The Best Yoga Poses to Do in the Morning
If you're looking for the best morning yoga routine then look no further. This 7-10 minute yoga routine is a great way to start your day!
“Shake it off” is a song by Taylor Swift that gives us good advice for starting our day.
While you’ve been sleeping, a web-like layer of fascia has been growing between the interfaces of your muscles. Yes, that’s right, much like cotton candy this layer of fascia begins to interfere with the sliding surfaces of the muscles and fluidity of movement becomes more difficult. The good news is that stretching, shaking and moving dissolves this particular type of fascia and the body becomes energized as lymph, blood and oxygen flow.
When we’re injured or sore we might skip stretching for a few days (weeks, months?) and the fascia continues to toughen and tighten the sliding surfaces of the muscles, until movement is inhibited and perhaps painful. It will likely require specific, targeted stretching, and perhaps massage or other kinds of bodywork, to reorganize the tissue back to smooth, working order.
The alarm goes off, you’re jarred awake from a peaceful slumber. Your eyes pop open and the day begins…with fight or flight in full force! Those waking moments can set the tone for the rest of the day.
You might feel a bit stiff, sore or even injured. Instead of a blaring buzzer, try an alarm that is pleasant: chimes or maybe even running water (the urge to empty your bladder is a powerful push to get out of bed).
It’s easy to make stretching a part of our morning routine. Think about moving every single joint in your body before you get out of bed. Then, while waiting for the shower water to heat, move around, stretch, shake it off! Don’t forget the little joints as well as the big ones: work from your feet all the way to your scalp. Pay special attention to the stiff places and the painful spots. Move slowly but be sure to move. It isn’t just our minds that need to awaken; our body deserves some attention too.
Extended Tadasana-Mountain Pose
Stand with feet hip width apart. Lift your toes keeping the balls of the feet and heel pressing into the earth. Inhale as you bring your arms up to shoulder height and then slowly all the way overhead (or as far as your arms can go). Feel the lengthening in every part of your spine. Then reach one arm at a time towards the sky. Reach, stretch, breath!
Prayer Wheel
Stand with your feet wider than your hips. Keep the knees bent, hips fluid. Begin to twist easily to one side. Lift your heel, bend your knees every part of your body move in the direction of the twist. Reach your arm in direction of the twist to stretch the shoulders. Go back forth in both directions, breathing with the movement.
Divers Pose
Standing with feet hip width apart reach the arms overhead, inhale the breath. As you exhale, bend both knees reach the arms forward and bring them behind you as you come to a squat (as if you were sitting in a chair). Keep the back parallel to the floor, arms extended behind you. Imagine that you were preparing to dive into a beautiful pool of water. Keep the knees bent deeply as you fold forward, hand to the floor or blocks. Enjoy the sensation of having your head down. You might pedal your feet or sway your hips. To come up: bend the knees, straighten the spine, engage the core as you press the floor away to come out of the pose.