Andrea the Yogi
Whether your morning starts at 5 am or 1 pm, we all have to wake up sometime. Many people, yogi or not, love working out in the morning. A morning workout has many benefits that include de-stressing, energizing for the day, and improved metabolism, strength, and flexibility. Over the years of my yoga practice, I’ve found some yoga poses that I especially love to practice in the morning.
Cat/Cow pose is one of my all-time favorites. There are numerous benefits to cat/cow which include increased flexibility and circulation of the hips and spine, and reduced back pain and stress. Cow/cat pose is typically done in the tabletop pose but can be modified to be done in almost any position. If you are not feeling an early morning tabletop pose, you can do cat/cow while seated or even lying down!
Once you are a little warmed up, adding a couple of sun salutations to your morning workout is a great way to get the juices flowing! The benefits of sun salutations include a boost in energy, increased strength, flexibility, unwinding tension, and grounding of the mind.
There are many other yoga poses that are great for a morning workout. I find the best ones are the ones your body tells you you need. Sometimes your body may end up surprising you when you really listen to yourself.