Morning Yoga for Full-Body Tension Relief

Morning yoga can usually cure whatever ails you—particularly if muscle tightness is the issue. This slow morning yoga for tension relief meets you where you’re at, with gentle rocking and easy, feel-good motion. It’s just enough movement to wake up the body and invite life back into your body without demanding too much of you first thing in the morning.

9-Minute Morning Yoga for Tension Relief

You don’t need any props for this morning yoga practice, just yourself and a willingness to release. That said, having some blocks nearby can help with access and support in some poses.

Cow Pose

Begin in a Tabletop position. With your next inhalation, lower your belly, lift your chin and chest, and arch your back in Cow Pose.

Cat Pose

Exhale as you round your back and tuck your chin in Cat Pose.

Repeat these poses 3 times, moving with the pace of your breath.

Cat-Cow Tilt

Next time you round into Cat, pause here as you tuck your toes and send your sit bones toward your heels, keeping the same rounding in your spine.

As you inhale, move forward again into Cow Pose, keeping your toes tucked.  Repeat this pattern of movement 3 times, moving with the pace of your breath.

Downward-Facing Dog

With your next exhalation, press your hips up and back into Downward-Facing Dog. Pedal out your feet, sway your hips, or take whatever intuitive movement you need. Stay here for 3 cycles of breath.

Scorpion Dog

Point your right toes as they sweep up toward the sky, pausing in Three-Legged Dog before bending your knee and stacking your right hip over your left in Scorpion Dog. Begin to make 3 slow, large circles with your right knee.

Runner’s Lunge

Draw your right knee toward your chest and step your right foot between your hands. Keep your back knee off of the ground in Runner’s Lunge. Rock gently back and forth here.

Low Lunge

Lower your left knee to the mat, untuck your toes, and sweep your arms toward the sky in Low Lunge.

With your next exhalation, cactus your arms and take a small backbend here. Re-extend your arms upward and take hold of your left wrist with your right hand, and guide your left wrist up and over toward the right for a side bend.

Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend

Come back through center before landing both your hands to the inside of your right foot. Tuck your left toes and pivot to face the long edge of your mat in Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend.

Face your toes slightly inward and grab hold of your elbows, hanging, and gently swaying here for 2 cycles of breath.

Squat or Garland Pose

Place your hands back to the ground and heel-toe your feet until they’re slightly wider than hip-width distance with your toes out, heels in as you sit low in Squat or Garland Pose (Malasana). Bring your hands to heart center and stay here for 3 cycles of breath.

When you’re ready, plant your hands and lift your hips into a Standing Forward Bend. Pivot to face the back edge of your mat in Downward-Facing Dog, and repeat the following poses on the opposite side:

• Scorpion Dog
• Runner’s Lunge
• Low Lunge
• Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend
• Squat or Garland Pose

Downward-Facing Dog

Once again, lift your hips to come through Standing Forward Bend as you pivot toward the front of the mat in Downward-Facing Dog.

Plank Pose

With your next inhalation, round through your back and shift forward to Plank Pose.

Knees-Chest-Chin

From knees or toes, lower down in one straight line.

Cobra Pose

Bring hands beneath shoulders and press down through palms and tops of feet to rise into Cobra Pose. Stay here for 3 cycles of breath, either in stillness or twisting gently from side to side.

Child’s Pose

Release back to the ground. Come into Child’s Pose, shifting your hips back toward your heels and taking your bent knees hip- to mat-width distance apart.

Stay here for 1-5 minutes or as long as your morning schedule allows.

Closing

When you’re ready, come to a comfortable seat. Bring your hands together at heart center, bow your head, and thank yourself for making it to your mat today.