10-minute morning vinyasa yoga without planks, dogs or chaturanga

This 10-minute hands-free morning yoga practice is a full-body class without any weight-bearing poses. So, if you have any kind of wrist sensitivity, this is perfect for you as there is no table top, no downward dog, no planks, no chaturanga, no dogs, and no weight bearing in your hands of any kind. It is designed to provide as much stamina, endurance, strengthening and balance as you would get from a regular vinyasa class but without any actual vinyasa.

Many hands-free practices involve sitting and lying down positions, through which you move slowly so that there is no pressure on the hands, arms and wrists. There is definitely more dynamic and challenging movement in this practice. It’s designed for those times when you want to take it easy on your wrists but still want to practice full body flow through standing, sitting, reclining positions, everything.

10-minute hands-free morning yoga (no plank, down dog, or chaturanga)

The entire focus of this 10-minute morning yoga practice is to avoid stress on your wrists and hands.

The cat and the cow are sitting

Start by kneeling, then sit until you are resting on your heels. Bring your arms in front of you, bend your elbows, and press your shoulders down and away from your ears. As you inhale, lift your chest, arch your back, and press your shoulder blades behind you into a slightly bent position while sitting. Cow pose. Keep your elbows up.

As you exhale, round your back, bring your forearms together, and pull your chin toward your chest Cat pose.

Continue in and out of these two poses, trying to bring the movement to the upper back, mid-back and lower back, while also focusing on stretching through the biceps and chest.

Dynamic sentence mode

Return to center and rest your arms at your sides. Inhale as you press yourself into a kneeling position, lifting your hips off your heels and leaning back slightly as you look up Camel pose. Press your hips forward.

Exhale as you bend forward, sending your hips back and sweeping your arms behind you.

Repeat this a few more times, inhaling to lift and exhaling to reach behind you, warming up through your quads. Think about pressing your hips forward whenever you lift.

Low side bend for lunge

Place your hands on your hips to help with balance and then move your left foot forward toward the top of the mat. Align your knee over your ankle, and lengthen your tailbone down, keeping your lower abdomen engaged. Low impulsion. Reach your right arm next to your head. Then extend your right arm toward the left in a lateral body stretch.

Low impulsive development

Extend your right arm toward the front of the mat and your left arm toward the back of the mat in a twisting motion. Keep your chest up so that your shoulders are over your hips.

Face forward again and extend your arms up this time. Let your hips drop down and forward, perhaps adding a slight backward bend as you press your palms together and move your gaze upward.

Half split

Place your hands on your hips and straighten your left leg as much as possible. Bend your front foot, locking it at the hips, then lean forward with your chest in Half splits. I like to roughly press into the mat with my left heel to help with balance.

Warrior 2

Then bend to your front knee, put your back toes under it, and lift your back knee off the mat. Step your right foot parallel to the shorter edge of the mat and reach your arms straight out, palms facing down. Warrior 2. Consider pressing your left knee toward the left a little more. This is another pose where we tend to lean forward, but keep your shoulders over your hips.

The opposite of warrior

Lower your right hand to your back thigh and reach your left arm next to your head while leaning back into a lateral body stretch while doing so. The opposite of warrior.

Triangle position

Stay in this side bend, even as you straighten your left leg. Then enter Triangle position Reach your left arm all the way forward and then all the way down your front leg. Your right arm extends toward the sky. You can alternatively do this with your hands on your hips, if you prefer. Breathe here.

High rush

Inhale as you use your core strength to lift yourself upright. Then lift your back heel off the mat and rotate to face forward High rush.

Exhale as you hinge forward and lean toward the front of the mat.

Repeat the dynamic high lunge two more times. So, inhale, exhale, and lean forward.

The final time you lean forward, hold here and lower your right knee to the mat, then return to the starting position with both knees on the mat. Repeat the dynamic camel pose, and when you lift up for the last time, move your right foot forward to the top of the mat and repeat these poses on the other side. Hold here until you can bring your left knee down, bring your right foot back, and then lift it up

Child’s position

Let’s go in Child’s position From here, bring your big toes together and your knees as wide as you want. As you press your hips back and stick your hands out in front of you, release your forehead toward the mat.

This is an opportunity to ask yourself, what your intention is for the day ahead, and what you want to focus on, perhaps by choosing one word to focus your focus on.

Seated twist

Lift yourself back up, swing your legs straight out in front of you, and come to a sitting position. Bend your right knee, place your right foot on top of your left thigh, then place your foot on the mat, and think about raising it a little taller. Then turn to the right and wrap your left arm around your right leg in an A shape Seated development. Look toward the back of the rug. Release and then switch sides.

Boat position

Return to center, raise your legs with your knees bent, and extend your arms forward Boat position.

You’re welcome to hold on to the back of your thighs for extra support or perhaps straighten your legs to increase the intensity. Stay here for a few breaths.

Butterfly position or restricted angle

Bring your feet to the mat, bend your knees out to the side, and bring the soles of your feet together. Make this a passive forward bend by allowing your back to naturally round as you fold forward into the butterfly or Restricted angle positionLet gravity do the work for you. You want to feel a stretch along your spine and through your inner thighs.

So when we practice in the morning and cultivate that sense of calm and presence, it’s something we can carry with us throughout the day, even when things are busy or not going as planned. We use these practices to stay grounded, to remind ourselves that we can always come back to our breath, and to learn to be in the present moment. Before you come out of this pose, remind yourself of your intention.

closing

Take your time as you slowly raise yourself up and sit down in whatever way is comfortable for your hips and lower back. Sit nice and tall, with your shoulders back, and think about that one-word intention, whatever it is for you. You can repeat this internally several times, and it is something you can remind yourself of throughout the day.

Thank you for trying this 10-Minute Hands-Free Morning Yoga flow with me. I hope this helps you feel ready to start your day.