The perfect 5-minute morning yoga routine
Looking to start your day with a little more energy? Us too! To help us beat the morning blues, we asked Paris-based yoga expert Anna Khuade for her tips on incorporating yoga into our daily routine.
The benefits of morning yoga
If you often find yourself lacking energy in the morning, a little physical exercise could help you get going (don’t worry, we’re not talking an all-out 6am cardio session). A short, lightweight yoga routine is great for helping your body go from resting to active in just a few short minutes - ideal if you’re not a fan of hitting the gym first thing. What’s more, its effects on your mental wellbeing can be astonishing. Affordable Yoga & Fitness founder and yoga expert Anna Khaude tells us: “We get our energy from our surroundings - nature, spending time out in the fresh air - and the activities we do can either boost or drain our energy levels. Yoga works by giving us an extra dose of energy, helping us to deal with stressful situations. When practised first thing in the morning, we’re less likely to feel overwhelmed at the thought of facing the day.’”
Anna’s 5-minute morning routine
If you’re new to yoga, Anna recommends beginning your morning with the sun salutation routine, otherwise known as Surya Namaskara.
Beginning in a standing position, raise your arms above your head in a sweeping motion, inhaling as you do so. Bend over and exhale, leaning forward and stretching out your legs on the in breath. Continue as per the steps below with each movement following the breath, pausing for the space of five breaths on steps 5 and 8.
Feel free to complete your routine with a brief guided meditation. Anna recommends finishing with this step in order to fully awaken your mind while allowing your body to rest, adding: “By waking your body up physically, yoga clears and prepares your mind ahead of meditation.”
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