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Most days, what you want from a morning yoga practice is something activating, energizing, and invigorating to wake you up and set yourself up for the day. That’s exactly what this short, 10-minute morning yoga sequence delivers.
It’s not overly intense. It’s instead designed to help your body warm up and feel really good and stretched out for the rest of the day. You’ll start standing as you try some quick and vigorous breathing techniques to immediately bring you a boost of energy. And then you’ll explore some poses for a full-body stretch, including Low Lunge, Down Dog, and seated twists.
You might also choose a one-word intention that you keep in mind throughout your morning yoga practice to set the tone for your mood. It can be anything you want to prioritize or remind you of the way you want to feel throughout your practice and your day.
10-Minute Morning Yoga to Energize You for the Day
This short morning yoga practice is suitable for all experience levels. No props are required, although you’re welcome to use them.
Breath of Joy
Begin standing with your feet about hip-distance apart. This is one of my favorite breathing techniques and there’s a few different parts to it. You’ll do it 10 times. Start by taking 3 breaths in followed by 1 breath out. So you’re going to inhale, inhale, inhale through your nose and then exhale out your mouth as you fold forward. So whenever you’re ready. Let’s do this 10 times together, and you can have a slight bend or bounce in your knees to protect your lower back.
Standing Forward Bend
At the end of your last Breath of Joy, stay folded forward in a rag doll shape, maybe taking a bend in your knees and holding onto your elbows in your Standing Forward Bend. Swing a little side to side.
Seated Pose
Come to a sitting position, whether cross-legged or kneeling or whatever is comfortable for you and practice a breathing technique that comes from Kundalini yoga and is known as Seated Pose. Bring your fingertips onto your shoulders with your elbows lifted as high as your shoulders. You’re simply going to inhale as you twist left, and then exhale as you twist right. Breathe through your nose. You don’t have to go fast. Rather than counting the number of twists or breaths that you take, practice it for 30 to 45 seconds or so. Whenever you’re ready, lift your elbows, fingertips planted on your shoulders. Inhale left, exhale right.
When you’re done, release your hands to your knees, find a natural breathing rhythm, and just notice. For me, it feels like this buzzing energy throughout the body that is a boost of energy in the morning.
Gate Pose
Come into a kneeling stance with your hands on your hips and step your right foot out to the side with your toes pointed forward in Gate Pose. Press through your right foot and reach your left arm overhead in a big side body stretch, lengthening from your left hip all the way to your left shoulder, breathing in and out through your nose.
Find your counter stretch by taking your left hand underneath your left shoulder as your right arm extends up and over. If you want to build a little strength, reach your right arm toward the ceiling, point through your right toes, and as you inhale, lift your right leg hip height. Then exhale as you tap it down. Do this 4 more times. Squeeze and lift and then lower.
Now push into your right foot and lift yourself all the way up, bring your hands back to your hips, and bring that right knee in. Switch and repeat on your left side.
Downward-Facing Dog
Bring your palms shoulder-distance apart and take your feet hip-distance apart behind you. Tuck your toes as you lift your hips up and back in Downward-Facing Dog. Create some space here, peddling your legs and feet.
Low Lunge
Step your right foot forward in between your hands to the top of the mat. Lower your back knee and reach the arms alongside your head in Low Lunge. Maybe you bring your palms together to touch and take a little back bend as you exhale.
Bring your hands back to the mat to frame your front foot and step back to Downward-Facing Dog. Do the same thing on the other side.
Downward-Facing Dog
Come back to Down Dog, pushing through your heels and your arms.
Seated Twist
Lower your knees to the mat and take a seat in any way that is comfortable for you here, whether cross-legged or one shin stacked in front of the other. Then take your left hand to your right knee and bring your right fingertips behind you for support. Inhale as you lift and lengthen and maintain this length as you twist toward the right. Try not to slouch or collapse.
Release back to center and twist to the other side.
Seated Neck Circles
Come back to center and lower one ear toward your shoulder and then roll it down toward your chest and toward your other shoulder and then reverse. Keep going from side to side a few times here.
Seated Meditation
Bring your head back to center, close your eyes if you like, and simply pause here for a few breaths. If you like, remind yourself of your intention. Thank you for doing this 10-minute morning yoga flow with me and I hope you feel a lot more energized and ready for the day.
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