20-Minute Morning Yoga for the Full-Body Stretch That You Need

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Those days when you wake up with tension, tightness, or stiffness anywhere in your body, this 20-minute morning yoga session can bring you relief. The all-levels, full-body practice is designed to stretch you literally from head to toe, beginning with your chest and shoulders and a few back bends, some twists, and a couple standing poses that get into the hips and legs.

There’s nothing that requires a lot of effort or strength from you first thing in the morning. And rest assured, this slow flow flexibility practice includes options so you can follow along no matter if you have any experience with yoga.

Try moving slowly and mindfully and focusing on how you’re feeling in your body throughout this 20-minute morning yoga session. Think of this full-body stretching and strengthening practice as giving yourself permission to do less and become more present with yourself before you continue with the day.

20-Minute Morning Yoga for a Full-Body Stretch

The poses in this practice don’t require props, such as blocks, although you’re welcome to use anything that helps you feel supported.

Shoulder Stretch

Begin lying on your belly. Extend your left arm straight out to the side and adjust your hand so it’s more at head height than shoulder height. Push your right hand against the floor and roll onto your left hip, shoulder, and ear. You’re looking for a stretch along your left arm and into the chest. You can bend your knees and, if you’d like to intensify the stretch, step your right foot behind you in initiate a twist. The more you twist, the more sensation you’ll feel. Try to relax your neck and shoulders. Find some slow, steady breaths in and out through your nose.

Lower yourself back to the mat.

Sphinx Pose

Straighten your legs behind you and come onto your forearms, palms flat on the mat, in a backbend. Roll your shoulders back and lift through your chest in Sphinx Pose (Bhujangasana). Think of almost pushing into your pubic bone to lengthen your tailbone toward your heels. Also push into the tops of your feet, focusing on creating length through the spine. You can slide your forearms further away from you and lower your chest slightly to find the intensity you need.

Switch sides and repeat your shoulder stretch. You might notice that one side is a little tighter than the other.

Seal Pose

Straighten your legs behind you and either practice Sphinx Pose again or bring your palms on the mat, prop yourself onto your fingertips, push into the feet, and inhale as you lift your chest for a slightly deeper backbend in Seal Pose. If you feel any tension or pinching in your lower back, you’ve lifted yourself too high so bend your elbows and lower your chest slightly.

Exhale as you release yourself back to the mat.

Child’s Pose

Press back into Child’s Pose (Balasana), big toes together and knees as wide as you’d like. As you push your hips back toward your heels, lengthen your arms forward and release your chest toward the mat. Think of sliding your shoulder blades down your back. Breathe here.

Upper Body Stretch

Walk your hands toward you, lift your chest, and sit back on your heels. Bring your knees hip-width apart, take your hands behind you, bend your elbows, and squeeze your shoulder blades as you try to touch your elbows behind you. Lift your chest in a stretch for your upper body.

Tiger Pose

Come to Tabletop, bend your right knee, and kick your right heel toward the ceiling as you lower your belly, arch your back, and lift your gaze.

Hold here or reach your left hand back and grab hold of your right ankle and kick your foot into your palm to deepen the back bend. You’ll feel a stretch through the shoulder and also through your right hip flexor. If you’re holding onto your foot, release it and slowly lower your left hand to the mat.

Low Lunge

As lightly as possible, step your right foot forward toward the top of the mat in between your hands in a Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana). Push into your foot, inhale, and lift your chest as you lengthen through the spine.

Low Lunge Twist

Bring your hands together at your heart and initiate a twist to the right.

Stay here or bring your left elbow to your right knee and press to rotate a little more and maybe sink your hips a little bit lower. Think of rolling your right shoulder back. Feel the length through your spine.

Warrior 2

Release your hands to the mat, framing your front foot. Look down to help with balance, tuck your back toes, lift your back knee off the mat, and spin your back heel almost parallel to the short edge of the mat. Lift into Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana II), palms facing down. Bend into your right knee, squeezing your knee open toward the right. At the same time, pull your left shoulder back.

Triangle Pose

Straighten your right leg and narrow your stance a little. Your hips are going to move back and you’re going to reach your right arm forward until you find resistance. Then lower your right hand to your shin or a block and reach your left arm up in Triangle Pose (Triangle Pose). Roll your left shoulder back. Stay with your breath.

Quad Stretch

Look down at the mat, bend your right knee, and bring both hands to the inside of your right foot as you lower yourself into a runner’s lunge. Inch your right foot toward the edge of the mat. Your left knee comes down to the mat and you’ll probably need to wiggle your left foot further back for this wider variation of Low Lunge. You can add your quad stretch from here by circling your right hand all the way back, bending your left knee, and seeing if you can pull your left heel toward you. You’re not trying to lift your hips to meet your foot. Instead, you’re trying to keep your hips down and bring your foot toward you. Keep pushing into your big right toe to accentuate the stretch in the hip flexors and quads.

Downward-Facing Dog

Release your back foot and bring both hands to the mat. Either come straight into Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) or first take your flow as you inhale into Plank Pose, exhale as you lower down with control into Chaturanga, inhale as you find your backbend in Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana), and exhale as you find Downward-Facing Dog.

Peddle out your feet by bending alternating legs, with one knee bent and the other one straight, trying to encourage your heels to reach toward the mat in your first Downward Dog of the day. It’s perfectly fine to have bent knees. Your legs do not need to be straight and your heels do not need to be touching the mat.

Lower your knees to the mat, coming into Tabletop and repeat Tiger, Low Lunge, Warrior 2, Triangle, Quad Stretch, and Vinyasa on your other side.

Reclined Pigeon

From Downward Dog, bring your knees to the mat and lower onto your back. With your feet flat on the floor, cross your right ankle over your left knee in a figure-4 shape and then reach your arms on either side of your left thigh and hold onto your shin or back of your thigh and draw it toward you in Reclined Pigeon. You want to use just enough effort so you’re holding your leg in place but not any more.Try to keep your head and shoulders on the mat. stretching through the glutes and hips, using only a little arm strength and not straining yourself. Relax through your facial muscles and your jaw.

Reclined Twist

Maintain the figure-four shape as you let your left foot come back flat on the mat and lower your legs over toward the left side of the mat. Maintaining that same shape, use your left hand to push your right thigh away from you so your knee reaches toward the ceiling. Reach your right arm out to the side and anchor down through your right shoulder. This creates a twist as well as a stretch for the IT band, which can be a difficult part of the body to access and stretch. Keep breathing into your belly.

Savasana

Draw your knees toward your belly and then straighten your legs and your arms in Savasana. Linger here for a minimum of 10 breaths or so, letting your body settle and letting your mind settle.

Take 3 more deep breaths here and then move into your fingers and toes. Reach your arms overhead as you lengthen and roll over onto one side, push your hands into the ground, and lift yourself up before you sit in any way that is comfortable for your hips and for your lower back, sitting up tall, bringing your palms together at the front of the chest. Close your eyes and take another moment to show yourself some gratitude for doing something for yourself this morning, for your well-being, before continuing with your day. Thank you for practicing this 20-minute morning yoga session with me.

Practice More Morning Yoga

Sometimes a short morning yoga practice can help you make it through your week in ways that nothing else can.
We have plenty of options for you to rely on…

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