Do you get up in the morning feeling and looking like a zombie? Your hair looks like it’s never been washed, you limp to the bathroom (dragging one foot) because sleeping makes you sore, your face is discolored (especially under the eyes where your skin is extra saggy), your eyes are bloodshot from lack of sleep, all you can think about is the meal that will break your fast because you’ve been searching for raw flesh for quite some time . . . Oh, sorry you’re not actually a zombie. You just look like one. Don’t worry; you won’t look like a zombie for long. Do these yoga stretches every morning to help you feel refreshed—even if you didn’t get a good night’s rest. Note: If you need help balancing during any of these poses, try using the Chirp Wheel+ for balance or for guidance while stretching.
1. Mountain pose
How to do the pose: This stretch will help you get rid of that zombie hunchback. Stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Tilt your pelvis backwards. Push your feet into the ground as you simultaneously raise your arches and toes. Reach up to the sky, arching your back, reaching up as high as you can. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Inhale on the way up and exhale on the way down. Doing this pose will improve your posture and strengthen your thighs, knees, ankles, abdomen, and buttocks. It’s a great warm-up and cool-down pose.
Benefits of the pose:
- Corrects poor posture
- Improves balance and spinal agility
- Increases flexibility in thighs, ankles, and other joints
- Tones hips, abdomen, arms
2. Downward-facing dog
How to do the pose: This pose will help you stretch out your back and legs (to fix that zombie limp you have in the morning), while energizing and rejuvenating the entire body. It will also help you stretch out your hamstrings, shoulders, calves, arches, hands, and spine while building strength throughout your body. Because this stretch is considered a mild inversion it can relieve headaches, insomnia, fatigue, and stress. There are a lot of other benefits too. To do this pose, start on your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Spread your fingers wide and exhale as you tuck your toes, lifting your knees off the floor. Reach your pelvis up toward the sky as you gently begin to straighten your legs. Do not lock your knees. Imagine that your body is the shape of the letter A and your hips and thighs are being pulled upwards. Keep your head between your shoulders. If you aren’t very flexible, you can try bending one knee and a time to focus stretching one leg.
Benefits of the pose:
- Brings energy throughout your body
- Stretches your hands, shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and arches of your feet
- Strengthens your legs, arms, and back
- Relieves symptoms of menopause and menstrual discomfort
- Calms stress
- Improves digestion
- Relieves back pain, headaches, insomnia, and fatigue
- Beneficial for those with high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica, and sinusitis
3. Twisted lunge
How to do the pose: From Downward-Facing Dog, you can go right into this pose by stepping your right foot forward into a lunge in between your hands. This is the first big step to help you escape your zombie self. Make sure your left hand is directly under your left shoulder, and then twist your body to the right, lifting your right hand to the sky. Turn your head so you’re looking up to the sky. Bring your weight to your feet and bring your hands together at your chest to complete the pose, with your bottom elbow on the outside of your knee. Hold this position for 30 seconds or longer. To exit the pose, release your hands, untwist your body, and go back into Downward-Facing Dog. Then try the pose on the opposite side. From this pose, you could go into a high lunge by lifting your body up and reaching both hands up to the sky (an extra pose for you that could help strengthen your core). The twisted lunge improves your stamina and balance. It can help awaken your spine and back muscles, relieving back pain. This pose also improves concentration and helps with mental focus.
Benefits of the pose:
- Strengthens your spinal muscles, hips, buttocks, and legs
- Increases energy and blood flow throughout your body
- Helps with digestion and metabolism
- Improves posture
- Tones your abs
- Detoxifies organs
4. Child’s pose
How to do the pose: Start on your hands and knees. Bring your feet together so that your big toes are touching and spread your knees. On an exhale, bend backwards so that your buttocks rests on your ankles, and reach your hands forward, letting your head rest on the ground. It’s like you’re now hiding from the zombie inside of you. This pose will help to stretch your hips, thighs, and ankles. It also reduces stress and fatigue by relaxing the muscles on the top half of your body while simultaneously stretching the muscles on the bottom half of your body.
Benefits of the pose:
- Relieves dizziness and fatigue
- Releases tension in your shoulders, back, and chest
- Reduces stress
- Lengthens the spine
- Relieves upper back pain, lower back pain, and neck pain
- Stretches lower body muscles: hips, thighs, ankles, knees
- Calms your mind and relaxes tense muscles
- Normalizes breathing and circulation
5. Forward fold
How to do the pose: This pose stretches some of the muscles you just worked. Sit down with your legs in front of you and your feet together. Reach up to the sky and then forward to touch your toes. If you can’t quite reach, just keep trying every day. You can also try this pose while standing to have gravity help you relax toward your feet. This pose helps to reduce stress and when done while standing, it opens up your shoulders and chest.
Benefits of the pose:
- Stretches and strengthens your hips, hamstrings, calves, thighs, and knees
- Increases spinal flexibility and strength
- Reduces stress by relieving tension in the spin, neck, and back
- Strengthens your abs
- Helps reduce symptoms of asthma, headaches, insomnia, and menopause
- Beneficial for those with poor digestion, high blood pressure, and more
By now, you should feel refreshed and ready for the day—not anything like a zombie.
Need more ideas on how to feel refreshed? Check out this post on how to use the Chirp Wheel.
References
CNY Healing Arts. (2010, November 8). The health benefits of balasana (child’s pose). Retrieved from https://www.cnyhealingarts.com/the-health-benefits-of-balasana-childs-pose/
CNY Healing Arts. (2011, March 14). The health benefits of uttanasana (standing forward bend pose). Retrieved from https://www.cnyhealingarts.com/the-health-benefits-of-uttanasana-standing-forward-bend-pose/
NDTV. (2016, August 23). How to do tadasana (mountain pose): steps and benefits. Retrieved from https://food.ndtv.com/health/tadasana-the-art-of-balancing-your-body-1420167
Rines, D. (2017, June). 7 yoga poses to wake you up. Retrieved from https://www.reebok.com/us/blog/302053-7-yoga-poses-to-wake-you-up
YJ Editors. (2019, January 7). Downward-facing dog. Retrieved from https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/downward-facing-dog
Yoga Magazine. (2003). Revolved crescent lunge. Retrieved from https://yogamagazine.com/revolved-crescent-lunge/