4 morning yoga poses for beginners
A big part of my morning routine is my yoga practice. Since I started practicing years ago, my body craves the movement as soon as I wake up.
Practicing yoga or stretching is a great way to ease into the day and release any tension or energy from the night before.
These 4 poses are some of the ones I personally do each day, and are great for beginners and yogi’s of all levels.
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CHILD’S POSE
This is one of my favorite poses, and is a great pose to do in the morning, because it stretches a lot of different muscles like your hips, back, and shoulders, and helps to relieve tension.
HOW TO DO IT:
Come onto your mat on your hands and knees. Open your knees wide and bring your big toes to touch. Sit back onto your feet, place your forehead on your mat and crawl your hands up to the top of the mat, or leave your arms at your sides. Breathe here as long as feels good or at least 5 deep breaths in and out through the nose. **If your hips are really tight, you can try to place a blanket on top of your feet and sit back on that.
CAT COW POSE
Ahh cat cow. I love love this pose. It’s a great way to relieve stress and bring flexibility to the spine. It opens the chest and shoulders, and allows the breath to flow freely.
HOW TO DO IT:
Come onto your hands and knees on your mat. Arms shoulder width apart, and knees hip width apart. On the inhale, arch the spine, and tilt the pelvis back, head looking forward. On the exhale, round the spine, tuck the pelvis under and bring your chin toward your chest. Do several rounds of this, breathing in and out through the nose. Move with your breath to find a natural rhythm.
DOWNWARD FACING DOG
This is one pose that most people either know or have heard of. This pose is considered an inversion, because your heart is above your head. It helps to strengthen and stretch the muscles in the arms and wrists, and is a complete stretch for the entire back body.
HOW TO DO IT:
Come onto your hands and knees on your yoga mat. Tuck the toes under and lift the hips, pushing through the palms of your hands and the balls of your feet. If your hamstrings are tight, you can start by keeping a bend in the knees. Hold the pose for a few deep breaths in and out through the nose. You can also try bicycling the legs, to loosen up the muscles.
FORWARD FOLD
This inversion helps to relive anxiety and stress, and stretches the hamstrings and calves. I love this pose for it’s calming effects and relief of tension on the neck and shoulders.
HOW TO DO IT:
Stand tall, feet hip width apart. Hinge at the hips and lower your upper body towards the ground, keeping a slight bend in the knees. The goal here is not to touch your feet, although if you are able to, you can. Bend your elbows, and hold each one with the opposite hand. Allow your head and neck to release. Take 5 slow deep breaths here, and slowly roll your way up to standing.
MANDUKA PRO YOGA MAT
ALO YOGA AIRLIFT LEGGING
GAIAM YOGA BLOCKS
**This blog is not a substitute for medical advice. Practice at your own risk.