10-Minute Morning Yoga Stretches to Energize Your Day

Odds are you feel any tightness or stiffness a lot more intensely in the mornings. This short, energizing, 10-minute morning yoga stretches flow brings movement to your hips, back, shoulders, and neck in all the ways you need to experience relief from stiffness.

The energy-boosting morning yoga stretches workout relies on core work and standing poses to fire up your body and get your energy moving. It includes strengthening as well as stretching, especially for the hamstrings and low back. At the end, you’ll sit still rather than lie down in Savasana so there’s no temptation to fall back asleep.

As you practice, consider asking yourself what kind of day you’d like to have and maybe choose a one-word intention, one that captures the feeling you desire and helps anchor how you want your day to go. Repeat it to yourself a few times during your 10-minute morning yoga session as well as throughout your day as a reminder.

10-Minute Morning Yoga Stretches to Energize Your Day

I’m not using any props in this yoga stretches practice, although as always, if you have a block or two at home, keep them close by in case they can make the poses more comfortable for you.

Reclined Pigeon Pose

Let’s begin lying down on our backs in a variation of reclined Pigeon Pose. Start by crossing your right ankle over your left knee. Really feel your right thigh move away from you. Start by flexing your right foot.

Stay here or reach your arms along either side of your left thigh and pull your left knee toward you as you reach your right knee away from you. Relax your shoulders on the mat. Flex your right foot and then switch and point your right foot. Keep doing that, trying to engage and activate through all parts of the foot. Take slow, steady breaths here.

Then flex your right foot as you straighten your left leg toward the sky, keeping any amount of bend in your left knee. You might need to switch your where you’re holding onto your left leg. Then flex and point your left foot.

Happy Baby Pose

Release and pull both knees toward your chest. Stack your ankles over your knees and use your elbows to push your knees open a little more. Relax your shoulders and try to keep the entire length of your spine grounded on the mat in Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana). You might want to rock a little side to side.

If that’s not comfortable, instead bring your knees toward your chest.

Half Boat Variation

Still lying on the mat, stack your knees directly over your hips, bring your shins parallel to the mat, and close the gap between your lower back and the mat. Then bring your hands behind your head and inhale as you lift your head and shoulders. Exhale as you straighten your right leg.

Inhale as you bring that right leg in. Exhale as you extend your left leg. Inhale, both knees bent. Then repeat. So exhale, right leg extends as your upper body stays lifted. Inhale as you bring your leg in. Exhale as you reach your left leg straight. Inhale as you squeeze both knees in a little closer toward your chest. Then exhale as you release both feet on the floor and relax your arms.

Then practice the same thing as on the other side, so cross your left ankle over your right knee and start to pull it toward you, flexing and pointing your left foot. Reach your right leg toward the sky and flex and point through your right toes. Release back into Happy Baby by opening the knees wide, maybe holding onto the big toes or the soles of your feet.

Downward-Facing Dog

Instead of doing your abs, let’s switch things up. You’re going to hold onto the backs of your thighs, cross your ankles, rock a few times, and eventually rock yourself forward onto hands and knees. Then place your hands shoulder-distance apart and come into Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) with your feet hip-distance apart.

You can peddle your feet here or take any movement that you need just to get as settled as possible. Let your head be heavy and take a cleansing breath here, in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Rag Doll or Standing Forward Bend

Walk your feet to the top of the mat in a rag doll fold or Standing Forward Bend. Maybe bend your knees as you hold onto your elbows and sway a little side to side. Stay here for several breaths.

Then release your hands to the mat and bend your knees more as you push into your heels to help you slowly roll all the way up to standing.

Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend

Turn to face the long side of the mat with both feet parallel to the short sides of the mat. Turn your toes in slightly, pull up through your quads, and lift and lengthen through your spine.

From here, hinge forward from your hips, leaning your hips back and stretching and extending your arms forward, as if someone was pulling back on your hips and someone else was pulling forward on your hands. You’re creating traction for your spine in this version of Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana). Lengthen through your sides.

Now bring some more weight into the balls of your feet, walk your hands back, and find the more traditional variation.

Stay in this forward fold and generously bend your left knee. Then switch and straighten your left leg as you bend your right knee. Then straighten your right leg.

Keep your legs in this shape as you walk your hands over to the left for a big side stretch here as you try to bring your head to your knee. Then do the same on the second side, walking your hands over to the right.

Eventually come all the way back through to center. Inhale to lift up halfway, hands on your hips, push your feet into the floor to come all the way up to standing.

Mountain Pose

Step to the top of your mat in Mountain Pose. You’re going to take a little flow here. So inhale as you reach your arms overhead in Upward Salute (Urdhva Hastasana).

Standing Forward Bend

Exhale as you swan dive down into a Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana).

Standing Half Forward Bend

Inhale as you lift halfway with a flat back in Standing Half Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana).

Plank Pose

Exhale as you plant your palms on the mat and step your feet back into Plank Pose.

Cobra

Exhale as you slowly lower yourself with control all the way down to the mat. Inhale as you reach through your toes and lift your chest in Cobra (Bhujangasana).

Child’s Pose

Exhale as you come to your knees and sink your hips back in any variation of Child’s Pose (Balasana). Release and settle here, taking longer, slower breaths. Notice how even a short flow can get your heart rate going, activate your muscles, and help you set the mood for the day.

Come back to your one-word intention here.

Seated Meditation

Walk your hands in and take a seat any way that works for your hips and your lower back. Maybe close your eyes and take a few breaths here. Notice how you feel. Thank you for practicing this 10-minute morning yoga stretches session with me and take that feeling back with you into your day.