Start off your morning yoga routine nice and easy. The first thing you want to do when you wake up is take a few quality breaths, says Fowler. Taking a minute to focus on your breathing will wake up your mind and get your blood flowing -- and take you to your happy place.
How to:
• Sit on the floor in a comfortable, crossed-leg position.
• Take a deep breath in through your nose -- hold it for a few moments and breathe out through your mouth.
• Repeat three times.
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Yoga Pose No. 2: Neck Rolls
Your neck is often very stiff in the mornings, says Fowler. Warm up your neck and attend to any sleep-induced kinks by doing some neck rolls. This will also help relax you and bring focus to your breathing.
How to:
• Still sitting in a crossed-leg position, roll your neck slowly one direction a few times.
• Reverse directions and do a few more neck rolls.
If you're like most of us, you probably find your morning motivation at the bottom of a coffee cup. While coffee is life (you didn't really think we'd make you give that up, did you?), it's not necessarily the only way to kick-start a productive day. In fact, all you really need is your body and a few yoga stretches to perk you up.
While yoga is often associated with relaxation, there are several yoga poses that can help wake up your central nervous system, and give your body a natural energy boost. "Yoga gets your body moving in such a way that you feel alive and energetic," says Kimberly Fowler, author of "The No Om Zone," and owner of YAS Fitness Centers. "Personally, no other form of exercise makes me feel this way."
The best part? This gentle yoga routine takes less than 10 minutes to complete, so they're perfect to add to your morning routine (and won't have you running late).
No more namast-aying in bed and pressing the snooze button. Instead, kick off your day with these energizing yoga stretches.
