10-Minute Morning Yoga Flow

Article by Lucas Rockwood

If you often wake up feeling stiff or sore in the mornings, this simple routine will help to loosen up your body and set you up for the day. Grab a chair or a stool and practice in your kitchen while your morning coffee is brewing. It takes just 10 minutes and is the perfect way to kickstart your day.

Breath of Fire

It’s helpful to begin your practice with one round of breath of fire to stimulate your sympathetic nervous system and get you ready for the day. It’s a forced exhalation practice that looks and sounds a lot like a sneeze. Sit up tall, hands on your knees, soften your shoulders and lower abdomen, close your eyes, then force out a breath, and relax completely. Repeat for 20 rounds. Open your eyes slowly and prepare for the first pose.

Your 10-Minute Routine

• Stool or chair
• Yoga/exercise mat
• Timer

Download PDF pose chart

1. Chair Salute A

• Stand tall behind a stool or chair, feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides
• Inhale, reach your arms out and up to touch above your head
• Exhale, hinge at your hips, fold forward, place your hands on your stool or chair, step your feet back into a plank position
• Lower down halfway, like a half push-up
• Keep your toes tucked, inhale, lift your heart to an upward facing dog position
• Exhale, roll back to downward facing dog
• Repeat for two rounds
• Roll your body up to stand
• Reset

2. Chair Salute B

• Inhale, reach your arms out and up to touch
• Exhale, fold forward, and place your hands on the chair/stool
• Step your feet back into a plank position
• Pause here, lower down halfway, inhale, lift your heart
• Exhale, lift your hips
• Stay here, lunge your right foot forward, stay on your toes on the back foot
• Pause here, then reach your right arm straight up towards the sky, next to your ear
• Gently, if comfortable for your neck, look up towards your fingertips and breathe here
• Kick back through your left heel, gently gaze up towards your fingertips
• Place your right hand down, step your right leg back, into a high push-up position
• Lower down halfway
• Inhale, lift your heart, into upward facing dog
• Exhale, push your hips back, transition again to a push-up position
• Repeat, lunging with your left leg and raising your left arm
• Make your way all the way backup to stand

3. Triangle

• Roll your shoulders open for this next pose, you also need a shorter stance
• Place your hands on your stool or chair, heels on the ground
• Step your right foot forward, heels aligned
• Place your right hand on the stool, shoot your left hand straight up towards the sky
• Keep both legs and both arms very straight, look up towards your fingertips and breathe here
• Lower your left hand down, step your right leg back
• Switch and repeat on the other side

4. Twisted Triangle

• Step your right leg forward about one meter, both heels on the floor
• This is a twisted variation of the previous triangle pose
• Place your left hand in the middle of the chair, keep your legs straight
• Reach your right arm up, turn, twist, and gaze up towards your fingertips
• Place your hand back down
• Switch legs and repeat on the other side – you may need to step over to the other side of the chair
• Remember, you’re looking for heel to heel alignment, with both legs straight

5. Squat

• From a plank position, lower down halfway, inhale, lift your heart
• Exhale, lift your hips
• Step about halfway in, then step your feet wider than your hips
• Turn your feet out to the sides, hinge at your hips
• Imagine you’re sitting down into a chair behind you, using your hands for support
• Don’t let your heels come up off the ground, so if you get stuck and your heels want to pop, just stop where you are
• Keep sitting down until there is no more space, drop your head, and breathe here.
• Slowly make your way up

6. Arrow Pose

• Sit down on your chair/stool
• Put your feet flat out on the ground, interlace your hands behind your back, and squeeze the palms of your hands together
• Lift your heart up and breathe here
• Slowly release your hands
• Place your hands on top of your knees, drop your shin in towards your chest, curl your spine
• Make your way back up to a seated position