Published July 27, 2026 06:10AM
One of the best things you can do if you need a boost of energy in the morning is practice some yoga to wake up, especially if you get out of bed feeling stiff. Consider this 10-minute yoga class exactly the energy boost you need.
The all-levels class is done mostly seated or kneeling, so it’s not too intense first thing in the morning. You’ll go through several simple poses yet you can make things more challenging, such as floating your leg in Thread the Needle and taking a twist in Low Lunge. But for the most part, it’s very much a beginner-friendly kind of flow—and it’s just 10 minutes long.
You’ll also practice some poses for your hips and hamstrings, but the primary focus is twists and side bends. Keep in mind, you might not have your full range of motion early in the morning and that’s perfectly fine.
10-Minute Morning Yoga to Wake Up
There’s no Savasana in this morning class since it can be tempting to fall back asleep. Instead, you’ll end with Child’s Pose and, if you choose, a short intention setting moment.
Seated Twist
Sit tall and cross-legged on your mat. Shrug your shoulders down and away from your ears. Maintain the length in your spine as you bring your left hand to your right knee, place your right fingertips on the mat back behind you, and turn your chest so you’re facing toward the right. As you draw your right shoulder back, notice how your right hip also wants to move back. Keep it facing forward to isolate the twist in your mid and upper back.
Release the twist a little so you’re facing your right knee and thigh. Stay here and walk your hands forward, pushing into your left sit bone to keep it grounded as you reach in the opposite direction. So as your left hip pushes down, your left hand extends farther away from you, lengthening and stretching through your upper body. Don’t worry about how close to the mat your chest might be, especially first thing in the morning. Just think of stretching through your lower back, especially on that left side.
Walk your hands in slowly, lift yourself, and do the same thing on the other side, first changing the crossing of your legs.
Cat and Cow
Come to your hands and knees for a few rounds of Cat and Cow. We’re going to do a circular version in which your hands are still under your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips. Then make circles with your tailbone and the crown of your head as you arch your back in Cow and round your back in Cat. I like to inhale when the belly drops, and I circle up, and I exhale as I go in that downward motion.
Try not to overthink this too much. You’re just trying to find a churning motion and getting into all parts of your spine. Make sure to get the hips involved a little. Then reverse the direction of those circles. Two more on the side, breathing in and out through the nose. Last one.
Thread the Needle
Come back to neutral hands and knees. Reach your right arm toward the sky and open through your chest. Then reach that right arm underneath you toward the left as your shoulder and ear come down to the mat. Extend your left arm straight ahead toward the front of the mat.
Maybe this is where you’d like to stay. If you’d like to challenge yourself, straighten your left leg behind you with your toes on the mat.
Stay here or it lift your leg off the mat to form a straight, diagonal line.
Stay here for 3 breaths, wherever you are in this twist. Then slide your left hand back beneath your shoulder, push it into the floor, and lift yourself up. Then switch sides.
Downward-Facing Dog
Walk your palms a couple inches past your shoulders, tuck your toes, and lift your hips up and back into Downward-Facing Dog. You can absolutely bend your knees here and maybe peddle out the feet and turn your head side to side. You want to create space through the backs of the legs and along the spine.
Three-Legged Dog
Reach your right leg toward the sky and bend your knee. Take a big breath in here.
Low Lunge Twist
Step your right foot forward, lower your back knee down to the mat, and as you inhale, lift your arms in Low Lunge. As you exhale, open toward the right into a twist. So your left arm comes forward and your right arm reaches back.
Try to keep your shoulders over your hips. Maybe this is where you’d like to stay. If you’d like to go further, your right hand comes down toward your left thigh, and your left arm stretches overhead. If this feels like jamming in your lower back, just stay in that first option. Stay here for 1 more breath.
Bring your left hand to the mat and your back knee off the floor.
Lower your back knee to the mat and come to a seated position.
Seated Twist
Cross your right foot over the top of your left thigh and step it outside your left leg. Hug your right knee toward your chest and wrap your left arm around your right knee. Your right fingertips go to the mat behind you. Think of growing taller through this pose and, at the same time, sliding the shoulder blades down your back as you turn toward the right in a seated twist.
Boat Pose
Release the twist and as a transition, find Boat Pose. So straighten through the legs and then cross at the ankles, rock forward, plant your hands on the mat, and come back to Downward-Facing Dog.
Hovering Tabletop Twists
Instead of doing a vinyasa, we’ll do something a little different. From Downward Dog, come into a Hovering Tabletop by shifting your shoulders forward and bending the knees so they’re lifted just a little off the mat.
Then twist by bringing your knees toward the left and dropping the right hip down. Come back through center and twist the other way, so your left hip comes down. Then come back to center and find Downward-Facing Dog, stretching out long.
Repeat Three-Legged Dog, Low Lunge, Seated Twist, Boat Pose, Downward-Facing Dog, and Hovering Tabletop Twists on the other side.
Child’s Pose
Bring your knees down, big toes together, knees apart, and forehead to the mat in Child’s Pose. These morning classes are a great opportunity to set your intention for the day ahead. You might ask yourself, what is one word that captures how I want to feel today? What do you want to focus on? Let it be a simple one-word intention. And just sit with that as you breathe in and out in Child’s Pose.
Closing
Walk your hands in, lift yourself up, and sit back on your heels. If that’s not comfortable, sit cross-legged. Draw your shoulders down and away from your ears. If you have that one-word intention, think of it now. And simply pause here.
Thank you so much for doing this short morning yoga to wake up flow with me. I hope those twists and side bends help give you a little boost of energy. If you had chosen a one-word intention, leave it down below in the comments.
