Morning Yoga Flow

Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Place your wrists directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Spread your fingers wide and press evenly into the mat. Begin with your spine in a neutral, flat position.

1. Inhale — drop your belly toward the floor, lift your chest and tailbone toward the ceiling, and let your gaze travel forward and slightly up. This is cow.
2. Exhale — round your spine toward the ceiling, tuck your chin toward your chest, and draw your tailbone down. This is cat. Flow between the two with the rhythm of your breath.

• Let the breath lead the shape; one full inhale per cow, one full exhale per cat.
• Press the mat away from you on both halves so your shoulders stay supported.
• Keep your wrists and knees stationary — the movement lives in the spine and ribs, not the arms.

Start on your hands and knees with your wrists slightly ahead of your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Spread your fingers wide, press evenly into the mat, and tuck your toes under.

1. Inhale — press firmly into your hands and lift your knees away from the floor.
2. Exhale — send your hips up and back, straightening your legs toward an inverted V and reaching your chest toward your thighs.
3. Press the floor away, lengthen your spine, and let your heels settle toward the floor. Hold the position, breathing steadily.
4. To exit, bend your knees and lower back to your hands and knees.

• Press the mat firmly away to lengthen your spine and keep your shoulders broad.
• Bend your knees as much as you need so your back can stay long.
• Spread your weight evenly through all ten fingers, especially the thumb and index sides.
• Let your heels reach toward the floor without needing to touch it.

Stand tall at the front of your mat in Mountain Pose, with your feet together or hip-width apart and your weight even across both feet. Let your arms rest by your sides and lengthen up through the crown of your head. Take a steady breath here before you begin.

1. Inhale — sweep your arms out and overhead, lengthening your whole body toward the ceiling and letting your gaze travel gently up.
2. Exhale — hinge from your hips and fold forward over your legs, letting your hands travel toward the floor or your shins.
3. Inhale — lift your chest halfway to a flat back, lengthening your spine with your fingertips on your shins or the floor.
4. Exhale — step or float back to a high plank, then lower toward the floor with control, hugging your elbows in toward your ribs.
5. Inhale — roll onto the tops of your feet, straighten your arms, and lift your chest into an upward-facing dog, or press back through a low cobra.
6. Exhale — tuck your toes and press your hips up and back into a downward-facing dog; hold for a few steady breaths, then step your feet forward and rise on an inhale to return to standing.

• Let one breath carry each movement — inhale to open and lengthen, exhale to fold and lower.
• Soften your knees in the forward fold so the hinge comes from your hips, not a rounded spine.
• In plank, keep your body in one long line from crown to heels, and lower only as far as you can control.
• Press the floor away in downward-facing dog to keep your shoulders broad and your spine long.

From standing, step your left foot back a stride and turn it out to about 45 degrees, pressing the outer edge into the floor. Your right foot points straight forward. Square your hips toward the front of the mat.

1. Inhale — bend your right knee toward a right angle, stacking it over your ankle, and lengthen up through your spine.
2. Exhale — ground both feet and draw your left hip forward to square your pelvis toward the front of the mat.
3. Inhale — sweep your arms overhead, reaching up through your fingertips with your palms facing each other. Hold the position, breathing steadily.
4. Exhale — straighten your front leg, turn, and repeat on the other side.

• Keep your front knee tracking over your middle toes, not collapsing inward.
• Press the outer edge of your back foot down to keep the back leg strong.
• Draw your lower ribs in so your lower back stays long.
• Relax your shoulders down even as your arms reach up.

Stand with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot to point straight forward and angle your left foot slightly in. Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height with your palms facing down.

1. Inhale — lengthen up through your spine and reach actively out through both fingertips.
2. Exhale — bend your right knee toward a right angle, stacking it over your ankle, and sink your hips.
3. Turn your head to gaze out over your front hand. Hold the position, breathing steadily.
4. Inhale — straighten your front leg, then turn your feet and repeat on the other side.

• Keep your front knee tracking toward your middle toes.
• Stack your shoulders directly over your hips rather than leaning toward the front leg.
• Reach out through both arms so your chest stays broad.
• Sink your hips as low as feels stable while keeping your torso upright.

Stand tall in Mountain Pose with your feet hip-width apart. Shift your weight onto your left foot and find a steady point to gaze at on the floor or wall ahead of you.

1. Inhale — bend your right knee and turn it out to the side, drawing the sole of your right foot to your left ankle, calf, or inner thigh, avoiding the knee itself.
2. Exhale — press your lifted foot and standing leg into each other and bring your palms together in front of your chest.
3. Inhale — if you feel steady, reach your arms overhead, framing your head. Hold the position, breathing steadily.
4. Exhale — release your foot back to the floor and repeat on the other side.

• Press the lifted foot and the standing leg firmly into each other to steady the pose.
• Keep your hips level and squared toward the front.
• Fix your gaze on one still point to help you balance.
• Rest the foot above or below the knee, never directly on the joint.

Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees. Bring your big toes together and let your knees fall wider than your hips.

1. Exhale — sink your hips back toward your heels, lowering your torso between your thighs.
2. Walk your hands forward and rest your forehead on the floor or on stacked fists. Hold for the prescribed duration, breathing steadily.
3. To exit, inhale and walk your hands back toward your knees.

• Let your hips travel toward your heels. If they don't reach, place a folded blanket between your hips and heels for support.
• Keep your arms either active or relaxed by your sides — either works. Pick what feels better today.
• Breathe into your back; feel the ribs widen on each inhale.