Incorporating some yoga into your morning work-out can be very beneficial.
As a warm-up before your work-out:
1. Surya Namaskar A - Do one complete sun salutation A, holding each position for 5-9 slow breaths.
- Tadasana - mountain pose with arms extended overhead. Take your time to ground all four corners of the feet before you extend and lift your arms mindfully.
- Standing forward bend - folding by hinging at the hips, then place your hands on the ankles, on blocks beside the feet, holding the back of the ankles, or on the floor. By slightly shifting the weight forward, you will be able to bend deeper.
- Flat back - hands are on the ankles, blocks or floor. Be sure to engage the uddiyana banda, or energy lock, by engaging your core, lifting your belly button up towards the spine.
- Step back into downward dog, keeping the heels off the floor and pressing downwards with the heels. Keep the spine flat, lifting the ribcage to keep the back straight.
- Move into plank, with the hands spread open like the rays of the sun, wrists stacked under shoulders, and engaging the core.
- Drop on to your belly, forearms hugging the body, and lift into sphinx. Or place your hands on the mat, fingertips in line with the shoulders, and lift yourself into cobra, opening the chest and making fingers the shoulders back, looking upwards. Or come into upward dog, with knees and hips off the mat.
- Push yourself back into downward dog.
- Return to flat back, standing forward bend, and back up to tadasana, finishing with your palms together in front of your heart centre.
2. Surya Namaskar B - in this variation hold each position for 5-9 slow breaths.
- Repeat Surya Namaskar A to downward dog.
- Warrior A - Turning the left foot outward, step forward with the right foot. Place your hands on your hips and square the hips with the front of the mat. Bend the front leg, and lift the arms overhead, following the hands with your gaze, or dristi. Hold for 5-9 breaths.
- Warrior B - Lower your hands so that your arms are extended at shoulder height, and open up the left hip slightly. Hold for 5-9 breaths.
- Step back into downward dog and hold for 5-9 breaths.
- Repeat Warrior A and B on the left side.
- Finish by moving from downward dog back to flat back, standing forward bend, and tadasana.
As stretching and relaxation after your workout:
1. Paschimottanasana or seated forward bend - sit with your legs extended in front of you, with a straight back. Sit on your sitz bones. You might find it helpful to sit on the edge of a folded blanket, block or rolled up towel. Place a belt on your feet, and hold the belt with bent elbows as you fold forward with a flat back, hinging at the hips. Hold for at least 15 breaths. This will help stretch the calves.
2. Baddha Konasana or reclined butterfly - place a bolster or two folded blankets lengthwise on the mat. Sit in front of this, with the soles of the feet together, and lie back down on the bolster so that your upper chest is open. You may place a small pillow on the bolster or blankets to raise the head slightly if you wish. Put a folded blanket or block under each bent leg so the legs aren’t floating in the air. If you wish, you can put a yoga belt around your lower back, then above your thighs, and under your feet, tying relatively tightly. Hold for 5 minutes or longer.
