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.
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Yoga Pose No. 3: Mountain Pose
Now that you've started to wake up a bit more, continue your morning yoga routine by centering yourself with this yoga pose that helps increase strength and awareness.
How to:
• Stand up straight with your hips tucked underneath you, feet together.
• Let your arms hang at your sides.
• Spread out your toes and feel the floor beneath you with all four corners of your feet.
• Reach your arms above your head and stretch one arm toward the ceiling and repeat with the other arm.
• Repeat three times for both arms.
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Yoga Pose No. 4: Downward Dog
Yoga poses that put your heart above your head encourage blood flow throughout the body, which leads to increased energy, making this the perfect morning yoga pose. Downward dog is also a great shoulder stretch for anyone who sits at a desk all day or carries stress in their shoulders.
How to:
• Start on your hands and knees. Hands should be shoulder-distance apart with palms flat on the floor.
• Bend your knees, engage your abs and pull yourself back into what looks like an inverted V. Feet should be shoulder-distance apart.
• Try to reach your heels to the floor and your butt up toward the ceiling.
• Relax your neck and body, then do it again for about a minute.
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Yoga Pose No. 5: Seated Forward Bend
This yoga pose gives you a deep stretch in the spine, and allows you to calm your central nervous system when you pair it with deep breaths -- a great antidote to frazzled mornings. This pose also gently nurses any lower back pain.
How to:
• From downward dog, come back down to your hands and knees and sit on your butt.
• Stretch your legs out in front of you.
• Hinge forward from your hips reaching for your calves or toes. Bend your knees slightly -- if you're doing this in the morning, you're likely a bit tight.
• Release your neck so your head hangs.
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.
