Yin Yoga for Relaxed Mornings

"Mornings don't have to feel rushed. With yin yoga, you can start the day in a slower gear, giving yourself permission to linger, breathe, and gently wake your body. This practice helps release the stiffness that can collect overnight while also bringing calm and balance to your morning. Through passive holds, yin yoga increases flexibility and encourages relaxation. In this 15-minute morning yoga sequence, each posture is held for about a minute."

"Lie on your back. Bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall wide into a diamond shape. Rest one hand on your belly and the other on your heart. Close your eyes and let your body settle into the floor. Breathe into your front body. With each exhalation, soften your jaw and relax your belly. Stay here for 8 breaths, then draw your knees together and roll onto your belly."

"Place your elbows under or slightly in front of your shoulders with your forearms on the floor in Sphinx Pose. Place your palms down or clasp your hands if that feels better. Let your hips and legs be heavy, and widen your feet to about shoulder-width or more. Relax your belly and breathe into the front of the pelvis. Stay here for 8 breaths, then release down onto your belly."

Yin yoga offers a slow morning practice that uses passive holds to release overnight stiffness, increase flexibility, and promote calm. The short sequence requires about 15 minutes, with each posture held roughly one minute; holds can extend to three minutes for a deeper effect. No props are required, though a cushion or folded blanket can add comfort. The sequence includes Reclined Butterfly, Sphinx, Crocodile, Reverse Windshield Wipers, and Child's Pose, focusing on relaxed breathing and surrendering into each shape. Breath awareness, softening the jaw and belly, and allowing the hips and legs to be heavy support relaxation.

Read at Yoga Journal