BLOW AWAY THE COBWEBS
We are all very aware of the many benefits of a good night's sleep – from strengthening the immune system to better focus and attention throughout the day. But after a really solid night of deep sleep you can sometimes feel a bit stagnant and creaky. Mobilising all the joints of the body with a quick morning yoga practice will blow away the cobwebs and help you optimise the benefits of your nights sleep. If the idea of slotting a morning practice into the start of your day feels like a mammoth task, have a read of my previous article Morning routines. Stretching and strengthening your hips, spine and shoulders will help you sit, stand and walk throughout your day with more awareness of good posture, and allow you to move around with less aches and pains. It also wakes up your digestive system, kick-starts your metabolism, boosts your circulation and immune system and expands your lungs which unlocks your upper spine and brings in more oxygen to wake you up.
THE BENEFITS OF STRETCHING
Muscles are like rubber bands. If you apply force to them, without warming them up first, they can tear. Morning mobility helps prevent injuries by warming up all the muscles ready for your daily task – from simply reaching for something in a high cupboard to your preferred sporting endeavour. It is important to keep this rubber band principle in mind when you are stretching and approach a morning yoga routine with patience. Your flexibility can vary on different days and at different times of the day. Studies show that muscles and joints are tighter in the morning and increase in flexibility throughout the day. This is totally normal and all the more reason to gently stretch your muscles and enjoy having a more adaptable body for the whole day. If you have time you could add some MFR (myofascial release) to your hips, spine or shoulder. I love to start my morning practice with some MFR from my calves up to my hamstrings. This is an area for me that can feel tight in the mornings and very easily sustains overstretch injuries, particularly in my hamstrings. For these MFR techniques, have a read of my previous article.
EXPLORING MORNING MOBILITY FLOW IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence focuses on hips, spine and shoulders and also hits all the muscles and joints of the body in this short and simple morning practice. The first row is the general warm up with four mini flows to warm the whole body. Link your breath with each movement and repeat each two pose flow three times. The second and third row are the two standing flows. In a full standing flow round you will repeat the flow (marked between two arrows) twice – first time with the right leg forward and second time with the left leg forward. You can repeat this full round one, two or three times depending on how much time you have. The breath count for the standing flow is an uncounted inhale and a slower exhale to the count of three as you transition to the next pose. The final row is the cool down stage of the practice, finishing with Savasanah.
ALIGNMENT CUES
Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:
Focus on capturing smooth and comfortable ranges of movement as you flow.
Notice how you feel before and after your practice.
Pay particular attention to the sensations in your hips, spine and shoulders as you move.
Move slowly through the sequence using the breath count as your guide. Inhale is indicated with a ‘+’, exhale is a ‘-”. You can increase or decrease the count to suit what feels comfortable for you.
Breath all the way into your belly to access the full capacity of your breath.
Repeat the two standing flows for three rounds per side, stepping right leg forward first then left leg.
Give yourself at least 5 mins in Savasana to transition back into your day.
To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.
Ruth Delahunty Yogaru