Well, sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed, not to mention working out. And this is where lazy morning yoga comes in. 15 min of your time each morning - endless benefits for your physical and mental health.
There are countless asanas and variations in yoga. Each of them has a certain effect on your body and mind and helps to achieve the desired state: to calm the nervous system, recover from a crazy day, or to wake and cheer you up, - and that’s what standing postures could help us with in the morning.
One of the options for an invigorating practice can be a dynamic Surya Namaskar complex (its name - Salutation of the Sun - speaks for itself) but we’d suggest starting with some static, lazy asanas when the body has not yet woken up and the muscles are stiff.
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The morning asanas we’ve prepared will blow away the remnants of sleep and will lift your mood up preparing for a day ahead.
- Count the breath
- Breathe in deeply through your nose as you count to 5.
- Breathe out deeply through your nose as you count to 5.
- Continue to breathe like this, making every inhale and exhale last for the count of 5. - Downward facing dog and Upward facing dog. Begin with a Downward Facing Dog: it stretches all the muscles and ligaments and warms up the joints. Then inhale as you move into the Upward Facing Dog. Point your buttocks towards your heels and lift your sternum by pulling in your shoulder blades. Exhale as you return to the Downward Facing Dog. Repeat the sequence 5 times, synchronizing the movements with the breath. The dynamic performance of these asanas awakens the whole body, preparing you for further practice.
- The Triangle pose, also called Trikonasana is a foundational standing pose in yoga that strengthens and lengthens the hamstrings and groin while also opening the shoulders and stretching the hips. Performing the pose to the right, evenly distribute the weight between the heel of the left foot and the pad under the thumb of the right. Lift the inside of your left ankle and the outside of your right ankle at the same time. Lengthen the outer surface of the right thigh from the knee to the pelvis, make the left shin strong and take the left thigh back. Lengthen the right side. Pull in the right shoulder blade and open the right side of the chest. Hold the pose for 30 seconds - 1 minute, then perform Trikonasana to the left.
- Mountain Pose or Tadasana is a convenient option for stretching and strengthening in the beginning of your day, but is also fantastic for building balance and stability.
- Stand up tall, and allow your shoulders to drop back.
- Feel grounded as your crown stretches toward the sky.
- Take a deep breath in, reach your arms up to the sky. Hold for a couple of breaths.
- Tree Pose:
- Start in a standing position.
- Ground down through your left foot. Bend your right knee, and bring your right foot to your left ankle, lower part of your leg, or thigh (whatever you prefer).
- Stretch your arms up to the sky, or bring your hands to the heart center. Hold for a couple of breaths.
- Chair Pose - for this morning asana, you'll need core and quad strength to keep yourself balanced despite your center of gravity being lower.
- Start in Mountain pose.
- Root down through your feet as you hinge your hips back and down as if you were sitting in a chair.
- Tuck your tailbone under so you don't put any extra pressure on your lower back.
- Raise your arms overhead in line with your ears.
- Hold for seven breaths.
- Reverse Prayer Pose. Take your palms and arms behind, towards your lower back with fingers pointing upwards. With this exercise, you need to feel your rib cage lift and lower with each breath. This exercise offers a very slight backbend, which can help you reenergize and clear your thinking.
- Final breathing - once you are done with these morning asanas, stay in a comfortable sitting position, take a deep breath and smile to yourself and your day ahead.
Well done and cheers to a new day!