Do you find yourself waking up in the morning feeling tired, irritable, and already stressed by the upcoming day? Consider adding a short but effective yoga sequence to your a.m. ritual. Irina Ovsiannikova, a yoga instructor from YG Studios in NYC has created this awesome 15-minute routine, designed to help you start off the day feeling energized and ready to take on the world. Check out this video for her easy-to-follow invigorating yoga sequence sure to brighten up your morning!
Don’t have time to watch? Read the full transcript:
Cat cow: Start on your hands and knees. Keep your shoulders right on top of your wrists and knees directly under the hips. Curl your toes under, and when you inhale, draw your shoulder blade away from ears and lengthen the spine forward. When you exhale, uncurl your toes, round the spine and pull the belly button up. Repeat three times.
Downward facing dog: Pull the hips back into downward facing dog. Drop your head and make sure that your feet are hip width apart. Inhale and lift high the balls of your feet. When you exhale press the heels back down and lengthen your neck.
Plank: On your next inhale come forward into plank position. Shoulders should be right on tops of the wrists.
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Down dog extensions: Pull back into down dog. From here bring your feet together. Shift the weight to your left leg and reach the right leg back, then open the right hip and bend the right knee. When you exhale come forward, bring your knee to your chest and round the spot. Repeat three times on each side.
Baby cobra: Come down to your belly. Lift your head, neck, and chest. Relax your butt. Press the feet down. Exhale and release. Then bring it back to down dog.
(Repeat down dog extension and baby cobra on the other side)
Sun salutation: Walk both feet up to meet your hands. Reach the arms out around, all the way up, pressing palms together. Look towards the sky. Exhale, fold over your legs. Place your hands to the floor, soften the knees, and place your forehead to the shins. Inhale into a flat back. Open the chest, hands to the floor. Step the right foot back. Step your left foot back into plank position. Exhale and move half way down. This is chaturanga. Move into an upward-dog. Pull the spine up and roll the shoulders back. Exhale roll over your toes to downward dog for three breaths. Repeat the sun salutation sequence twice.
Chair pose: Step the right foot in between your hands. Step your left foot to meet your right. Inhale and sit low into chair pose. Lengthen the tailbone and pull the navel in. When you exhale, fold right over your legs.
Repeat the chaturanga sequence.
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Warrior one: Bring your right knee to your nose and step that foot forward. Place your back heel on the floor. Raise your arms up into warrior one.
Warrior two: Stretch your arms out wide so your body makes one straight line.
Reverse warrior: Place your left hand onto your back thigh. Stretch back and reach your other arm up.
Place both hands down and repeat the chaturanga sequence, then repeat the warrior sequence, and chaturanga again.
Back stretch: Bring you're knees to the floor and together. Widen your ankles apart and then take your hands, your thumbs, and roll the calf muscle out of the way. You can keep your hands under your body, or if you’re feeling flexible you can bring your back all the way down to the floor. Hold for three breaths.
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Boat pose: Then come to a seated position and extend your legs out. Reach your arms forward and lift your shins up, bending your knees at 90 degrees. You can also challenge yourself by extending the legs out and up. Hold this for ten breaths.
Backbend: If you want to come into a full wheel, take your arms up to the ceiling and place your hands alongside the ears. Push your feet into the floor, lift the heart, and press it towards the back of the room. If you’d rather do bridge pose, put your hands on the floor alongside your body. Press into your feet and your hands lift the hips up. Hold here for a few breaths, then lower and bring your knees into your chest.
Happy baby: Separate your knees wide and hold on to the sides of your feet. Take three breaths here.
Spine stretch: Take both knees to your left and let them touch the floor. Allow your right shoulder to melt down and breathe deeply. Then switch to the other side. Hold for a couple breaths on each.
Savasana: Extend your legs straight and let them naturally rotate open. Face your palms to the ceiling, lengthen the back of your neck, and close your eyes.