Morning Yoga Routine: 10 Minutes to Start Your Day Right

You don't need an hour-long class to enjoy yoga. Ten minutes each morning is enough to loosen up after a night's sleep, take time to breathe and start the day with a clearer head. This routine works for beginners and regular practitioners alike: every pose can be adapted to your level.

Before you start

A couple of minutes of preparation makes the session far more enjoyable:

• Find a clear space: an area the size of your mat, with a little room for your arms, is plenty.
• Roll out your mat the night before: no more excuses when the alarm goes off.
• Practise on an empty stomach or after a glass of water: breakfast can wait ten minutes.
• Keep your props within reach: two cork yoga blocks and a yoga strap let you adapt the poses while your body is still stiff.

Breathe through your nose throughout the session, without forcing it, and never chase pain: a stretch should always feel comfortable.

1. Seated breathing (1 minute)

Sit cross-legged, on the edge of a block if your lower back tends to round. Rest your hands on your knees and lengthen the back of your neck. Breathe in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 6. Making the exhale longer than the inhale helps you settle and focus on the session ahead.

2. Cat-cow (1 minute)

Come onto all fours, hands under shoulders and knees under hips. As you inhale, arch your back and lift your gaze; as you exhale, round your spine and tuck your chin. Move through about ten rounds, slowly, in time with your breath.

3. Downward dog (1 minute 30)

From all fours, tuck your toes and push your hips up towards the ceiling. Keep your knees bent if the backs of your legs feel tight: a long spine matters more than heels on the floor. Pedal your feet gently, bending one knee then the other, to wake up your calves.

4. Low lunge (1 minute per side)

Step your right foot forward between your hands and lower your left knee to the mat, on a folded towel if needed. Rest your hands on blocks to keep your chest lifted, then raise your arms overhead if your balance allows. Stay for 5 breaths, then switch sides.

5. Warrior II (1 minute per side)

Stand with your feet about a metre apart. Turn your right foot towards the front of the mat, bend your right knee over your ankle and stretch your arms out at shoulder height. Gaze over your right hand. Hold for 30 seconds, release, repeat, then switch sides.

6. Standing forward fold (1 minute 30)

With your feet hip-width apart, fold forward with a slight bend in your knees. If your hands don't reach the floor, rest them on the blocks or loop the strap around the soles of your feet to keep your back long. Let your head hang heavy and relax your neck and shoulders.

7. Child's pose (1 minute)

Come back to your knees, big toes touching, and sit back on your heels. Stretch your upper body forward, forehead resting on the mat or on a block. Breathe into your back for a minute before slowly coming up.

Adapt the routine to your level

• Stiff in the morning: use the blocks and strap every time, and keep your knees soft.
• Want more of a challenge: add three sun salutations between downward dog and the low lunge.
• Short on time: keep just the breathing, cat-cow and child's pose. Three minutes beats nothing at all.

Mistakes to avoid

• Holding your breath in the more demanding poses.
• Forcing yourself to touch the floor or get your heels down.
• Rushing through it: morning yoga is a wake-up, not a race.

Make it a habit

Practise at the same time and in the same spot for three weeks. Tick off each session in a notebook or on a calendar: watching your streak grow is a great motivator. After a few days, these ten minutes will become something you won't want to skip.