Morning Yoga for Beginners - JOYFUL MORNINGS

Good morning , everyone .

Welcome to my channel and welcome to my backyard .

I'm going to take you through a beginner morning yoga sequence .

No props are required and we're just going to start right away lying down on our backs in our reclined butterfly pose .

So making your way down here , you want to shrug your shoulders away from your ears , bring the soles of your feet together to touch and let your knees fall apart if this is too much for your hips and just feels like it's a little painful and uncomfortable .

Instead , you're welcome to just bring your feet wide and let your knees fall in towards one another .

So while this is a beginner yoga class , and I will try to keep the poses simple and accessible .

Good morning , everyone .

Welcome to my channel and welcome to my backyard .

I'm going to take you through a beginner morning yoga sequence .

No props are required and we're just going to start right away lying down on our backs in our reclined butterfly pose .

So making your way down here , you want to shrug your shoulders away from your ears , bring the soles of your feet together to touch and let your knees fall apart if this is too much for your hips and just feels like it's a little painful and uncomfortable .

Instead , you're welcome to just bring your feet wide and let your knees fall in towards one another .

So while this is a beginner yoga class , and I will try to keep the poses simple and accessible .

One more deep breath and let's bring our knees in towards one another .

Draw them into your belly .

Give it a big squeeze and we'll take a little spinal twist here .

So just let your knees and thighs drop over to the left and stretch your right arm out to the side .

So as if you're trying to pull your right shoulder and your right hip away from one another big breath in through the nose and lift , engage your belly a little to float up and we'll just go twist to the other side .

That doesn't mean that they won't necessarily be a little bit challenging .

We still want to focus on building a little bit of strength on increasing flexibility .

But more than anything this morning yoga class is meant to help you set the tone for the day ahead and to start to develop mindfulness and full body awareness .

So take five more deep breaths here in and out through your nose , maybe asking yourself what your intention is for the day ahead .

One more deep breath and let's bring our knees in towards one another .

Draw them into your belly .

Give it a big squeeze and we'll take a little spinal twist here .

So just let your knees and thighs drop over to the left and stretch your right arm out to the side .

So as if you're trying to pull your right shoulder and your right hip away from one another big breath in through the nose and lift , engage your belly a little to float up and we'll just go twist to the other side .

So your knees and thighs drop over to the right left arm stretches out to the left and I like to use my right hand to help kind of press the legs a little closer to the floor .

So what is it that you need today ?

Maybe choosing one word that captures your intention and float the knees back up with your feet flat to the floor .

You can tuck your chin to your chest and we're gonna lift on up , taking a seat and now bring your hands a little back behind you .

I'm just gonna shift back on my mat here really tapping into the power of our core and into our abdominals .

You can hold onto the back of your thighs and just rock back onto your sit bones here .

Variation of Nava and a boat pose .

Roll your , your shoulders down and away from your ears and point your toes , see if you can lift .

So your right chin is parallel to the floor and then tap it down and switch .

So lifting the left chin and left foot and tapping it down , keep going .

We're gonna do five on each side .

What I want you to focus on here is that you're opening and lifting through your chest , not rounding or slouching forward .

And if this feels relatively easy to you , you can always make it harder by reaching your arms out rather than holding on to the back of your thigh .

Stay lifted .

We'll do one more on each side , squeezing and lifting up .

And even for me forward folds are just the hardest kinds of poses .

Try to just think of lifting out of your lower back and digging into your fingertips , pushing into that right heel and make this a passive forward fold .

Now as you soft in your upper body , you can turn your pumps the face up and just let gravity do the work for you .

So as you inhale all open up through your chest and think of in your shoulder blades behind you as you exhale round and contract , bringing your chin to your chest just going in and out of those two poses , inhale and exhale and how open and exhale one more in and exhale , curl it in , come all the way back through to center and now let's go ahead and straighten our right leg in front of us and keep your left foot to the inside of that right thigh as you inhale , stretch your arms up overhead and find some length in your spine .

Try to maintain this length as you exhale and hinge forward from your hips .

So especially in the morning , it's normal not to be going very far in this pose .

You can hug your left thigh with your right arm and bring your left hand back behind you as you open up through your chest and rotate , maybe looking over towards your left shoulder coming all the way back through to center .

Let's shake it out and we'll go and repeat on the other side .

So John a head to knee , you're bringing your right foot to the inside of your left thigh really anchor down through your hips , root to rise , stretch up tall and then hinge at your hips .

Focus first on this active dynamic version where you're really contracting through your muscles , focusing on straightening your spine .

And even for me forward folds are just the hardest kinds of poses .

Try to just think of lifting out of your lower back and digging into your fingertips , pushing into that right heel and make this a passive forward fold .

Now as you soft in your upper body , you can turn your pumps the face up and just let gravity do the work for you .

So no expectations , just whatever amount of the fold feels good for the back of your leg and through your spine , push into your hand so you can start to walk and lift on up and we'll take a little baby wild thing so you can bring your left hand back behind you and you're gonna swing that right arm up and over as you lift your hips up towards the sky .

And we're trying to press them up as high as they'll go .

Take another big breath here and now bring it all the way back , lift your left knee up and we're gonna cross the left foot over the top of that right thigh coming into a little twist .

You can hug your left thigh with your right arm and bring your left hand back behind you as you open up through your chest and rotate , maybe looking over towards your left shoulder coming all the way back through to center .

Let's shake it out and we'll go and repeat on the other side .

So John a head to knee , you're bringing your right foot to the inside of your left thigh really anchor down through your hips , root to rise , stretch up tall and then hinge at your hips .

Focus first on this active dynamic version where you're really contracting through your muscles , focusing on straightening your spine .

We do this because we want to feel really good and we want to start our days with a little bit of mindful movement and connection .

Let's stretch our right leg up as high as it will go in this three legged dog .

And you're gonna step your foot forward to the top of the mat .

You might need to hold on to your ankle in order to step it through and let your back , knee come down to the floor .

So knees over the top of your foot , push as you lift on up on Jana , your low lunge , careful not to sink into our lower back here .

Tailbone down .

Draw the belly in stretch up long .

May be looking up to challenge your balance a little bit here and let's bring our fingertips down to the floor .

You can let your head dangle so your neck is relaxed and push into your hands as you lift back up , then we'll find that baby wild thing on the other side .

So right hand goes back behind you for support and you can swing that left arm up and back , lift your hips up as high as they can go .

So a bit of a back bend , but mainly focusing on stretching through the side of our body and set your hips back down .

We'll prepare for a twist , lift your right knee up and you can cross your right foot over the top of that left thigh lengthen up and you can grab a hold of your right thigh with your left arm .

We'll lower down elbows in all the way your cobra pose , point your toes back , push into your hands , lift on up , keep those elbows hugging in exhale , release .

Fine child's pose , belo big toes together , heels apart , forehead down to the earth .

Take three breaths here in the post .

What is your intention for the day ahead ?

Maybe just choosing one word .

Let's find our downward dog again .

So keep your hands reaching forward , shoulder with distance apart , hips go up and back .

Let this time stretch your left leg up to the sky and we're gonna step it forward in between our palms to the top of the mat .

You want your feet to be hip with distance apart , right knee comes down to the floor on your lunch .

So we're lifting up only looking up if this is ok for your neck .

This is a great pose .

If you're going to be sitting a lot today , bring your fingertips down to the floor .

Tuck the back toes under , lift your right knee off the mat and bring your right foot .

So it's flat and parallel to the shorter edge of your mat .

Vera Bera is two push into the feet in order to lift up a little bit taller .

So keep your hands reaching forward , shoulder with distance apart , hips go up and back .

Let this time stretch your left leg up to the sky and we're gonna step it forward in between our palms to the top of the mat .

You want your feet to be hip with distance apart , right knee comes down to the floor on your lunch .

So we're lifting up only looking up if this is ok for your neck .

This is a great pose .

If you're going to be sitting a lot today , bring your fingertips down to the floor .

Tuck the back toes under , lift your right knee off the mat and bring your right foot .

So it's flat and parallel to the shorter edge of your mat .

Vera Bera is two push into the feet in order to lift up a little bit taller .

Keep bending generously into that front .

Neath .

Hands at your heart .

We're just going to step to the top of the mat into our mountain pose .

Hands by your sides , close your eyes .

Find that internal point of focus .

Mhm .

Connecting to your breath and will take a little sun salutation of inhale .

Arms rise , exhale , fold forward all the way down , halfway lift and hail flat back .

Exhale , step back .

We're going to hold a plank pose for three breaths again .

So choose knees lifted or knees down , lengthen your tailbone towards your heels .

Draw your lower belly in .

Imagine you're hugging a beach ball , squeezing through your upper arms and lower down all the way .

And a cobra pose open and expand through your hearts .

Exhale release .

And rather than pressing back to a child's pose , we're just gonna come to take a seat and I'm gonna turn to face over towards you guys .

So bring your right leg out to the side and left foot in .

So this is very similar to what we did at the beginning .

But when we first did this , we had our hips squared and we were facing directly towards that right leg .

This time , I want you to open up as much as you can .

Now , go ahead and face over towards that right leg and you can fold on down and let's come on up , bring that leg in , we'll switch sides .

So open up as wide as you can .

This time , your right heel is coming in , left leg is stretching open and out .

Try to keep your knee and your toes pointing up to the sky .

Find a side bend first .

So I'm not rolling down .

I'm really trying to roll my right shoulder back .

So I get a big stretch along the side of the body and all the way down my left leg .

And if you see me looking down on the deck , it's because I saw a spider and I'm trying to stay calm .

It's OK .

Nothing wrong with nature .

Now , go ahead and face over towards that right leg and you can fold on down and let's come on up , bring that leg in , we'll switch sides .

So open up as wide as you can .

This time , your right heel is coming in , left leg is stretching open and out .

Try to keep your knee and your toes pointing up to the sky .

Find a side bend first .

So I'm not rolling down .

I'm really trying to roll my right shoulder back .

So I get a big stretch along the side of the body and all the way down my left leg .

And if you see me looking down on the deck , it's because I saw a spider and I'm trying to stay calm .

It's OK .

Nothing wrong with nature .

I'm sure it's more scared of me than I am of it .

Just some of the joys of practicing outside .

Take another big breath here .

Really ?

Let your head be heavy and we'll come all the way up .

You're gonna bring your right hand back behind you .

Same thing .

Left arm swings up and over , lift your hips up as high as they'll go and bringing your hips back down , head to me .

Pose this time .

Let yourself fold forward and down .

There it is .

Again , I'm keeping my eye on it .

It's keeping its distance So it'll be ok and just get a little heavier in this forward fold coming all the way back up .

And let's find Shabana our final resting pose .

If you'd like to skip this because you're worried , you'll fall asleep .

You can just do a seated meditation instead , we'll end up joining you there .

But otherwise it might feel good just to take a few moments .

You might even want to pull your knees and towards your belly .

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Welcome to the Inn today .

I highly recommend that you grab any props that might make you comfortable in these long holding postures to come .

When you're ready , meet me in a seated position on your Mac , cross your ankles , sitting up tall , relax your hands into your lap , gently , close your eyes and release everything you don't need .

As you observe your breath moving in and out through your nose .

Thank you so very much for joining me in this beginner morning yoga practice and joining me here in my backyard .

I hope you enjoyed this class and that you feel really ready for the day ahead .

If you'd like to stay a little longer , you could do this five minute meditation that you see right here .

And before you go , please do subscribe and leave me a comment .

I would love to know what your intention is today .

Thank you so much and maybe I'll see you again tomorrow morning for more morning yoga .