Looking to keep your yoga practice more consistent? There’s an easier solution than the common trap of setting ambitious goals and then failing because your expectations weren’t realistic. Unnecessary stress is the exact opposite of what yoga should cause. Instead, start small.
Try a 10-minute morning yoga practice
for a simple routine that you can actually stick to every day. The following sequence will slowly work all your major muscles without going too hard. No complicated migrations. You don’t even have to get out of bed. Try it for a week and you’ll see how much of a difference a simple daily yoga practice can make without asking too much.
Yoga doesn’t always look like his 60-minute class. Even just 10 minutes of focus on your regular morning yoga practice will help you feel the stretching and slowing effects. You don’t need any yoga experience to try this exercise.
Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Start a 10-minute yoga practice to sit down and wake up in the morning. Bring the soles of your feet together and separate your knees. Adjust the distance between your heels and hips to a distance that is comfortable for you. Tilt your hips forward, round your upper back, relax your neck, and let gravity guide you into a passive forward bend known as the bound angle or butterfly pose. Place your arms at your sides with your palms facing up. To increase the stretch in your thighs, bring your heels closer to your hips. To focus on stretching the outside of your hips, move your heels away from your body. Breathe here.
Bind Angle Pose with Side Stretch
In a forward bend, keep your torso fairly relaxed and move your hands forward to slightly lift your chest. Come to your fingertips and move your hand to the right. Press down on your left sitting bone to keep it from lifting off the mat. Now breathe in and feel a stretch along your lower back and left side of your body. While maintaining a forward bend, slowly move your hand to the opposite side. Now press down on your right sit bone with your right hand. Return your hands to the center.
Sitting pigeon pose While seated
place your hands behind your hips with your fingers facing toward you or away from you. Straighten your legs and cross your right ankle over your left knee. With your legs crossed, bend your left knee and bring your left foot closer to your hip. Keeping your right leg bent, tilt your right knee away from your body. Press your hands into the floor and keep your back straight. You should feel almost the same stretch as in Pigeon Pose. Gently move your legs from side to side as needed. Breathe here.
Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
In Seated Pigeon Pose, slide your left foot straight onto the mat and bring your right foot to the inside of your left thigh. Inhale and sit upright, straightening and stretching your back. As you exhale, actively press the back of your bent leg into the mat and passively bend forward into Head-Knee Pose. Round your back, release your chin toward your chest, and avoid grabbing it with your hands. Breathe here.
Kneeling side angle pose or stargazing
From the forward bend, bring your hands back to your hips and slowly lift your chest. Keeping your right knee bent, place your right hand behind your body, fingers pointing toward the back of your mat. Shift your weight to your right knee and shin, keeping your left leg straight. Extend your left arm beside your head and lift your hips in a kneeling version of Side Angle pose. As you breathe, feel it stretch from your left leg to your left leg. Slowly release yourself from the pose and return to a sitting position by reversing the steps you took when you took the pose. Slowly straighten your right leg and repeat the final pose on the other side, starting with Sitting Pigeon.
sphinx pose
Lie on your stomach and extend your legs straight out behind you, hip-width apart or wider. In Sphinx Pose, place your elbows slightly in front of your shoulders and bring your forearms close to the mat. Rotate your shoulders back, puff your chest, and press your toes to achieve the desired intensity of the backbend. If you feel pain in your lower back, lower your chest slightly. If you want to intensify the stretch, put your hands wider than your shoulders and press with your palms to straighten your arms. Breathe here.
Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
From the Sphinx, lower your chest to the mat, place your hands under your shoulders, and tuck your toes. Inhale and slowly raise your hips back to downward dog position. Place your hands shoulder-width apart and relax your neck. As you breathe, press your hands, especially your index fingers, into the mat and stretch your upper body. Stay still or alternate bending your knees while stretching your calves, ankles, and hamstrings.
Standing forward bend (Uttanasana)
From downward facing dog, walk your feet forward toward your hands. Maintain a forward bend with your feet at least hip-width apart. If the stretch is too strong, bend your knees a little or a lot. Stand still or grip your elbows tightly and rock slowly from side to side in a ragdoll version of a standing forward bend. Breathe here.
squat (malasana)
While standing, bend forward, place your fingertips on the mat, point your toes slightly outward, and squat down with your knees bent. Place your palms together and press your elbows into your inner thighs. Stretch your entire back and lift the top of your head. Breathe here.
Reverse Tabletop
Sit down from a squat position with your feet hip-width apart. With your palms firmly behind you and your fingers pointing toward your heels, lift your hips up into an inverted tabletop position while pushing with your feet and hands. Tighten your core, glutes, and thighs for stability and maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. When you feel comfortable, gradually release your head back and slightly stretch your neck. Breathe here. As you exhale, release your body and lower it to the mat in a controlled manner.
Simple pose (squasana)
To wake up, take a comfortable sitting position, close your eyes and complete her 10-minute morning yoga practice. Place your hands together in front of your chest. If you like, focus on words that express what you want for the day, or simply focus on a sense of stillness and self-awareness. Take a few breaths here before starting your day.
