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You've just woken up and unrolled your yoga mat. To ease your way into your day, we'll
move mindfully through this 10-minute practice that awakens the legs and relieves tension
in the neck. I'm Caren Baginski, and this is your Here Comes The Sun morning yoga routine.
Come to hands and knees and let's begin.
Curl the toes under. Inhale deeply and draw the chest open, exhale all the air out and
arch through the spine. Inhale to Cow Pose, gazing forward. Exhale to Cat Pose, releasing
the head and neck.
Continue to breathe and move at your own pace, tuning in to any spaces that feel tight and
want to release.
On your next Cow Pose, stay for another full breath. Exhale and release, moving through
another round.
Now pause in your Cat Pose, feeling the emptiness of the breath and the arch of the mid spine.
Shake your head gently yes and no.
Inhale and move back into Cow Pose, and again to Cat Pose. Return to a neutral spine. Step
your right leg forward into a lunge, release the left toes and bring your hands to your
upper right thigh, lifting the torso. Move the navel in toward your spine and lengthen
the low back. Release the hands behind you and interlace the fingers. Reach through the
palms and lift through the upper chest for a full breath in and out.
Exhale and step the right foot back. Now, bring your left leg forward into a lunge and
release the right toes. Inhale the palms to the thigh, tops of the shoulders descending
from the ears and exhale interlace the fingers the opposite way behind you. Huge the inner
arms toward one another and lift through the sternum. Exhale and release the hands down.
Step the left leg back, curl the toes and lift into Downward Facing Dog. Settle into
your strength, then bend the right knee in, followed by the left. Draw both heels down,
then exhale and step forward into Hanging Forward Fold. With knees bent as much as you
need, draw the weight into the balls of the feet and bring the hands to clasp overhead.
Breathe smoothly as you reach through the arms and lift them up as much as is comfortable
for your shoulders. Bring the palms closer together and extend through the forearms.
Exhale and release the hands to the mat. Bend into the left knee, then the right, relaxing
the neck completely. If your fingers don't reach to the floor, place them on your shins.
Straighten both legs, lift the knee caps up and inhale to a flat back. Gaze down to elongate
the neck. Exhale and wrap both of your forearms behind the legs, fingers pointing down. Breathe
in deeply and exhale, empty the breath to fold deeper from the hips.
Inhale, plant your palms and step your legs back into plank pose. Reach through the heels,
draw the navel up and press away from the mat with your palms. On an exhale, lower yourself
to your belly, dropping the knees or keeping them lifted. Release the toes, inhale lift
through the back of the heart and exhale, forehead to mat. Inhale lift into Cobra Pose,
and exhale release. Reach back energetically through your feet, inhale to lift, and exhale
release. Tuck the toes and rise up to hands and knees.
Step the right leg forward into a lunge. You might choose to deepen the stretch by inching
the left knee back a bit. Bring both hands to the inside of the foot and turn the right
toes out to the corner of your mat. Stay here with palms planted if this is enough stretch,
or exhale and make your way down to your forearms. Lift the low ribs away from the pelvis to
lengthen the spine and finally relax the crown of your head to the ground.
We'll stay here in Lizard Pose for a while. Slow your breath, taking inhalations that
expand the abdomen and exhalations that melt the back of your heart.
In these quiet moments to yourself, bring your inner attention to wherever you feel
the most tension. Notice if you're gripping in the hips; bring softness to the area. Relax
the forehead and your jaw. Let your head hang heavy as you settle in to yourself.
On your next inhale, slowly lift your head, plant your palms and press your torso up.
Walk your right hand around the right leg, curl the left toes and shift your hips back
for Half Splits Pose. Reach through the right foot, tent your fingertips on either side
of the leg and exhale your upper body down a little or a lot. If your hands don't reach
the floor, support them with yoga blocks or blankets. Relax your shoulders and extend
through the crown of your head, chin tucked in.
Inhale and step the front foot back, curl the toes under and lift the hips for Downward
Facing Dog. Exhale the knees down. Step your left leg forward for Lizard Pose. Inch the
right knee back and release the toes. Walk your hands to the inside of the leg, left
toes turned to the corner of the mat. Walk down to your forearms if you took that variation
on the other side. Stay within your body, breathing deeply, allowing time to loosen
your tension. Notice if this side feels different than the other - and just notice, no judgment.
Inhale your palms beneath the shoulders and lift the torso. Rock back, curl the right
toes and straighten the left leg for Half Splits. Inhale the torso long, and exhale
fold. Inhale, bend the knee and exhale step the leg back to meet the right. Bring your
toes to touch, knees wide and soften your upper body down for Child's Pose. Turn your
palms face up to the sun. Invite in an intention for your day.
Plant the palms and press up to a comfortable seated position. Bring the hands together
at the heart and bow your head to your awakened heart. Let the sun shine in. Namaste.