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These 10-minute morning yoga stretches are designed for those days when you want to get rid of any aches and pains as well as challenge yourself with a little balancing and strengthening. These full-body stretches will take you barely any time. And if you’re experiencing any sort of stiffness or tension, you’re going to work it out in this quick 10-minute morning yoga routine.
You’ll begin your kneeling with some shoulder, chest, and upper back stretches as well as a toe squat before getting into your hips, hamstrings, and lower back. You’ll also experience some core strengthening without even standing up. You might be surprised at how intense these morning yoga stretches can be.
10-Minute Morning Yoga for a Full-Body Stretch
Although you may move through these morning yoga stretches somewhat quickly, you can still make a point of slowing your breath as you make your way through these full-body stretches. No props are required although you’re always welcome to use them.
Kneeling Upper Back Stretches
Begin by kneeling. You can tuck your toes underneath if you’re looking for a stretch through the bottoms of your feet and into your toes. If that happens to be too intense, simply keep the tops of your feet flat on the mat and your toes pointed straight back. Reach your arms all the way toward the ceiling.
Bend your elbows slightly and take your arms back and way down. Repeat by sweeping your arms forward and up again and then back and down in a circular motion. Take two more like this here, rolling into your shoulders.
Kneeling Cat-Cow
As you inhale, open in Cow Pose. As you exhale, contract in Cat Pose. Take one more here. It’s really important to get some movement in the spine first thing in the morning.
Release and then interlace your fingers, flip your palms up, and reach upward.
Ankle Rolls
Now bring your hands to the mat in Tabletop, uncurl your toes, and roll your ankles a little.
Puppy Pose
Walk your hands forward and release your forehead to the mat in Puppy Pose. Try to sink your chest toward the mat, relax your arms, and feel a stretch here.
Low Lunge
Slowly walk your hands back in and step your right foot forward in between your hands. Keep your feet hip-distance apart, interlace your thumbs, and reach your arms alongside your head in Low Lunge. Think of it as trying to pull your thumbs apart, creating a little tension as you broaden through your chest.
Maybe you take a little backbend here as you press your hips forward and down. Inhale and release your thumbs as you circle your hands wide and to the mat.
Half Splits
Straighten your right leg and slide your heel away from you as you fold forward in Half Splits, which stretches the hamstrings.
Tiger Pose
Start to bend your right knee once more and then kick your right heel behind you toward the ceiling as you lower your belly and lift your gaze. Maybe stay here as there’s already a lot going on.
If you’d like to go further, maybe reach your left hand behind you and grab hold of your right foot. Push your foot way from you and into your palm to lift your chin and the chest. Keep your gaze steady and your breath slow. Take a big inhale here. As you exhale, release your right knee and left hand to the mat.
Cat Pose
Round your back and contract your core in Cat Pose and stay here for a breath.
Then release to Tabletop and find your Low Lunge, Half Splits, Tiger, and Cat Pose on the other side.
Downward-Facing Dog
You’ll find your first Downward-Facing Dog, walking your palms a couple inches forward before tucking your toes under and lifting your hips up and back. You can bend your knees generously here, paddling the feet so straightening one leg and keeping the other knee bent. Push through your heels toward the mat.
Plank Pose
Lift your heels as high as they can go and come all the way forward into your Plank Pose.
Upward-Facing Dog
Let your hips come down and keep your elbows straight as you bring your heart forward in Upward-Facing Dog. Your knees and thighs are lifted off the mat.
Big breath in here, and on the exhale, tuck your chin to your chest and use your core strength to lift your hips all the way up and back into Downward Dog. Do that one more time, shifting forward into plank, flipping over the toes into Upward-Facing Dog, and squeezing your shoulder blades behind you before you come back into Downward Dog.
Child’s Pose
Bring your knees to the mat, big toes together, knees as wide as you would like, and find a wide-legged Child’s Pose. Sink your hips back, walk your hands forward, and melt your chest toward the mat here. Stay here for 5 deep breaths.
Bear Pose Variation
Walk your hands in, lift back up, and bring your legs in front of you. So we’re gonna play a little bit with a variation on Bear Pose. So with your feet out in front, you’re gonna hook your peace fingers over your big toes and walk your heels in as you lean back a little. You’re going to balance on your hips and bring your heels in nice and close.
Keep your right knee bent and see if you can straighten your left leg, still balancing and opening up through your chest. And then switch sides. Then see if you can take Bear Pose with both legs straight out to the sides. Your legs do not need to be perfectly straight.
Bound Angle
Release and bring the your feet together to touch, let your knees fall apart, and fold over yourself in the seated forward bend known as Bound Angle.
Seated Twist
Slowly roll all the way back up and cross your right foot over the top of your left thigh, pressing your foot into the mat. Then hug your right thigh toward you as you turn toward the right in a seated twist. Bring your right fingertips behind you and straighten your spine as you twist. Keep trying to squeeze your knee toward your midline. Then switch sides.
Seated Neck Circles
Come back to center and take a cross-legged seat or sit any way that is comfortable for you. Let your hands rest on your knees. Take a few little half circles with your head.
Seated Pose
Then come back to center and roll your shoulders down and away from your ears. Pause here and see if you can find one word as an intention that you would like to set for your day ahead, one word that represents maybe how you feel right now or how you want to feel for the rest of your day. Pause here as long as you can before you continue with your day. Thank you for taking the time for this 10-minute morning yoga and full-body stretch practice.
