Do you have sore muscles? Feel stressed out? You need yoga! Yoga is an ancient meditative exercise of the mind and body. It’s the union of mind, body and soul. We find the connection, the union, through mindful thoughts, breathwork, meditation, and physical poses (asanas). There are many benefits to having a regular yoga practice, and you can start right now, for free.
Try this 15 minute yoga routine to energize yourself in the morning when you wake up. Sit by an open window that lets the sunlight in, or take your yoga mat outside, and sit in the grass. I think experiencing nature while doing yoga adds to the relaxing effects. Wear comfortable clothing.
Find a cross-legged seat (easy pose sukhasana), and sit tall with your shoulders back. Breathe in deeply, close your eyes, and try to relax the mind. This is easier said than done, so just focus on the breathing. Breathe in and out. Keep your palms open on the top of your thighs, in a gesture of openness and willingness to receive from the Universe. It’s reciprocal as well, your palms are open in a symbol of offering. What are you willing to receive from the Universe? What will you allow room for? What are you willing to give up or give away of yourself? What can you let go of today?
Set an intention for your day and for your yoga practice. An intention is your will in energetic motion. Let your intention reflect your highest Truth, and highest Divine Self. If you need help with intentions, try Louise Hay’s affirmations. Take a deep breath in, visualize your intention. As you exhale, send your intention out, energetically to the Universe.
Open your eyes. Make a commitment to deep, mindful breathing. Come onto all fours, and find cat, cow spine stretches. Inhale into cow, stretch your heart forward. Exhale into cat, round the spine, tuck your tailbone. Alternate between cat and cow four or five more times, and breathe deeply.
Find downward facing dog and stay here for ten breaths. Work on lengthening your spine upward, lifting the sits bones high, and rooting heels and palms into the earth.
Step to the top of your mat and bring your feet apart hips width distance. Hang your neck and head heavy and fold from the hips into a deep forward fold, uttanasana. Stay here for five breaths, drawing weight forward toward the toes, feeling the stretch in the backs of your hips and hamstrings. Bend your knees as needed to relieve tension in the lower back. Draw hands to hips and as you inhale, slowly roll up to standing. Hands to the heart, anjali mudra, prayer position. Anjali mudra means a sign of an offering, so come back to that intention of offering. Ask yourself, what can I give of myself today in service of others? And how can I display an offering of kindness to myself, in thoughts and deeds? Close your eyes, breathe and reflect. 5 more breaths.
As you inhale sweep arms up to the sky, saluting the sun, in a physical gesture of gratitude to life. As you exhale, swan dive forward with your arms out to either side and fold deeply, uttanasana. Step back into downward facing dog. Repeat this cycle from forward fold, to saluting the sun, and downward facing dog, five more times to complete your sun salutation.
As you finish your cycle and come back to downward facing dog, stay there for five more breaths, then drop to your knees and find a seat, back into Sukhasana, easy pose. We started in the pose and we will end our practice in this pose. Close your eyes, revisit your intention and make a commitment to practicing your yoga in thoughts and in action for the rest of your day. Bring hands back to the heart, anjali mudra, and bow your head, in honor of the divine light within you. Namaste.
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