left arm back. Keep the shoulders over the hips.
5. Pyramid – Bring the hands down to frame the front foot. Straighten the left leg any amount. Folding towards the left knee. You may need to bring your back foot in a few inches.
Repeat 4 and 5 on the other side.
6. Yogi Squat – From standing, take feet a bit wider than the hips. Turn the heels in and toes out. Bend your knees and sink your hips down. Bring the hands together at the heart. Elbows inside the legs, using them to press the knees wider. Reach the crown up and the tail down.
7. Passive Forward Fold – Sit down, extending the legs out in front of you. Bend your knees slightly. Let yourself naturally round forward over the legs. Turning the palms up. Holding here for several rounds of breath as you get a stretch in the posterior chain and back body.
These 7 poses come from a 10 minute morning flow released on my YouTube channel. Find it below.
Namaste,
Kassandra
