Start Your Day Right with Morning Yoga Stretches

The way you start your morning can have a profound impact the rest of your day. From eating a healthy breakfast to performing some quick morning yoga stretches, there are a number of ways to ensure that you’re ready to face all the challenges life throws at you. Many people find that following a simple morning routine improves their general happiness and wellbeing. 

Stretching in the morning can be a great way to gradually and gently wake up. Practicing yoga or simple stretches in the morning not only improves muscular flexibility and strength, it also improves your energy levels and reduces anxiety. The great thing is that a simple routine takes no more than 15 minutes and can be performed in the comfort on your own home. 

Here are just a few morning yoga stretches that can help you jumpstart your day:

• Cat-Cow (Chakravakasana) Watch Video

The Cat Cow pose is considered an essential pose in yoga practice, and for good reason. It is a wonderful pose to warm up the body before doing any intense stretches or exercises. Cat-cow pose is extremely beneficial in stretching your back and opening up your whole spine. It also improves the flexibility of the spine and can help prevent back pain when practiced on a regular basis.  

Here’s how you perform the Cat-Cow morning yoga stretch:

• Start on all fours with your wrists positioned directly beneath your shoulders and your knees positioned directly beneath your hips. 
• To perform the cat pose, inhale and drop your belly down, draw your shoulders in and lift your chest up. 
• To perform the cow pose, exhale and press through your palms and round your upper back, at the same time draw your chin to your chest. Now draw your tailbone down towards the back of your knees. Breathe through 5-10 sets for each sequence. 

This morning Yoga pose is a great pose to get relief from menstrual cramps, sciatica, and lower back pain. 

• Child’s Pose (Balasana) Watch Video

Probably one of the easiest postures for your morning Yoga practice; Child’s pose is a great option to relax your body and mind. This pose is aimed at stretching the muscles of the spinal region, ankles, hip and shoulders. 

Here’s how to perform this morning yoga stretch:

• Begin by getting on all fours on your mat
• Have you hands a little further forward than shoulders
• Have your big toes together and knees wide apart
• Breathe in and drop your sit bones back toward your feet, keeping arms extended
• Now breathe in again and slowly drop your forehead to the mat
• Maintain this position for as long as you feel comfortable while breathing deeply in and out

This morning yoga pose is amazing for instant calming and soothing. It can be performed anywhere at anytime, especially when you feel stressed or overwhelmed. 

• Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana) Watch Video

Happy Baby pose, as the name suggests may remind you of your childhood and make you feel like an infant, but this morning yoga stretch is very effective in easing tension found in the hips and groin. Hopefully it will also make you smile. 

Here’s how you can perform this morning yoga stretch:

• Lie comfortably on your mat with your back and spine in a natural curved position
• Now lift your knees and bring them close to your chest while making sure your hips stay down 
• Take hold of your big toes and gently open your knees and point the soles of your feet to the ceiling 
• Make sure your head is resting on the floor and have your ankles directly above the knees
• Remain in this position for 5-15 full, deep breaths. Now exhale and slowly release the arms and legs to the floor. 

This morning Yoga pose helps to lengthen and realign the spine and legs, open the hips, and release the low back. Happy Baby pose is particularly beneficial in releasing tension in the sacroiliac joint. 

Whether you can spare enough time in the morning to perform a single pose or all of these and more, finding the connection between your body and mind is a great start to the day.

Melbourne Natural Therapies
Morning Yoga Stretches
Remedial Massage Melbourne