Morning yoga routine
Mindfulness helps you go home to the present. And every time you go there and recognize a condition of happiness that you have, happiness comes. ―Thích Nhất Hạnh
👥 Serves: 1 person, 11-25 people, 2-10 people
🎚 Difficulty: Easy
⏳ Total time: 11-30 minutes
🥣 Ingredients: Yoga mats (1 per person), comfortable clothes
🤓 Wholebeing Domains: Awareness, Ritualising
💪 Wholebeing Skills: Balance, Breathing, Exercising, Mind-body-connection, Movement
Morning yoga routine
📝 Description
A practical way to start your day feeling grounded and connected.
In addition to improving your physical wellbeing in many ways, yoga practices also improve your mental wellbeing by helping you stay mindful and present in the here and now. There are a variety of yoga practices, but here is an easy routine you can practise when you wake up in the morning.
👣 Steps
Step 1 – Position yourself
Stand at the end of your yoga mat; legs and feet hip-width apart; arms resting by your side.
Step 2 – Lengthen
Lengthen your back, imagine a string pulling you up from your crown. Slightly bend your knees and squeeze your bum to rotate the pelvis.
Step 3 – Breathe deeply
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Stand tall as your body relaxes, shoulders away from the ears…
Step 4 – Roll down
Inhale and look up, exhale and start rolling down – first tucking your chin in towards your chest, second rolling your shoulders forward, then going down vertebrae by vertebrae until your hands touch the floor (stop earlier if it hurts). Relax your head.
Step 5 – Roll up
Inhale; exhale as you start rebuilding your spine, vertebra by vertebra. Head comes up last.
Step 6 – Repeat
Repeat 4-5 times.
Step 7 – Downward dog
The next time you roll down, walk your palms forward to get into the downward dog pose. Keep your knees straight.
Step 8 – Plank
Move your hands to be directly under your shoulders and go into plank position. Keep breathing normally as you maintain your body in a straight line.
Step 9 – Downward dog
Go back to the downward dog pose.
Step 10 – Release
Release with the shell or child’s pose stretch.
Step 11 – Repeat
Repeat no. 8, 9 and 10.
Step 12 – Relax
Move your legs around so as to lie down on your back, legs and feet hip-width apart, arms resting by your side with palms facing up. Focus on your breath as your body sinks into the mat.