Sequence · 10 minutes · 7 poses
A 10-minute morning yoga sequence
This 10-minute morning yoga sequence moves from the floor to standing in eight poses: Child's Pose, Cat-Cow, Downward Dog, Low Lunge on each side, Standing Forward Bend, Mountain Pose and a short Tree Pose. Hold each for the breaths shown, move slowly, and stop anything that pinches.
The sequence
| # | Pose | Hold | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Child's Pose Balasana | 5 breaths | Knees wide or together, forehead down, arms long or by your sides. |
| 02 | Cat-Cow Marjaryasana Bitilasana | 6 rounds | Arch on the in-breath, round on the out-breath, slowly. |
| 03 | Downward-Facing Dog Adho Mukha Svanasana | 5 breaths | Bend the knees generously and pedal the heels. |
| 04 | Low Lunge Anjaneyasana | 5 breaths each side | Back knee down on a folded towel, hips sink forward gently. |
| 05 | Standing Forward Bend Uttanasana | 5 breaths | Soft knees, let the head hang heavy. |
| 06 | Mountain Pose Tadasana | 5 breaths | Roll up slowly, then stand evenly on both feet. |
| 07 | Tree Pose Vrksasana | 5 breaths each side | Foot on the calf or inner thigh, never the knee. Use a wall. |
Mornings are rarely the moment for a long practice. This sequence is short on purpose: it wakes the spine, the hips and the backs of the legs before you sit at a desk or in traffic, and it ends on your feet so you finish alert rather than sleepy.
Start on the floor while the body is still stiff. Child's Pose and Cat-Cow move the spine gently in both directions, then Downward Dog lengthens the backs of the legs with the knees as bent as you need. Low Lunge opens the front of each hip, which tends to tighten after a night lying curled up. From there you fold forward, roll up slowly to stand, and finish with a minute of balance in Tree Pose.
Breathe through the nose if you can, and let the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath. If you only have five minutes, do the first four poses. If you have longer, repeat the whole sequence twice, or add three rounds of the sun salutation after Downward Dog.
In Manila's heat, open a window or practise before the air conditioner goes off, and keep water nearby. You do not need a warm room: the slow pace warms you.
Questions
Is 10 minutes of yoga in the morning enough?
For waking up the body, yes. Ten unhurried minutes most mornings is more useful than one long session a week. Add time when it feels good, not because you feel you should.
Should I do yoga before or after breakfast?
Before, or at least an hour after a large meal. A glass of water first is fine. Forward folds and twists feel uncomfortable on a full stomach.