To practice Yoga is to relinquish control- a rather revolutionary idea in our modern lives. Ironically for some of us, it is the hardest to let go of the control that our comfortable beds command over us when it is time to wake up in the morning. Here we offer some help with a set of Yoga poses you can practice before you get out of the bed, for a perfect pre-start to a great day!

Before you begin, here’s something to remember that could bring more depth to your practice. The basic principle of asanas is to practice it with awareness, joy and stability without overdoing it. The stretch in each pose should be comfortable.

1.Lord Of Dance Pose or Natrajasana 

Lord of Dance pose or Natrajasana improves the flexibility of your spine and digestion.

Benefits of Natrajasana

• Good for ribs and lungs.
• It exercises the large intestine. The asana normalizes bowel movement and does not let toxins get built up in the system.
• Relaxes the mind along with the body.

2.Cross legged easy Pose or Sukhasana 

Sukha in Sanskrit translates to joy. All that you need to do here is, cross your legs, close your eyes and breathe in the morning freshness with awareness.

Benefits of Sukhasana

• Loosens up the hip joint.
• Lengthens the spine.
• Helps you settle in for the day within your inner self

3.Alternate Nostril Breathing technique or Nadi shodhan Pranayama

Alternate nostril breathing channelizes the life force through the different energy channels of your body and tunes up the nervous system while activating the vagus nerve, which is also called the wellness nerve.

Benefits of alternate nostril breathing

• It increases the tidal volume of our respiratory system
• Brings the mind to the present moment, raising our awareness and harnesses the life force.
• Helps harmonize the left and right hemispheres of the brain
• Balances body temperature

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Child Pose or Balasana

This pose releases the stress and tightness from the body, leaving you feeling fresh and energized.

Benefits Of Child Pose

• Leads to deeper exhalations
• Creates sufficient space in the spinal vertebrae and improves blood circulation to all nerves.
• Forward bends massage your internal organs like abdomen, kidney, and liver and help you to exhale completely, thus calming your mind.

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)For those who sleep on the back for the most part of the night, the cobra pose can feel really relaxing. This is an easy stretch for the back but do not push too hard while trying to come up high. It feels relaxing especially if you are used to sleeping on your back.

Benefits of Cobra pose 

• Stretches the spine.
• Strengthens the arms, forearms, shoulders, wrists, and hands.
• Opens up heart and lungs.
• Relieves stress and fatigue.
• Soothes sciatica.
• Firms the buttocks.

After this sequence, you are ready to take on your day. Some prefer to top this up with a wonderful spiritual recharging with a practice in the form of Sudarshan Kriya, a powerful rhythmic breathing exercise that provides you with the clarity of mind and Prana or life force to take the day and its challenges head on!.

It is important to learn and practice yoga postures under the supervision of a trained Sri Sri Yoga teacher.