Wake Up Feeling Tense and Tight? These 15-Minute Morning Stretches Will Help.

"If you're like me, some mornings you feel a little tighter than usual in a way that means you can't go quite as intense on your mat. These 15-minute morning stretches are designed for exactly those mornings. It's pretty much the opposite of a fast-moving, strengthening morning yoga sequence. Instead, you're given a chance to explore a slower approach that's intended as a stretchy, mindful practice to move your body in all the ways you need."

"This flexibility-focused practice takes you through a full-body stretch, so you'll be working on your hips, hamstrings, shoulders, and spine. You'll start reclining with some hip openers and a little twisting before you explore just a couple standing poses. You'll practice flexion, extension, rotation, and side bending. You'll also have the option to intensify some of the stretches, such as expanding a Reclined Twist into Cat Pulling Its Tail."

A gentle 15-minute morning routine emphasizes slow, mindful stretching rather than strengthening. The sequence targets full-body flexibility, including hips, hamstrings, shoulders, and spine. Practice begins reclining with hip openers and gentle twists, then includes a few standing poses to move through flexion, extension, rotation, and side bending. Breath quality is prioritized with slow, steady nasal breathing. Options exist to intensify stretches, for example expanding a Reclined Twist into Cat Pulling Its Tail. The practice is accessible to all experience levels and requires no props, though props may be used if desired.

Read at Yoga Journal