10-minute morning routine

The sequence

1. Mountain Pose · 40 seconds. Feet planted. Take one slower breath than the one you woke up with.
2. Standing Forward Fold · 35 seconds. Knees bent.
3. Halfway Lift · 25 seconds. Lengthen, then you will step back.
4. Downward-Facing Dog · 40 seconds. Hips high, knees soft.
5. Low Lunge · 30 seconds. Right foot forward, back knee down.
6. Warrior II · 35 seconds. Right foot forward. If coming from the lunge, lift the back knee and open the arms.
7. Low Lunge · 30 seconds. Left foot forward.
8. Warrior II · 35 seconds. Left side. Front knee bent, arms reach.
9. Chair Pose · 35 seconds. Both feet together at the top of the mat.
10. Tree Pose · 30 seconds. Right foot standing. Use a wall.
11. Tree Pose · 30 seconds. Left foot standing.
12. Cobra Pose · 30 seconds. A small lift on the belly, or come straight to Child’s Pose if getting down is awkward.
13. Child’s Pose · 40 seconds. Rest the head.
14. Bridge Pose · 40 seconds. A small hip lift.
15. Corpse Pose · 125 seconds. Two quiet minutes. Roll to the side to sit up.

If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.

10-minute morning routine is a 10-minute practice written from the pose pages on this site. Standing poses, a short Dog, and Tree by the wall. Enough to feel awake, short enough to do before breakfast. The player above is a timer and a list of cues. It is not a video class, and it is not next to an advertisement. Use the written sequence under the player if you would rather read than watch a clock.

The opening cues include: Feet planted. Take one slower breath than the one you woke up with; Knees bent; Lengthen, then you will step back. Follow the seconds as a suggestion. If a pose says to stay and your knee or your breath disagrees, come out early. Pausing the timer is part of using it correctly. You do not earn the practice by finishing a number.

Nothing in this routine is offered as a treatment. A short practice may help an ordinary stiff day, a loud afternoon, or the few minutes before sleep, depending on which routine you opened. It does not cure back pain, insomnia, anxiety, or an injury. If you are pregnant, hurt, or unsure whether a shape is appropriate, consult a doctor first. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, chest pain, or dizziness.

Read the pose page linked from any line you have not tried. The safety note there is more specific than this overview. Then come back and do the shorter version if the full 10 minutes is more than you wanted. A shorter honest practice is the one worth repeating.

10-minute morning routine stays inside this site’s pose library. The minutes on the page are a ceiling, not a target you have to hit. Come out of a shape early, use the modification on the pose page, and leave the last cue for another day if you want. The practice counts when it is calm enough to repeat, including a practice you cut in half.