This 10-minute morning yoga routine will brighten your day

Morning yoga is a cherished daily practice that nurtures holistic well-being. By starting the day with this routine, we connect our mind, body, and spirit in a harmonious dance. Our bodies gradually awaken as we stretch, embracing improved flexibility and invigorated blood flow.

At the same time, our minds find a moment of stillness, letting go of stress and sharpening focus for the day ahead. This peaceful mindset nurtured during the morning remains with us throughout the day, enhancing our emotional strength. Additionally, morning yoga often paves the way for other beneficial choices, such as eating with awareness and staying hydrated.

---

The 10-minute morning yoga routine

Morning yoga (Image via Unsplash/Ara Cho M)

Here's a 10-minute morning yoga routine to help you start your day with energy and focus. Each pose should be held for 3-5 deep breaths, and you can repeat the sequence if you have extra time.

1. Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Plant your feet firmly about hip-width apart. Let your arms rest comfortably by your sides, with your palms greeting the space in front of you. Gently close your eyes, breathe deeply, and center your thoughts. Allow yourself to feel deeply rooted and present in this stance, just as a mountain stands tall and unwavering.

2. Forward Fold (Uttanasana): Draw a deep breath in, lifting your arms towards the sky, and as you breathe out, gracefully hinge at your hips, cascading downwards. If it feels right, give your knees a gentle bend. Let the weight of your head and shoulders guide you, releasing them towards the earth.

3. Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana): As you breathe in, raise your upper body just enough to find a parallel line with the floor. Your hands can rest on your shins or thighs. Extend through the crown of your head, creating a sense of elongation in your spine, and direct your gaze forward.

Morning yoga (Image via Unsplash/Carl Barcelo)

4. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana): Delicately step your right foot back, transitioning into a lunge. Ensure your left knee aligns with your left ankle. With your back knee suspended above the floor, let your arms ascend towards the sky. Stay here, taking a moment to breathe, and when you're ready, change sides.

5. Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): From your lunge, draw your left foot back, lifting your pelvis upwards, crafting an inverted "V" silhouette with your body. Firmly press your hands into the earth below and coax your heels in the direction of the floor, anchoring yourself.

6. Plank Pose: Flow from the Downward-Facing Dog into the Plank Pose, allowing your body to form a straight line from the crown of your head to your heels. Harness the strength of your core and maintain steady breaths.

Morning yoga (Image via Unsplash/Eneko)

7. Child's Pose (Balasana): Gently lower your knees onto the mat, drawing yourself back to sit on your heels. Let your arms reach forward in a gesture of surrender, and allow your forehead to make contact with the ground. In this embrace, take a moment to release and breathe.

8. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana): Position yourself face down. Place your hands beneath your shoulders and elevate your chest while your hips stay connected to the ground. As you do this, let your shoulder blades come together, lifting your gaze skyward. With an exhale, softly return.

9. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana): Adopt a seated posture with legs extended ahead. Breathe in, reaching your arms overhead. As you exhale, engage in a forward fold, guiding your hands towards your feet or shins, keeping your spine attentive and elongated.

Morning yoga (Image via Unsplash/Dane Wetton)

10. Seated Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana): Remaining seated, bend your right knee, positioning your right foot just outside your left thigh. Breathe in, lengthening your spine, and as you exhale, find a gentle twist to the right. Once you've stretched this side, repeat for the left.

---

This morning yoga routine will give you the energy you need for your day and is designed in such a way that it evolves from basic stretching to more complicated poses.