Published on July 27, 2026 at 06:10 AM
One of the best things you can do if you need a boost of energy in the morning is to do some yoga to wake up, especially if you get out of bed feeling stiff. Consider this 10-minute yoga class the energy boost you need.
Class at all levels is done mostly sitting or kneeling, so it’s not too intense in the morning. You’ll go through several simple poses but you can make things more difficult, like swinging your leg into Thread the Needle and twisting into Low Lunge. But most of the time, this type of flow is suitable for beginners – and only takes 10 minutes.
You’ll also practice some positions for your hips and hamstrings, but the main focus is twists and side bends. Keep in mind that you may not have full range of motion early in the morning and that is totally okay.
10 minutes of morning yoga to wake up
There is no savasana in this morning class because it may be tempting to go back to sleep. Instead, you’ll end with child’s pose and, if you choose, a short moment to set the intention.
Seated twist
Sit tall and cross-legged on your mat. Shrug your shoulders down and away from your ears. Keep your spine tall as you place your left hand on your right knee, place your right fingertips on the mat behind you, and turn your chest so that you are facing right. When you pull your right shoulder back, notice how your right hip also wants to move back. Keep it facing forward to isolate the twist in your middle and upper back.
Release the twist slightly so that your right knee and right thigh are facing you. Stay here and walk your hands forward, pushing into your left sit bone to keep it steady as you reach in the opposite direction. So, as your left hip pushes down, your left hand extends away from you, lengthening and extending across your upper body. Don’t worry about how close your chest is to the mat, especially early in the morning. Just think about stretching through the lower back, especially on that left side.
Slowly insert your hands, lift yourself up, and do the same on the other side, first changing the position of crossing your legs.
The cat and the cow
Come on your hands and knees for a few rounds of Cat and Cow. We’ll do a circular version with your hands still under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Then make circles with your tailbone and the crown of your head while arching your back into a cat shape and rounding your back into a cow shape. I like to inhale as the belly drops, round up, and exhale as I move in that downward motion.
Try not to overthink this too much. You’re just trying to find the undulating motion and get into all parts of your spine. Make sure to engage your hips slightly. Then reverse the direction of those circles. Two more are on the side, inhaled and exhaled through the nose. Last one.
Thread the needle
Return to neutral hands and knees. Extend your right arm toward the sky and open it through your chest. Then reach your right arm below you toward the left as your shoulder and ear come down to the mat. Extend your left arm straight ahead toward the front of the mat.
Maybe this is where you want to stay. If you want to challenge yourself, extend your left leg behind you with your toes on the mat.
Stay here or lift your leg off the mat to form a straight diagonal line.
Stay here for 3 breaths, wherever you are in this progression. Then move your left hand down to your shoulder, push it to the ground, and then lift yourself up. Then switch sides.
Downward facing dog
Slide your palms a few inches behind your shoulders, flex your toes, lift your hips up and return to Downward Facing Dog. You can completely bend your knees here and perhaps walk around your feet and turn your head side to side. You want to create space through the back of the legs and along the spine.
Three-legged dog
Extend your right leg toward the sky and bend your knee. Take a big breath here.
Low impulsive development
Step your right foot forward, lower your back knee to the mat, and while inhaling, raise your arms inward Low impulsion. As you exhale, open it towards the right in a twist. So your left arm goes forward and your right arm goes back.
Try to keep your shoulders over your hips. Maybe this is where you want to stay. If you want to move forward, your right hand comes down toward your left thigh, and your left arm extends above your head. If this sounds like a jam in your lower back, just stick with the first option. Stay here for one more breath.
Lift your left hand to the mat and your back knee off the floor.
Lower your back knee to the mat and assume a sitting position.
Seated twist
Cross your right foot over the top of your left thigh and then place it outside your left leg. Hug your right knee toward your chest and wrap your left arm around your right knee. Your right fingertips go to the mat behind you. Think of growing taller with this pose, and at the same time, move your shoulder blades down your back as you turn to the right into the pose. Seated development.
Boat position
Release the twist and as a transition, find the boat. So straighten your legs, cross at the ankles, rock forward, place your hands on the mat, and return to Downward Facing Dog.
Hover tabletop swings
Instead of doing vinyasa, we’ll do something a little different. From Downward Dog, get into the moving tabletop by rolling your shoulders forward and bending your knees so they are slightly lifted off the mat.
Then twist by bringing your knees toward the left and dropping your right hip down. Return through the center and twist in the other direction, bringing your left hip down. Then come back to center and look for Downward Facing Dog, extended long.
Repeats Three-legged dog, low lunge, seated turn, boat pdownward facing dog, and Hover tabletop swings On the other side.
Child’s position
Lower your knees down, big toes together, knees apart, and forehead on the mat in Child’s Pose. These morning classes are a great opportunity to set your intention for the next day. You may ask yourself, what word expresses how I want to feel today? What do you want to focus on? Let it be a simple one-word intention. And just sit still while breathing in and out in child’s pose.
closing
Insert your hands, lift yourself up, and sit on your heels. If that’s not comfortable, sit cross-legged. Pull your shoulders down and away from your ears. If you have that one-word intention, think about it now. Simply stop here.
Thank you so much for doing this short morning yoga to wake up flow with me. I hope these twists and side bends help give you a little energy. If you’ve chosen a one-word intention, leave it below in the comments.
