Best Yoga Poses for the Morning
1. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
There is nothing quite like a Downward Facing Dog in the morning. If you’re only going to do one pose between getting out of bed and starting your day – this is the one to do.
This is a great pose to gently stretch out and to help you transition into your day calm, yet energized. Since Downward Dog is an inversion, it creates a calming sensation, especially when coupled with some deep breaths. Pair this with the full body stretch, targeting the entire backline of the body, the sides of the body and the chest and shoulders, and you’ve got an all-in-one, I’m-ready-to-go-for-the-day kind of pose.
If you’re new to Downward Dogging, you might be wondering why I’m saying it’s a calming pose that helps you stretch out … trust me! It does become that, even if it's challenging at the start. Make sure you keep a generous bend to the knees so that your hips stay lifted high and your back is flat.
Have a little extra time? Put this Downdog into a Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) and you’ve got the perfect morning recipe to enter your day energized and grounded.
Adho Mukha Svanasana
2. Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana - variation)
This has gotta be one of my all time favourite poses. Whether I’m practicing yoga first thing in the morning or using this to stretch out after a workout, this pose has got me hooked.
Low Lunge is already amazing on its own - stretching into the quads and targeting the hip flexors, it’s definitely a pose we could all use some more of in our lives. Did you know that your psoas (hip flexor) is the first muscle to contract when you’re under stress? No wonder this pose feels so juicy. Couple this with a heart opening variation and we’ve got a pair made in heaven.
The Low Lunge stretches into the front line of the lower - mid body, and the lift of the arm opens into the chest which is the perfect way to energize in the morning. Any heart opener is energizing, but since we’re fresh out of bed we don’t want to be getting too deep here with something like Dancer’s Pose. Let yourself ease into this one slowly and steadily and you’ll be reaping the benefits all day long.
Anjaneyasana