18 Morning Yoga Stretches and Poses to Start Your Day • Yoga Basics

There are many reasons to start your day with a morning yoga routine. The morning is a great time to practice yoga poses as it prepares your body and mind for the day ahead. It can also be difficult to find time to practice yoga during the day, and you may be too tired to do anything at night. A short series of yoga stretches and poses with mindful, deep breaths can keep your body loose and supple, help you relieve stress and tension, energize your body, and calm your mind. To give you a great start to the day, we've put together 18 of the best yoga stretches and poses for the morning so you can move through the day with peace of mind and productivity.

Tips for practicing morning yoga

• Start slowly and warm up the body with rhythmic movements.
• Work carefully on building deeper stretches.
• Experiment with different asanas to find the best energizing yoga routine for you.
• A faster style of Vinyasa yoga movement will be more energizing.
• Take in pranayama for a few minutes like a breath of fire.
• Be sure to breathe slowly regardless of the pace of your exercise.
• Regular exercise and a morning yoga routine of at least 15 minutes are recommended to get most of the benefits of yoga.
• Place the most energetic asanas at the end of your morning sequence of postures.
• If you have trouble waking up, practice morning yoga in bed!

The best morning yoga stretches and poses

We asked several yoga experts about some of their favorite morning yoga stretches and poses. Practice one or more of these stretches and poses to get up and move around, and they will help you start your day refreshed and energized. It's easy to get yoga going anywhere – all you need is a modest amount of space and a desire to create a healthier body and mind. Choose from a selection of simple poses that you can do at home or try building a more strenuous routine. Click on the pose photos for detailed step-by-step instructions.

Mountain pose / Tadasana

A great pose to start your morning workout with a calm, grounded energy is the mountain pose. Carrie Froggett, teacher and co-founder of The Frog Project, comments, “It's essentially a meditative pose, but the steadfastness of the pose means your body is physically active. I love the challenge of using as little physical exertion as possible while trying to relax my mind. It looks easy but is difficult, and the benefits are wonderful. A game changer for every morning!

Froggett recommends holding hands in prayer position to encourage “a sense of belief, acceptance, commitment” and using the pose as active meditation to “spend a few minutes thinking, setting an intention for the day ahead or give a chance to “Let go of something that you may have been holding onto overnight. This, in turn, can leave you feeling energized and prepared for the day ahead, and often with new and creative ideas that you can take with you into your day with panache, ease, and grace. "

Cat and cow husbandry / Marjaryasana and Bitilasana

The flow between cat and cow pose is a great way to wake up your spine for your morning workout. According to yoga teacher Eloise Skinner, “a night's sleep can immobilize your back and neck and the cat-cow transition helps bring your body back into motion.” She suggests, “As you move through the two poses , you can use this as an opportunity to check into yourself again: maybe close your eyes and synchronize your breath with the movement. "

Children's pose / Balasana

One of the easiest asanas to include in your morning exercise is the child pose. OriGym yoga teacher Annie Williams explains to us, “Balasana is not only a great and extremely effective way to start a yoga practice, it is also a great way to start the day as you reconnect with your breath and a gentle one Relieve your lower back, lats and hips – wake them up and prepare them for the next day. “The child is great at relieving stress and anxiety, and Williams notes several other benefits. "The child's pose helps to relieve tension in the back, shoulders and chest and to normalize the blood circulation in the body. This is crucial so that our body functions can develop their optimal potential."

Hero pose / Virasana

Hero is a stable stance that you can use to start your morning routine. Shaw Academy instructor Tanya Shiels recommends this pose because it “is great for improving your posture and provides a deep stretch to the quads, knees, and ankles that often feel stiff and sore in the morning. Starting your morning in Virasana is a great pose for setting intentions for the day and placing your hands on your knees with palms facing up to receive what the day has in store. Combining this with some warmth pranayama is also a great way to really connect with the body. "

Downward facing dog pose / Adho Mukha Svanasana

A great pose to incorporate into your morning practice is Downward Dog. This classic yoga pose strengthens the upper body, improves blood circulation and brings fresh oxygen to the brain to help you wake up. Skinner appreciates how “the pose works by stretching the back of your legs and creating space along your spine and neck. In this position, you can kick through your feet to bring movement and energy to your legs and hips. "

Sun Salutation A / Surya Namaskar A.

Greet the warming and energizing nature of the sun as you flow through the movements in the sun salutation sequence. "Surya Namaskar A is a key aspect of Ashtanga yoga that is usually practiced the morning before dinner," notes Shiels. "This dynamic sequence is a perfect way to warm up your body, increase flexibility and strength, and keep you energized for the rest of the day." Use the repetitive nature of the sun salutation to connect with your breath and clear your mind. "It is common practice to repeat the surya namaskar 108 times," says Shiels. "But just a few rounds of this wonderful sequence are enough to bring energy into the body so that you can greet the day with certainty and gratitude."

Cobra Pose / Bhujangasana

If your next day calls for creativity and confidence, hold the Cobra pose for several breaths. This back flexion compresses the kidneys and opens the chest, which is extremely invigorating for the morning. Froggett tells her students to “skip their coffee and do a backbend first thing in the morning. It gives you more energy than your espresso and makes you dance into your day, ready for anything. "

Bhunjangasna trains and tones the deep back muscles that support the spine to aid in good posture. Froggett adds, “Backbends have a powerful effect on your hormones, secretions, and chemicals in your brain that stimulate the body and create a feeling of confidence, strong self-esteem, and willpower. An added bonus to this pose is the gentle pressure on your abdomen and pelvis that puts your digestive organs into action. Preferably on an empty stomach. "

Low Lung Pose / Anjaneyasana

If you spend a lot of time sitting at work, consider incorporating a low lunge variation into your morning exercise. "Low lunge is an energizing pose that strengthens your hip flexors," says Grace Woinicz, CEO of The Brilliant Kitchen. “It also stretches your arms and upper body and strengthens your legs. This is a helpful exercise to practice in the morning before going to work in preparation for a long day. “To make this asana more energizing, add a round of fire while holding it. To stretch your hips and legs more, use one hand to gently pull your back foot toward your hips.

Camel pose / Ustrasana

Strengthen your morning yoga flow by taking several deep breaths in a camel pose. "This heart opener is surprisingly energizing and ready to hit the day," notes Amy Zellmer, Editor-in-Chief of Brain Health Magazine. “For some, it can be a challenging pose as it is a deep backbend. You can use a block under your feet to bring them closer to your arms, or you can just allow your arms to be with you wherever they can. “This deep bend opens your chest and improves lung capacity. Therefore, it is especially powerful to use a full diaphragmatic breath while holding.

Chair posture / Utkatasana

Turn on the quadriceps in the chair position when your day calls for clarity, balance, and grip. This standing posture "gives a feeling of grounding in your feet and activation in the largest muscle groups in your lower body," Skinner said. “Chair posture is a great way to bring some energy into your morning practice! Raising your arms up can create a sense of openness and invitation – a great way to start the day. "

Twisted Chair Pose / Parivrtta Utkatana

You can go one step further with the chair posture with its rotating variant. Williams recommends that all students start their day with the twisted chair pose as it “helps increase blood flow as it works every muscle in the body. The twisting action helps wake up the internal organs and plays a role in our digestive process. The Twisted Chair pose, like other poses that involve rotation, acts on both the digestive system of our body and the internal organs, so they promote detoxification. "Some other important benefits of this twist are:" We improve our balance and focus, and improve the range of motion of the joints. Both are important factors that we fall back on the second time we wake up. "

Dancer pose / Natarajasana

When your morning needs a big boost of animation and motivation, add Dancer to your yoga sequence. According to Tara Stiles, founder and owner of Strala Yoga, this back posture is "a great move to improve balance, flexibility and energy for yourself". "It is important that you do not use the strength of your arms to open your back, just as it is important not to use force against yourself when you move." Dancer is a great move to practice in the morning to create expansion and space in your back and be open to possibility. "

Warrior II / Virabhadrasana II

Adding one or more warrior poses to your morning yoga flow is important to awaken your body and mind and empower you for a challenging day. The most accessible of these poses is Warrior II. "This is a powerful pose for balance and strength, but also to help you practice your affirmative statements or set goals for your day," says Zellmer. "It's a fundamental pose of any yoga practice and will help you feel more confident, grounded, and focused."

Warrior I / Virabhadrasana I.

Warrior 1 challenges you to stay grounded and present, and helps build strength and stability in your legs, core, and back. This is an excellent asana "to build strength and self-confidence and to get a nice and gentle opening in the hips and back," explains Stiles. "Warrior 1 is a wonderful position to practice in the morning, to focus your mind and involve your body in a balanced build-up of strength."

Warrior III / Virabhadrasana III

You will quickly get your heart rate up and energize your entire body when you balance on one foot in this warrior pose. "Warrior 3 feels like it is sending waves of activation to every muscle in your body," says Woinicz. “Starting from the shoulders to the hamstrings, calves, ankles and the back. It also stretches and tones your abs too. If you ever run out of time and can only do a single pose, this is the one. "

Triangle pose / Trikonasana

A classic yoga asana that you can include in your daily yoga practice is Trikonasana. This standing pose is, according to Stiles, "great for opening up the whole body together and giving a great sense of emotional expansion". "It's great to practice the triangle pose in the morning to wake up your whole self, release tension in your body, and energize your mind. Benefits include building leg strength, improving balance and coordination, and mental focus. "

Wide-legged forward fold posture / Prasarita Padottanasana

It is important to incorporate and balance the powerful energy properties of the warrior poses and other standing postures. Zellmer recommends following "Warrior II" with a gentle, wide-legged forward fold. Forward folding soothes the central nervous system, increases blood flow, and helps you center your body and mind. Focus on grounding in the ground below you and resting your head on a block when you can't reach the ground. "

Pigeon keeping / Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Another powerful pose to practice if you sit a lot at work is pigeon. Michelle Bagnato of Bliss from Balance tells us it's common for her to wake up with tight hips. “This pose is amazing with the help of a block for support and to keep my hips even, to loosen up the area. To make me feel focused in the morning, I reserve a few minutes in the pose in which my forehead rests on my hands or the mat. “Pigeon is an important yoga pose that helps her wake up. She notes that "when I spend this time taking a few deep breaths and exhales, I feel grounded and at peace and can see how I feel this morning so I can prepare for the next day."

Bow pose / Dhanurasana

Bow is a wonderful morning pose to increase energy levels and promote a strong metabolism for the day ahead. This abdominal bend stretches the entire front of the body while strengthening your back. It invigorates the internal organs and stimulates the adrenal glands and strengthens diaphragmatic breathing. According to Williams, “The arched position when opening our chest can help make it easier for us to breathe. By promoting a more even breathing pattern, the bow hold can help calm us down and relieve stress. This leads to an improvement in concentration and mental determination, which directly improves our way of thinking and productivity in everyday life. "

Seated Spinal Twist Pose / Ardha Matsyendrasana

It is important that you start your day with a happy spine. So add at least one twisted pose like Ardha Matsyendrasana. Placing Seated Spinal Twist at the end of your morning yoga routine soothes and invigorates the back muscles and calms the mind. Shiels tells us, “This is a great morning pose as it brings energy into the spine after sleep, where our spine is often in one position for long periods of time. One of the best poses to aid digestion is to feel energized and stimulated by a seated spine rotation before breakfast. After doing this pose in the morning, drinking a glass of warm water with lemon will help keep your digestive system going and prepare your body for the day ahead. "

Seated forward fold posture / Paschimottanasana

Seated Forward Fold is an excellent asana for integrating and releasing tension and tension in the back body. Froggett explains, "The longer you hold it and inhale, the deeper the stretch and the more" relaxation "you feel along your spine, from the base of your skull, between your shoulder blades, and down to your lower back. The effect of this opening is your entire back of the body is an extremely energizing way to start the day. You will find that any compression that has built up overnight, or whatever is left over from the day before, begins to melt. Leave room for ease, energy and Inspiration for your next day. ”This calming posture also strengthens and massages the abdominal and pelvic region, which is ideal for stimulating digestion at the beginning of the day.

This attitude encourages the feeling of letting go, surrendering and letting go, as Froggett explains, “I love the way it can help me let go of whatever I might have woken up to and really help me start the day with a fresh chalkboard start. The nature of a forward fold is that it is difficult to do anything other than breathe and let go. So it's wonderful for getting you grounded, focused, and ready for the day. "

Bridge Pose / Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

A great way to end your morning exercise is with the energizing and heart opening bridge pose. This gentle back flexion stretches your chest, stomach and shoulders and strengthens your back, buttocks and hamstrings at the same time. Bagnato tells us: “This pose is a little more active, which I like to incorporate at the end of my practice. It helps me wake up by creating warmth in the lower body and back and making me feel more supple. To make the pose easier (or if you prefer a less active version), try doing a supported bridge with a block under your sacrum. This is perfect for relieving back tension while sleeping. Whichever variant you've chosen, this full-body pose will help you tune in mentally and physically so that you can easily transition from a sleepy state to a full wake-up. "