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I recently led a retreat in Mallorca, Spain, and every day I snuck outside before sunrise—and before anyone else was awake—so I could practice my morning yoga routine.
It could possibly be easy to overlook our yoga practice. But I find that the times when it’s tempting to skip yoga are when I would like it essentially the most, which is precisely why I make a concerted effort to seek out time to maneuver on my mat early within the morning in order that I can find stillness in the remainder of my day.
The next stretches, Sun Salutations, standing postures, twists, core, backbends, and hip openers allow me to stretch and strengthen in all of the ways I would like without being intimidating or overly intense very first thing within the a.m. That is my morning yoga routine.
A forty five-minute morning yoga routine
Every time possible, I take my early morning yoga sessions outside. There’s magic in a sunrise. It literally brings light to our day. Hearing the bugs welcome daybreak and feeling the night air turn into the heat of day prompts my senses and jogs my memory that true nature is inside us and throughout us. In case you can’t practice outside, you’ll be able to experience it vicariously with this sequence.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Child’s Pose
We start in Child’s Pose. In case your knees feel tricky here, be kind to yourself and shift your hips forward just a little. You need to feel no pressure to get your hips onto your heels. Simply discover a place to settle in and land in your breath. Your arms could be in front of you or alongside you.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Cat and Cow
From Child’s Pose, shift onto all fours (it is advisable to pad your knees here by folding the yoga mat onto itself). Enjoy a number of rounds of Cat and Cow. Inhale and produce your chest forward into just a little backbend.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)After which exhale and round your spine like a scared cat.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
From Cow Pose, exhale and find your technique to Downward-Facing Dog. In your first Down Dog, it might probably be nice to maneuver around just a little and feel where the rust and dirt of sleep have landed. Eventually, nurture stillness.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Three-Legged Dog
From Down Dog, lift your right leg behind you, bend your knee, and permit your hip to open. You may add circles at your hip or take a twirl along with your ankle.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Superman
From Three-Legged Dog, straighten your right leg behind you and shift yourself forward into Plank. You may keep your right leg lifted, although you’re the expert of your individual body, so you would possibly resolve that lowering your foot to the mat is best this morning.
Stay here or come onto your left fingertips after which extend your left arm forward, as should you’re shaking someone’s hand. You may also bring your left knee to the mat to assist with balance.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Low Lunge sequence
From Superman, come back to Three-Legged Dog after which shift forward as you bend your right knee and produce it toward your chest. Round your upper back just a little you probably did in Cat and step your right foot next to your right thumb. Bring your back knee to the mat but keep your back toes tucked. Pause here.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
From Low Lunge, bring your hands to the mat, framing your right foot. Lift your back knee and straighten your front leg but stick with the forward fold. Take creative license here and flex and point your front foot or shift forwards and backwards between straight and bent front knee, borrowing the rhythm of your Cat and Cow dance.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Lower your back knee to the mat. Come upright, lift your arms overhead in Low Lunge, and hook your thumbs. Keep your thumbs hooked as you are attempting to tug them apart and let that motion lift you.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Keep your thumbs hooked as you lean to the best after which to your left and repeat. On the second round, as you lean right, you would possibly drop your right hand toward the bottom or a block. Do the identical along with your left hand as you lean to the left.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Skier’s Pose
From Lunge, step your back foot forward along with your feet mat-distance apart. Bring your arms alongside you, chest parallel to the bottom, and hook your thumbs behind your back and take a look at to tug them apart. Imagine Cobra or Upward-Facing Dog in your upper back.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Stay here or reach your arms forward, arms alongside your ears.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Wide-Legged Chair Pose
From Skier’s Pose, lift yourself upright into wide-legged Chair Pose. Keep your arms alongside your ears.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Plank
From wide-legged Chair Pose, straighten your legs, stand upright, and step your feet together, hip-distance apart or closer, in Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Inhale your arms overhead, exhale as you fold forward in Uttanasana (Standing Forward Bend) and step back into Plank. (I’m somewhat notorious for being long-winded while I hold students in Plank, but you’ll be able to decide to lower your knees to the mat and Cat-Cow it out anytime.)
From Plank, shift your hips up and back to Down Dog. Repeat the sequence from Three-Legged Dog to wide-legged Chair Pose.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Squat
From wide-legged Chair Pose, bend your knees more, angle your feet barely out, and lower your hips into Squat. If this doesn’t work to your knees, straighten your knees just a little to return right into a less intense squat or sit on a few blocks.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Lower your right hand to the mat and reach your left arm to the sky for a twist. Then bring your left hand to the mat and reach your right arm high.
Standing Forward Bend
From a Squat, turn your feet forward, take them hip-distance apart, and fold forward into Standing Forward Bend. You may interlace your fingers behind your back, should you like, and produce them up and overhead as you progress your legs toward straight but don’t lock your knees.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Locust Pose
Bring your hands to the mat, step back to Plank, and lower all the way in which down onto your belly. Adjust your legs hip-distance apart or wider. Interlace your hands behind your back and press down through the tops of your feet as you reach forward and up along with your chest. In case you want, you’ll be able to lengthen and lift through your legs in a protracted and robust Salabhasana (Locust Pose).
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
In case you want, you’ll be able to extend your arms alongside your ears as you would possibly have done in Skier’s Pose.
From Locust, lower your brow to the mat. Place your hands next to your ribs, curl your toes under, and are available back to Tabletop or push yourself straight back as much as Plank. Make your way back to Down Dog, our humble bow.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Surya Namaskar A (Sun Salutation A)
Take several rounds of Surya Namaskar A. From Down Dog, exhale out your breath as you come high in your toes and walk your feet forward to your hands. Inhale as you lift your heart and chest halfway in Ardha Uttanasana (Standing Half Forward Bend), exhale and fold forward in Standing Forward Bend. Inhale, rise, and reach your arms alongside your ears in Urdhva Hastasana (Upward Salute), after which release your arms alongside your body to completely inhabit your Mountain Pose.
Inhale and reach your arms toward the sky, exhale and fold forward. Inhale as you lift your heart forward, exhale and step or float back to Chaturanga or all of the technique to your belly. Inhale into Cobra or Urdhva Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog), exhale to Down Dog and pause for several moments. Repeat this 3 times.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Sun Salutation B
From Down Dog, walk or float to the front of your mat. Bend your knees back and are available into Utkasasana (Chair Pose) along with your arms alongside your ears. Pause here. Then straighten your legs in Mountain Pose. Exhale and fold forward in Uttanasana. Inhale and lift your heart, exhale step or float back to chaturanga (you’ll be able to skip any vinyasas and easily step into down dog). Step your right foot forward into Virabhadrasana 1 (Warrior 1) or you’ll be able to as a substitute take High Lunge. Swing your hands to the mat and are available back to Plank and either come directly into Down Dog or take a vinyasa.
Take your left foot forward and inhale into Virabadrasana 1 (Warrior 1). Once more, bring your hands to the mat select your exit and find your technique to Down Dog. Take as much as 3 more rounds of Sun Salutation B.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Boat Pose
Walk forward to the front of the mat. Inhale and lift halfway after which exhale and discover a seat on the mat as you extend your legs and arms straight ahead into Paripurna Navasana (Boat Pose). You may keep your feet on the mat, hold the backs of your legs, it would even be helpful to bring your hands to the mat behind you for support.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)You could have the choice to lower your legs and back closer to the mat in Ardha Navasana (Half or Low Boat) and keep your feet on the bottom, knees bent, or enterprise your legs towards straight should you’d like.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Reverse Tabletop
From Navasana, lower your feet on the mat, hip-distance apart, and produce your hands to the bottom behind you, fingers facing you. Lift your hips and your heart into Reverse Tabletop and find extension in your hip flexors. Breathe. Lower down, cross at your ankles, roll forward over your knees, and either take a vinyasa or step directly back into Down Dog.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Crane or Crow Pose
From Down Dog, walk forward right into a squat again, this time exploring the chance to take Crane or Crow Pose should you feel so inclined. Eventually, come to face in Mountain Pose.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Warrior 2
From Mountain Pose, step your left foot back, bend your front knee, and extend your arms as you come into Warrior 2. Stay still or straighten your front leg as you sweep your arms overhead after which bend your front knee back into Warrior 2. Eventually settle back into stillness within the pose.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Reverse Warrior
From Warrior 2, come into Reverse Warrior as you retain the bend in your front knee and produce your front arm up and back toward your left leg. You may rest your left hand calmly in your back leg or bend that elbow and take it behind your back as you reach to your right hip.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Prolonged Side Angle Pose
From Reverse Warrior, keep the bend in your front leg as you come into Prolonged Side Angle along with your forearm in your thigh, your hand on a block, or your fingertips on the mat.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Reverse Triangle
From Prolonged Side Angle, come back through Warrior 2 and into Reverse Warrior. This time, straighten your front leg.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Prolonged Triangle Pose
From Reverse Triangle, hinge at your hips and lean forward into Triangle Pose. Rest your right fingertips in your front shin, a block, or the mat. Reach your left arm might toward the sky or overhead. Turn your gaze up under your left arm.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Half Moon Pose
From Triangle, transition into Half Moon by balancing in your right foot and lengthening your left arm toward the sky. In case you like, take Chapasana by bending your lifted knee and reaching your top hand behind you to your foot.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Revolved or Twisted Chair Pose
Step back into Warrior 2, straighten each legs, and switch all of your toes to face the long fringe of the mat. Heel toe your feet together or hip-distance apart. Bring your hands to prayer and twist to your right along with your left elbow in your outer right thigh. You may straighten your arms here and even adventure into Side Crow, an arm balance.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Revolved Half Moon Pose
From Twisted Chair, shift your weight into your right foot, come onto your left toes, then lift your left heel and extend it straight behind you want a letter T in Revolved Half Moon, along with your left hand down on the mat and your right arm reaching toward the glimmering sky.
Step back into Chair Pose and twist to the left along with your right elbow in your outer left thigh. Once more, you’ll be able to extend your arms or take Side Crow. Come onto your right toes, then begin to kick yourself within the butt along with your right heel before you discover your letter T, standing in your left leg for side two of your twisting Ardha chandrasana right hand down left arm towards the glimmering sky. Step back into Chair and stand upright in Mountain Pose.
Take the second side of your Warrior 2 sequence by repeating Warrior 2 through Half Moon Pose in your left side but in your left side.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend
From Half Moon in your left side, step back into Warrior 2. Straighten your legs and switch all toes to face the long fringe of your mat for Prasarita Padottanasana, along with your hands interlaced behind your back. Breathe.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Bridge Pose
Out of your Prasarita Padotanasa, slowly release your bind and stand upright. Make your technique to the front of the mat. Find your technique to Down Dog, whether you are taking one other Sun Salutation A or fold forward and step directly back into Down Dog. Walk or float to a seated position after which lie down in your back.
Bend your knees, place your feet on the mat hip-distance apart, and lift your hips into Bridge Pose. You would possibly decide to interlace your fingers underneath you want they were in your forward fold a moment ago. Lower down and place one hand in your heart and the opposite hand in your low belly. Stay here or take yet another backbend of your alternative, either repeating Bridge or possibly visiting Urdhva Dhanurasana (Wheel Pose).
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Reclining Twist
From Bridge Pose, release your back to the mat. Draw your knees toward your chest and take a supine twist by shifting your hips to the best and dropping your knees to the left. Then switch sides.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Pigeon Pose
After your Reclining Twist, pick your version of Pigeon, whether you remain lying in your back in a Figure-4 shape, come to a seated double pigeon (you would possibly recognize it as Agnistambhasana or Fire Log Pose) by stacking your shins, or find single Pigeon by swinging one leg straight behind you into hip extension along with your front knee bent like half of a cross-legged seat. Breathe. Repeat your hip opener on the second side.
(Photo: Andrea Marcum)
Savasana (Corpse Pose)
The last a part of your yoga morning routine is to lie down into the arms of the Earth and luxuriate in your sunrise Savasana.
About our contributor
Andrea Marcum is a U.S.-based yoga teacher and creator who occasionally leads retreats abroad. Learn more at andreamarcum.com.