Our bodies can often be stiff first thing in the morning after a night’s rest.
I find doing yoga for just five or 10 minutes to warm up the spine makes all the difference to how my body moves, and my mood for the rest of the day.
Try to incorporate these poses into your routine each morning – your head and body will thank you for it.
1. Jathara parivartanasana – supine twist
I love this pose first thing in the morning as it’s a brilliant detoxification pose.
Lie flat on your back, with knees bent and arms extended in a T shape. Slightly lift and shift your pelvis to the left, inhale then exhale to soften the knees over to the right, forming a gentle twist. Make sure both shoulders are on the ground. If it feels okay, take your head in the opposite direction to your knees. Stay in the pose for five breaths (or longer if there’s time). To release, bring legs back to centre and switch to the other side, remembering to shift your pelvis to the right first.
2. Janu Sirsasana –Head to knee pose
This is brilliant for lengthening the spine, hamstrings and lower back, and also works to relieve symptoms of menstrual discomfort and menopause.
Sit comfortably on a little bit of height (a folded blanket is fine), so your sit bones (the bones you sit on) tilt forward. Bend one knee and bring your foot to the inner thigh area, making sure both sit bones are still on the floor. Inhaling, rotate the chest towards the extended leg, keeping spine and neck in one long line. As you exhale, extend forward, folding from the hips and walking your fingertips gently forward. Place hands on either side of the extended leg, around the sole of the foot, or use a strap, scarf or belt to help you get more length in your stretch. Keep a slight bend in the knee of the extended leg and flex the foot. To release, walk hands slowly back to a seated position then swap sides.
3. Bidalasana – Cat Cow
This creates mobility through the spine, warms up the body and gives a fantastic connection between movement and breath.
Start on all fours, with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips. Inhale through your nose, raise your sit bones and open your chest, keeping elbows soft, and look forward to form cow pose. As you exhale, suck in your tummy and curl your tailbone under, releasing the head and neck to form cat pose. Move with your own breath on this one, with eyes open or closed. You may like to get a bit quicker as your spine warms up; do as many as you feel you need.
4. Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward facing dog
Brilliant for relieving fatigue, low mood and anxiety, this pose also opens the hamstrings, tones the heart muscles, improves digestion and strengthens the arms and shoulders. It’s a daily must-do in my house!
Starting on all fours, move your hands a step forward from their position in the previous pose. Soften elbows and spread fingers wide. Tuck toes under, and as you exhale, lift the knees and guide your hips up towards the ceiling. Keep knees bent and ‘walk’ your legs out, before finding stillness. Lengthen through both sides of the waist and continue to lift your hips. Hold for five to 10 breaths.
5. Uttanasana – Standing forward bend
I love this pose for my tight hamstrings and for releasing my lower back. Hang here for as much or as little time as you need.
From downward dog, walk your hands towards your feet, making sure your feet are hip distance apart, big toes are slightly pointed toward one another, and your knees have a soft bend in them. Exhaling, fold forward into your bend. Allow the spine and neck to fold over, releasing effortlessly (just go with gravity). Rest your hands on either your shins or on the floor. Breathe five times. To release, bend the knees more and slowly roll up through the spine, one vertebra at a time, to standing.
6. Tadasana – Mountain Pose
As simple as this pose looks, actually staying here, grounding yourself and taking those beautiful breaths before you race off the mat to the morning chores is the challenge.
Feet should be hip distance apart and parallel. Keep a slight bend in the knees. Standing tall, melt the tailbone down as the belly rises and brings your pelvis into neutral. Bring your neck into alignment with the rest of your spine by drawing the chin slightly down. Bring your palms together at heart centre. Take 10 grounding breaths here, with eyes open or closed, then you can step off the mat, ready for the day. Carly Flynn is a qualified yoga teacher, trained under Jennifer Allen at Jayayoga
