How To Practice Morning Yoga in Bed • Yoga Basics

So you want to create a healthy morning routine, but the idea of getting up early to do yoga isn't exactly appealing. An easy way to incorporate a daily yoga practice into your life is to do yoga first thing in the morning, before you even get out of bed! Although you cannot complete a full yoga workout, it is still possible to practice morning yoga in your bed if you follow some basic tips.

What is bed yoga?

Bed yoga is a series of stretching and breathing exercises that are performed on or in your bed. Because a mattress has a much softer surface than the floor, you cannot perform standing or balancing poses that require a solid floor feel. However, this soft surface can come in handy if you have sore knees, wrists, or other joint pain.

Bed yoga is usually practiced right before bed or immediately after waking up. Bed yoga poses include calming and calming poses if done at night or energizing poses if done in the morning.

Benefits of morning yoga in bed

If you're struggling to find the motivation and inspiration for the time to incorporate yoga into your life, bed yoga may be the perfect solution. Yoga in bed allows you to slowly wake up and take it easy on your body. Let's be honest – not everyone is a morning person! If you can stick to a regular yoga practice from your bed with yoga, it will improve your health and general well-being.

When it comes to yoga, short routines done daily over time are the best way to go Improve flexibility, strength and blood circulation, which will help you sleep deeper and wake up rested! A morning yoga practice can also increase your energy and vitality while reducing your general stress levels.

Best yoga poses in bed

The best poses for bed yoga are simple sitting, supine, and prone asanas. Practice postures that don't require too much exertion and don't require a solid surface to practice on.

The easiest way to start is to lie flat on your back in the Shavasana pose and then continue with some other poses in the supine position. When you have the time and energy, move on to additional simple sitting poses. Finish your practice with a short meditation in a comfortable sitting position such as sukasana.

The 16 best bed yoga poses

Tips for beginners

So what should you know before starting a bedside morning yoga routine? These top tips will help you get the most out of your yoga routine in the morning when you can't get up!

Just start.
Memorize a few poses or a simple routine of poses so that you can get into yoga practice as soon as you wake up. Alternatively, you can print out a list of poses to refer to on your bedside table or upload a bed yoga video to your phone or iPad for use.
Wake up early.
It's important to focus on routines that can be performed on even the busiest morning. But yoga is all about mindfulness and it's not something you want to speed up. Set your alarm a few minutes earlier so you can wake up and face the day.
Incorporate pranayama.
If you're the kind of person who will hit your alarm three or four times, resist the urge to do so. Instead, use bed yoga to meditate or practice poses. You want yoga that wakes you up! Alternatively, take a few minutes of pranayama or simple deep breathing techniques to take in more oxygen and wake you up. If you want more energy to wake up, practice a few rounds of breath of fire at the end of your session.
Focus on stretching.
Stretching your back, legs, and arms can wake you up and protect yourself from muscle pain and stiffness when sleeping in an uncomfortable position.
Schedule your PJs.
Yoga requires comfortable clothing that doesn't restrict movement. Before you go to bed, put on cozy cotton pajamas or other loose-fitting lightweight clothing so you can try your favorite yoga routine before getting ready in the morning.
Keep props close by.
If you're a beginner, you might want to have a few yoga props next to your bed. You can of course use one of your bed pillows for support, but you may want to have a strap or pad on hand.
Choose soothing music.
If you want to practice yoga with a soundtrack, make your music choices before you go to sleep. If so, set your phone alarm to use a gentle yoga song.
Set an intention for the day.
If you finish your exercise with a few moments of deep breathing, you can take a moment to set an intention for the rest of your day. Pick a word or short phrase that you can easily repeat later in the day to connect with the peace and strength you find in your yoga practice. It can be helpful to use some Buddhist prayer beads, worry stones, or jewelry as a reminder of this intention. The gemstone jewelry at Tiny Rituals is perfect to incorporate into your morning yoga intent. Setting a clear and positive intention is an easy way to add more joy to your morning ritual.

If you are unsure if you have the discipline to do yoga, give your Pjs a try! It's a great way to prepare you for your day and incorporate a daily workout into your life!