How to Do Morning Yoga to Wake Up
Stand in mountain pose., Bend your knees into chair pose., Hinge into a forward bend., Extend your spine into standing half forward bend., Jump or step back into four limbed staff pose., Roll into upward facing dog., Finish in downward facing dog...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stand in mountain pose.
Start your sun salutation by standing in mountain pose.
This sets you off in the flow of sun salutations.Keep your feet hip width apart.
Your arms should be outstretched and at your sides.
Look forward and make sure your balance is evenly distributed on each foot. #*Engage your abs and lightly curl your spine and bum toward the ground.
Breathe in and out evenly through your nose.
You can make a slight sound like the sea as you breathe if you like.
This may also help further wake you up and flow more easily through your sun salutations. -
Step 2: Bend your knees into chair pose.
Inhale and bend your knees while raising your hands into chair pose.
Arch your back slightly as you look up towards your hands.
Keep your shoulders down and tilt your pelvis towards the floor.Extend your elbows completely.
Keeping your hands in a prayer position as you reach towards the ceiling may make this easier.
Try and get your knees parallel to the floor by bending them deeply., From chair pose, you will progress to the next position in your sun salutation.
Breathe out, engage your abs, and hinge forward into a forward bend.Keep your back as straight as possible while you hinge at your hips from chair pose to your forward bend.Place your palms flat on the floor next to either foot.
You can bend your knees slightly if they don’t reach or you are not flexible enough yet to do a complete bend.
You can also use blocks under your hands.
Point your hands and fingers forward so that your whole hand is pressing into the floor.
This can make it easier to flow into the next positions in your wake up sun salutation. , Breathe in gently as you lift your spine into a standing half forward bend.
Remember to engage your abs and hinge at your hips as you lightly press up., The first very active movement in a sun salutation is called four limbed staff pose.
This position looks like you’re hovering in a pushup position over the floor.Step back into the pose if you are new to yoga.
If not, you can jump back to four-limbed staff pose.Keep your body as even as possible.
Avoid sinking your hips or collapsing your core.
Hold your arms close to your sides and form a 90 degree angle with your upper arms. , From four legged staff pose, roll or set your toes into upward facing dog position.
Gently arch your back, open your chest, and look up at the ceiling as the tops of your toes rest on the ground.This will allow you to flow into the next and final position, downward facing dog.Keep your palms fully pressing into the floor.Engage your thighs while you’re in upward dog.
Pull your tailbone towards your heels to protect your back. , From upward facing dog, roll back over or place your toes to transition into downward dog.
Engage your abs and hinge at your waist so that your body makes an inverted “V” shape.
This is downward facing dog, which is your final active pose.Recognize that your heels may not touch the floor.
The more you often you do this pose, the easier it will be.
Lift your sitting bones towards the ceiling as you gaze at your navel. , Once you’ve taken a few breaths in downward facing dog, end you sun salutations in mountain pose.
Step your right foot forward and then your left until both feet are parallel.
After this, engage your abs and hinge upward until you are standing straight with both arms at your sides.
You can either move on to additional postures or finish your morning practice in savasana. -
Step 3: Hinge into a forward bend.
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Step 4: Extend your spine into standing half forward bend.
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Step 5: Jump or step back into four limbed staff pose.
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Step 6: Roll into upward facing dog.
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Step 7: Finish in downward facing dog.
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Step 8: Step forward into mountain pose.
Detailed Guide
Start your sun salutation by standing in mountain pose.
This sets you off in the flow of sun salutations.Keep your feet hip width apart.
Your arms should be outstretched and at your sides.
Look forward and make sure your balance is evenly distributed on each foot. #*Engage your abs and lightly curl your spine and bum toward the ground.
Breathe in and out evenly through your nose.
You can make a slight sound like the sea as you breathe if you like.
This may also help further wake you up and flow more easily through your sun salutations.
Inhale and bend your knees while raising your hands into chair pose.
Arch your back slightly as you look up towards your hands.
Keep your shoulders down and tilt your pelvis towards the floor.Extend your elbows completely.
Keeping your hands in a prayer position as you reach towards the ceiling may make this easier.
Try and get your knees parallel to the floor by bending them deeply., From chair pose, you will progress to the next position in your sun salutation.
Breathe out, engage your abs, and hinge forward into a forward bend.Keep your back as straight as possible while you hinge at your hips from chair pose to your forward bend.Place your palms flat on the floor next to either foot.
You can bend your knees slightly if they don’t reach or you are not flexible enough yet to do a complete bend.
You can also use blocks under your hands.
Point your hands and fingers forward so that your whole hand is pressing into the floor.
This can make it easier to flow into the next positions in your wake up sun salutation. , Breathe in gently as you lift your spine into a standing half forward bend.
Remember to engage your abs and hinge at your hips as you lightly press up., The first very active movement in a sun salutation is called four limbed staff pose.
This position looks like you’re hovering in a pushup position over the floor.Step back into the pose if you are new to yoga.
If not, you can jump back to four-limbed staff pose.Keep your body as even as possible.
Avoid sinking your hips or collapsing your core.
Hold your arms close to your sides and form a 90 degree angle with your upper arms. , From four legged staff pose, roll or set your toes into upward facing dog position.
Gently arch your back, open your chest, and look up at the ceiling as the tops of your toes rest on the ground.This will allow you to flow into the next and final position, downward facing dog.Keep your palms fully pressing into the floor.Engage your thighs while you’re in upward dog.
Pull your tailbone towards your heels to protect your back. , From upward facing dog, roll back over or place your toes to transition into downward dog.
Engage your abs and hinge at your waist so that your body makes an inverted “V” shape.
This is downward facing dog, which is your final active pose.Recognize that your heels may not touch the floor.
The more you often you do this pose, the easier it will be.
Lift your sitting bones towards the ceiling as you gaze at your navel. , Once you’ve taken a few breaths in downward facing dog, end you sun salutations in mountain pose.
Step your right foot forward and then your left until both feet are parallel.
After this, engage your abs and hinge upward until you are standing straight with both arms at your sides.
You can either move on to additional postures or finish your morning practice in savasana.
About the Author
Doris King
A passionate writer with expertise in organization topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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