Good Morning Short Yoga Series
Wake up your senses and stimulate your soul before the sun rises each day.
Sounds lovely doesn’t it? It’s this ideal notion that when our alarms go off, we step out of bed with inspiration and invigoration. And, while my every morning doesn’t necessarily feel that way, I have to say that I’m almost there. I’m a morning girl…and for good reason.
I love getting out of bed when the house is still and my soul is rested. I slip on my exercise attire and sneak downstairs. I sit at my desk with some warm lemon water for just a few minutes as I peruse my day’s plan. Then, I gaze into the words of a verse or two. I let the essence of His Word work on my mind.
I sit still.
For only a moment more.
Then, even when my body wants to betray me, I remind myself of the real feeling of life I get after a good morning workout. Along with the body nourishment and simple sense of sanity it gives me, beginning my day with this living-well routine has been a gift I give myself for quite some time now. Well, maybe it’s a gift He gives me as my girls sleep, still snuggled in their beds.
Many mornings, my movement consists of or at least includes some yoga. I’ve got a special affection for a mindfully, opening and invigorating yoga routine. To me, there’s nothing better than feeling the flow. It’s like waking up with a strengthening dance on my mat.
That’s why I decided to start sharing bits and pieces of my yoga routines. While they don’t flow on the page here in the way I do when I teach or practice on my own, you can learn these poses and truly feel the benefits of opening up your body as you open up your day.
Members…please watch your emails for yoga series in video format, totally unscripted and not all slick and professional. But, just me and you practicing yoga together! If you’d like to have access to all the member content too, click here for registration.
forward bend
straight arm plank
cobra
downward facing dog
high lunge
downward facing dog with open hip
High lunge with twist
Triangle pose
Frog Squat
Namaste
Warm-Up
Just begin....breathe deep. Inhale on the expansion parts of each more and exhale on the exertion. Simply let your breathe flow, your mind focus and your body feel the bliss of each pose. Hold each one as long as you like or flow through them a bit more quickly. You may even want to do this series slow first and then speed it up a bit.
Workout Set
| Exercise | Description |
|---|---|
| Forward Bend | Hang forward with your arms dangling to the floor or with folded arms, hanging on to opposite elbows |
| Side bend (not shown) | Clasp your right wrist with your left hand. Use your left hand to pull your body to the right into a side bend, keeping your rib cage rolling open. Repeat on other side. |
| Straight arm plank, lowering into cobra | Come into a forward bend and step back into a plank position. Lower your body to the mat by bending your elbows back. Lift your head and chest into a cobra position. |
| Downward facing dog | From cobra, press up into your full palms into plank position and then back into downward facing down with hips lifting, heels dropping and head relaxed. |
| High lunge | From down dog, step forward with your right foot, placing it between your hands. Keep your back heel lifted and lift your upper body perpendicular to the floor. Keep front knee behind your toes and lift arms high. Repeat on other leg. |
| Downward facing dog with open hip | Get back into downward dog pose, keep both hands planted firmly, lift your right leg up behind you and open your right hip up. Hold, close the hip, lower the leg and repeat on other side. |
| High Lunge with twist variation | Step your right foot up between your hands and come back into high lunge position. Turn your body to face your right leg and open your arms to a 'T'. (progression option: place your left hand on the floor on the inside of your foot and turn your right body and arm open.) Repeat on other side. |
| Triangle pose | With right foot facing the front of your mat, and your feet perpendicular, reach towards your front facing foot with right arm and scoop your right hip under. Lower your right hand to the shin or floor and rotate your left body and arm open. Repeat on other side. |
| Plank to down dog | Get into plank position and flow back to downward facing dog, letting your breath flow with the movement and repeating this a few times. |
| Frog squat | With feet a bit wider than hip distance apart, turn your toes out and slower lower into a frog squat position with hands in prayer position. Hold. Turn feet forward and straighten legs and keep body bent forward to end in forward bend, where you started. |
| NAMASTE | quiet yourself in cross legged position for just a few breaths, readying to enter whatever part of the day comes next for you. |
Cool Down
You may end in your forward bend or you can get into a seated position with your hands on your knees and eyes soft or closed. Take a few long, deep, belly breaths. And start or continue your day with a sense of refreshment and energy!
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