Yoga Poses to Start Your Morning Off with Ease

If you're looking for a gentle and energizing start to your day, consider including these morning yoga poses to your routine.

If you're not a morning person and rely on coffee for an energy boost, try yoga instead. Paige Willis, founder of Undone and a yoga instructor, says that yoga can increase circulation, blood flow, and elimination in your body. It also brings a flow of fresh oxygen to your brain for mental clarity and tension release. Practicing morning yoga poses can also help loosen muscles and ease any stiffness that may have developed overnight.

Willis suggests focusing on yoga poses involving backbends and twists to ease into your day gently. Both backbends and twists can increase blood flow and free up stagnant energy in your body. Backbends help open up the front of your body and bring balance to your spine, while twists play a supporting role for your digestive system.

Contrary to popular belief, practicing morning yoga doesn't have to take a long time. Willis recommends a quick 10 to 15 minute yoga session each day or even 30 minutes spread throughout the week. However, consistency is key.

How to do morning yoga poses:

After warming up with some breathwork to activate your deep core muscles, spend about 15 minutes flowing through these morning yoga stretches (created and demonstrated by Kimberly Fowler and Heidi Kristoffer). As your body is still waking up, remember to take breaks and modify as needed.

To continue building a consistent yoga practice, try adding this 15-minute yoga flow for better sleep to your evening routine.

Bharadvajasana, also known as easy seated twist, helps support digestion and lengthens and opens up your spine, back, hips, shoulders, and chest, making it an antidote to back pain.

Here's how you can do easy seated twist:

1. Begin in a seated position with arms relaxed on either side of you.
2. Take your left hand to the ground and place it behind your sacrum. Rest your right hand on your left knee.
3. Inhale and lengthen your spine, then on exhale, twist your torso to the left using your hands.
4. Hold for 5 to 10 deep breaths, then switch sides and repeat.

Camel pose is another morning yoga pose that opens up your chest, increases lung capacity, and allows you to breathe deeper.

To do Camel pose:

1. Begin in a high kneeling position with your hips over your knees.
2. Tuck your toes and place your palms on your sacrum. Draw your elbows towards each other to avoid winging out.
3. Keep your thighs rotating inward and pull your shoulder blades towards each other. Look up to the ceiling as your chest lifts upward.
4. Release your hands to your heels and arch your spine. Tip your head back to keep your whole spine in extension (skip this step if you have neck pain).
5. Hold for 5 to 10 deep breaths.

Cat-cow is a go-to morning yoga pose that stretches your back, torso, and neck, and can be done from a seated position, even from bed, if desired.

To do Cat-cow:

1. Start on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
2. Inhale and look up with an arched spine, rolling your shoulders away from your ears for cow.
3. On an exhale, press the floor away with your hands and knees, and round your spine like an angry cat.
4. Repeat for five complete breath cycles (inhale and exhale).

Dancer pose is a great morning stretch to include in your routine if you want to feel lighter, happier, and more open.

To do Dancer pose:

1. From a standing position, shift your weight onto your right leg.
2. Bend your left knee and grab the inside of your left ankle with your left hand.
3. Gently lift your left leg and press your ankle into your hand to open your back.
4. Reach your right arm straight up.
5. Hold for 5 to 10 deep breaths, then switch sides and repeat.

Twisted chair pose is another morning yoga pose that can increase circulation and wake up your internal organs.

Here's how you can do twisted chair pose:

1. Stand with your feet and legs together.
2. Begin to bend your knees and sink your hips down and back as if sitting in a chair.
3. Bring your palms together in front of your chest.
4. Rotate your spine to bring your right elbow to your left knee. Try to keep your chest lifted the whole time.
5. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.

Finally, locust pose can strengthen your legs and lower back while opening up your chest and elongating your spinal column. It is also a great pose to boost your energy and rev up your morning.

To start the locust pose, lie on your stomach with your arms alongside your body and your palms facing up.

Next, lift your head, upper body, arms, and legs off the floor while keeping your arms and legs active. Look forward or slightly up, depending on your flexibility.

Hold the pose for 45 seconds before releasing to the ground with your head to one side. Repeat the pose two more times.

The bow pose is another great morning yoga pose that works as a backbend, boosting your energy and keeping your metabolism strong. The pose also opens and stretches the front of your body while strengthening your back muscles.

To do the pose, start by lying face down on the floor and bringing your hands alongside your body with your palms facing up. Bend your knees and reach back with your hands to grab your ankles (not your feet).

Keep your legs hip-width apart as you lift your heels up and away from your body, pulling your chest off the floor at the same time. Keep your shoulder blades down and away from your ears.

Hold the pose for 30 to 45 seconds before releasing to the ground with your head to one side. Repeat the pose two more times.

The eagle pose not only strengthens your legs but also energizes your body by waking up all your muscles and aiding in digestion.

To start the pose, stand with your knees slightly bent. Lift your right leg up and around your standing leg, hooking your foot and ankle behind your left calf.

Sink your hips down and back as if sitting on a chair while crossing your arms at your elbows and wrists in front of your chest.

Hold the pose for 30 to 45 seconds before uncrossing your arms and legs to stand. Then switch sides and repeat the pose.

The crescent lunge is a great way to increase your heart rate, which is important in kickstarting your metabolism in the morning. The pose strengthens your legs and stretches your hips as well.

To do the pose, begin in the downward dog pose and step your right foot between your hands. Lower your hips into a lunge position and shift your weight onto the ball of your left foot while bringing your hands to your hips.

Stay up on the ball of your left foot as you lift your upper body to stand straight up while keeping your hips squared. Lift your arms and reach towards the ceiling with your palms facing each other.

Hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute before switching sides and repeating the pose.

The bridge pose is a gentle inversion that's perfect for mornings, opening up your chest and shoulder area. As the chest lifts towards the chin, it massages the thyroid gland, which is responsible for regulating your metabolism.

Start by lying on your back with your knees bent, feet hip-width apart, and flat on the floor. Reach down with your fingertips to see if you can feel your heels. If not, walk your heels a little closer to your body.

Press your weight into your feet to lift your hips up towards the ceiling while keeping your thighs parallel. Bring your arms under your shoulders and try to clasp your hands together. Roll your shoulder blades toward each other and hold the pose for 45 seconds to 1 minute before releasing and rolling slowly back to the floor one vertebra at a time. Repeat the pose two more times.

The plow pose is another inversion that increases circulation in your thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary glands. This morning yoga stretch sends out feel-good hormones and endorphins throughout your body while balancing your metabolic system, which is great for those can't-get-out-of-bed mornings.

Lie down on your back and bring your legs straight up in the air towards the ceiling. Bring your arms alongside your body with your palms facing down. Then press into your hands and lift your legs over your head. If your legs don't touch the ground behind you, bring your hands to your back for support. If your feet do touch the ground, then clasp your hands together, trying to roll your shoulder blades toward each other.

Hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

The shoulder stand is another morning yoga pose that's an inversion, which means circulation benefits for your body. It's also a great stretch for your neck and upper back.

To start the pose, lie on the floor on your back with your arms alongside your body and palms facing down. Press into your hands to lift your legs over your head.

Bring your hands to your lower back for support while spreading your fingers wide. Try to get your legs as straight as possible by walking your hands close to your shoulders.

Hold the pose for 1 to 3 minutes.

The fish pose counters the shoulder stand pose by stretching the front of your neck. It has a calming and grounding effect, which makes it perfect for a morning yoga pose.

Lie down on your back and bring your hands, palms up, under your glutes. Bend your elbows and press into the floor as you lean back. Lift your chest up towards the ceiling so that your back is arched. Bring your elbows towards each other underneath your back and drop your head back towards the floor.

Hold the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

The easy spinal twist is a go-to morning yoga stretch when you want to stimulate your digestive system, which will help you start your day off right.

Lie on your back and bring both knees in towards your chest. Holding your left knee into your chest, let your right leg straighten out on the floor.

C. Bring bent left knee across body, keeping both shoulder blades on the floor. Right arm reaches out toward right side of the room, in line with right shoulder.

D. Turn head to look over right shoulder to complete twist.

Hold for 45 seconds to 1 minute. Bring both knees into chest. Switch sides; repeat.