Use These Yoga Poses To Create Your Ideal Morning Routine

Yoga has been practised in India since ancient times—to boost mental and physical health. While it can be practised anytime, incorporating it into your daily morning routine can give you a major health boost. This article details a beginner-friendly routine that will help you ease into it. What you need to do is to hold each of the five poses for 60 seconds to stretch and relax your muscles.

Beginner's Guide To Yoga Poses

Start with Child’s Pose, an excellent way to begin your practice, especially in the morning. This pose gently releases the lower back and hips while helping you reconnect with your breath. Begin on all fours, spreading your knees wide, touching your big toes, and letting your stomach drop between your thighs. Extend your arms forward, palms on the mat, and focus on deep breathing.

Next, try Happy Baby, which provides a more direct stretch for your lower back and hips. Lie on your back, bring your knees toward your chest, and grip the outsides of your feet. Flex your feet and press against your hands to deepen the stretch. Cat-Cow Pose is a great transition, warming up the spine and engaging your core. On all fours, alternate between arching your back (Cat) and dropping your stomach (Cow) as you breathe deeply, stretching and warming your body.

Cobra Pose stretches your chest, shoulders, and abs while strengthening your arms and glutes. Lie on your stomach, hands under your shoulders, and gently push up through your palms to lift your chest off the floor. Finally, finish with a Chair Pose to strengthen your legs and improve balance. Stand tall with feet together, arms overhead, and bend your knees to sit back into an imaginary chair. Keep your thighs parallel to the ground and hold, focusing on steady breathing.

Here's An Intermediate Routine

For those ready to increase the intensity, the intermediate routine offers a perfect balance of flexibility and strength. Begin by holding each pose for one minute, repeating the circuit twice. Start with Downward Dog, a classic yoga pose that stretches your shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and feet, while also strengthening your arms and legs. From all fours, lift your hips toward the ceiling, pressing your heels toward the ground and drawing your shoulder blades back. Focus on keeping your head between your arms and maintaining a steady breath.

Move into Warrior I next to build strength in your legs while opening your hips and chest. Step one foot into a lunge while keeping the back leg straight, and extend your arms overhead. Bridge Pose strengthens the posterior chain, focusing on the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Lie on your back, press your feet into the ground, and lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes and engaging your core.

Garland Pose is a deep squat that opens the hips, thighs, and ankles. With your feet together and toes pointing outward, squat deeply and press your elbows against your knees, keeping your chest upright. Transition to Bow Pose to stretch the front of your body while strengthening the back. Lie on your stomach, bend your knees, and grab your ankles. Lift your chest and thighs off the ground while pressing your shoulder blades together. End with Boat Pose, which targets the abs and hip flexors. Sitting with your legs extended, lean back slightly and lift your legs to a 45-degree angle, keeping your arms parallel to the floor.

Advanced Yoga Routine

For experienced practitioners, the advanced yoga routine offers a challenging sequence that will stretch and strengthen your entire body. Begin with King Pigeon, a deep hip opener that also stretches the abdominals. Start in Pigeon Pose, then bend your back leg and reach your foot with both hands. Arch your back and drop your head for a deeper stretch. Next, try Dove Pose, which strengthens the shoulders and legs while stretching the back and abs. Lean back onto your hands, lower to your forearms, and push your thighs upward, arching your back and deepening the stretch.

Peacock Pose requires arm strength and balance. Kneel, place your palms on the floor, and slide your knees outside your arms. Shift your weight forward and lift your legs off the ground, engaging your core and balancing on your arms. Follow with Lord of the Dance, which improves balance and flexibility while stretching the front of your body. Standing on one leg, grab your opposite foot and extend your arm forward while lifting your pelvis and pushing your foot upward.

Headstand is a powerful pose for building upper body strength, improving balance, and enhancing circulation. Begin on your forearms, lift your legs, and balance on your head, keeping your core engaged. Finish with Firefly Pose, which stretches the hamstrings and hips while building arm strength. Squat deeply, place your hands on the floor inside your legs, and lift your legs off the ground, using your arms for support.