Beginner morning yoga routine

These yoga postures have been chosen to get you feeling centered and energised in the morning, gently stretching out your body and helping you connect with your breath.

Yoga postures (asanas) are designed to bring the mind, body, and breath in alignment. By practicing yoga regularly, you’ll start to feel a greater sense of spaciousness in your life, both physically and mentally.

Give yourself 15-20 minutes for this sequence and notice how your body feels in each pose. Always listen to your body, especially if the poses are new for you.

Neck rolls

Find a comfortable seated position, ground your sit bones down and sit up tall. Rest your hands on your legs and let your eyes close. Take a deep inhale and, as you exhale, turn your chin to the right. Pause, then let your next inhale draw your chin back to centre, before exhaling and sending your chin to the left. Repeat once more on each side. From centre, gently tuck your chin, and roll your head slowly side to side.

Cat-cow

Make your way into tabletop position, bringing your wrists in line with your shoulders, knees in line with your hips, and neck in line with your spine. Actively press into the ground and engage your core. As you inhale, let your belly drop toward the floor and send your gaze forward. As you exhale, tilt the tailbone under and tuck the chin to chest as spine reaches high toward the sky. Move through two more rounds, connecting the movement to your breath. Return to a neutral spine.

Child’s pose

Bring your knees to either edge of your mat, wider than your hips. Bring your feet together, and sink your hips back, melting your chest toward the ground. Let your arms out along the mat in front of you. Rest your forehead to the ground. Walk your fingertips away from you for a deeper stretch through the shoulders and back. Stay here for 3 slow breaths.

Downward-facing dog

Rise up to your tabletop position. Hands should be shoulder-width apart, with the fingers facing forward, arms and shoulders actively engaged. Knees and feet are hip-width apart. Press down through the palms and fingers, tuck your toes and extend up and back into downward-facing dog. Gently pedal the heels down one at a time to stretch the backs of the legs. Take a few breaths here.

Low lunge

Inhale, then as you exhale, step your right leg forward, placing it down between your hands. Stack your knee over your ankle and untuck the back toes. Inhale as you rise up, resting your hands on your thigh for support. Exhale, bringing your hands to the floor. Tuck the back toes, and return to downward-facing dog. Repeat with the left leg, then come back to your downward-facing dog.

Forward fold

Walk your feet forward one step at a time, coming into a standing forward fold with feet hip-width apart. Ground down into all corners of the feet, bend your knees slightly, and hold onto opposite elbows. Give your head a gentle shake side to side, then front to back. Allow your upper body to sway left and right, enjoying the stretch along the sides of the body. Release your arms.

Chair pose

Bending your legs, sweep your arms up and sit back into an imaginary chair. Check that you can still see your toes past your knees. See if you can sink a little bit lower, and lift your hands a little bit higher. Stay strong through the legs and back. Keep your chest broad and open, and hold the pose for a few more breaths. Stand all the way up, letting your arms drop down – and you’re done!