Do you consider the sound of your alarm clock the worst sound in the world? Is getting out from your bed the hardest thing you have to do all day? And do you wake up feeling irritable and stressed by what is to come during the day? If your answer is yes, then you should probably consider adding a short, but extremely effective, yoga sequence to your morning routine to give you the energy to get through the day with ease. Irina Ovsiannikova, a yoga instructor from YG Studios in New York City, has created a 15-minute yoga routine to help you do just that. Here’s the yoga sequence you can follow each morning for energy.
Cat Cow
Start on your hands and knees. Inhale, curl your toes, draw your shoulder blade away from your ears, and lengthen your spine forward. Exhale, uncurl your toes, curve your spine upward, and pull your belly button up. Repeat the process three times.
Downward Facing Dog
After you are done with the cat cow pose, pull your hips up and get into the downward facing dog pose. Drop your head down and make sure your feet are hip-width apart. Inhale and lift the balls of your feet. As you exhale, press your heel back on the ground and lengthen your neck.
Plank
Inhale, move your legs back and come into the plank position. Keep your arms straight. Your wrists should be exactly below your shoulders and your back should be straight. Hold the position for 30 seconds.
Down Dog Extensions
Lift your hips back up and pull your legs back in to get into the downward facing dog pose. Bring your feet together, shift your weight onto your left leg, and reach the right leg back. Bend your right knee and bring it to your chest as you exhale. Come back to the original position, shift your weight onto your right leg and repeat with your left leg. Repeat 3 times on each side.
Baby Cobra
Bring your entire body down to the floor and lift your head, neck, and chest. Relax your buttocks. Press your feet down, exhale, and come back to the downward facing dog position.
Sun Salutation
Plant your hands firmly on the floor and walk your feet up to meet your hands. Now slowly straighten your back, reach your arms up over your head, and press your palms together. Look toward the sky, exhale, and fold over your legs. Place your legs back onto the floor, soften your knees, and try to touch your shins with your forehead. Inhale and put your palms back on the ground, open your chest, step your right foot back, step your left foot back and get into plank position. Exhale, bend your elbows, and move your body down. Move into an upward-dog. Pull your spine up and roll your shoulder back. Exhale and come into the downward dog pose. Repeat the sun salutation sequence 2 times.
Chair Pose
Step your right foot in between your hands and bring your left foot to meet your right foot. Inhale, lift your arms over your head, and sit low into the chair pose. Pull your navel in and lengthen your tailbone. As you exhale, fold in right over your legs.
Warrior One
Step your right foot forward. Place the heel of the left leg back on the floor. Raise your arms up to get into warrior one pose.
Warrior Two
Stretch one arm in front of you and one arm behind you so that your body makes a straight line. Look at the arm in front of you.
Reverse Warrior
Place your left hand on your left thigh. Stretch back and raise your right arm upward.
Boat Pose
Come to a seated position and extend your legs out on the floor. Lift your feet off the ground and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Reach your arms forward and hold the pose for 10 breaths.
Happy Baby
Lie on your back. Fold your legs and separate your knees wide. Hold on to the sides of your feet and take three breaths.
Spine Stretch
Take both knees to your left and let them touch the floor. Breathe deeply and switch to the other side. Hold for a couple of breaths.
Savasana
Extend your legs in front of you and let them rotate open naturally. Face your palms upward, look to your chest and lengthen the back of your neck, close your eyes, and breathe deeply for a few minutes.
Once you have completed the sequence, you will be ready to take on the world.
