In addition to drinking a glass of water (to rehydrate and rev up your metabolism), taking some deep breaths (to energize), and getting some natural sunlight exposure as soon as possible (to reset your body clock), one of the best ways to start your day off right is by moving. And we love simple morning yoga poses as a morning movement choice because it’s a gentle way to increase your circulation, loosen up your connective tissues, realign your body, and stimulate your mood by boosting your body’s level of “feel good” hormones called endorphins.
Plus, early morning movement also sets the tone for a day filled with healthier life choices. That p.m. gym session and salad at lunch (instead of the 2 hour Netflix sesh and sandwich with chips) will probably be preferable if you already feel like you’ve made some feel-good decisions earlier in the day. So grab a mat and let’s get started on these rejuvenating morning yoga poses!
Wake Up with These 7 Morning Yoga Poses:
1. Sun Salutation
Maybe the most classically-known yoga flow, a sun salutation takes you through a variety of positions and postures, hitting essential ranges of motion like upward extension (with mini-cobra) and partial inversions (with downward dog). There are several variations, so choose the one you like the most and go.
2. Chair Pose
Feel the burn! You’ll wake up your core and quads big time with this tough move. It’s the perfect thing to toss in between a few sun salutations for a mix of ease and challenge.
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3. Low Lunge
The low lunge pose gives you an incredible stretch on the front of your hips and allows you to really open up your chest, upper back, and ribcage.
4. Warrior Two
Use this pose to ramp up your confidence and take a few still moments to focus on your posture and breath.
5. Wide Leg Forward Fold
Mini-inversion (with your head lower than your heart)? Check. Elongation of the spine? Check. Gentle stretch of the hamstrings and hip adductors? Check. No wonder we love this feel-good move in the a.m.
6. Pigeon Pose
One of the best hip openers out there, this move will help you loosen up those deep hip flexors and joint capsules. If the traditional pose is too uncomfortable on your knees, you can flip onto your back and try the Figure 4/thread the needle variation.
7. Bridge
Finish your flow by waking up your posterior chain and doing a little mini-inversion with bridge pose (it’s early in the day, so you may not want to go straight into handstands or wheel).
Remember to BREATHE throughout the entire flow. Also, remember that yoga should never feel painful, so if anything is uncomfortable then stop, reset, modify the movement, or skip it altogether.
Interested in upping your yoga game? Check out our class schedule or talk to one of our staff members to learn more!
