5 Yoga Stretches to Prepare Your Body for Morning Meditation
If you’re lucky enough to wake up feeling bright, refreshed, and tension-free in your body, you might already feel ready to dive right into your morning meditation. For those days when we need a little extra help — like when dealing with soreness after a workout, the wrong sleep position, or a long and stressful week — a few key stretches are just what we need to set us off on the right path.
If you’re a morning meditator (or would like to be one), try Alo Moves yoga instructor Caley Alyssa’s perfect five-move sequence to prepare your body for your meditation. These five stretches will help release tension, reduce soreness, and prevent any physical distractions from getting in the way of your morning meditation session.
Caley Alyssa’s 5 Yoga Stretches to Prepare for Meditation
1.
cat-cow with breath
Starting on all fours, inhale to drop your belly and lift your heart forward. Exhale to tuck your chin and round your spine. Continue flowing and feeling your full breath, noticing all the tension releasing from your spine.
2.
flowing side stretch
Starting in a cross-legged seat, stretch your right arm out to the right side and wave your left arm overhead to the right. Ground your hips down and right arm down, and switch sides, continuing to flow back and forth. Switch the cross of your ankles and repeat the side-to-side flow to stretch out your side body.
3.
body circles
Also known as Sufi Grinds, these Body Circles will free your hips and spine and increase your mobility. Sitting in a cross-legged position, tuck your chin and round your spine. Aiming to draw a full circle with your spine, start to move your torso to the left, opening your chest and lifting your chin as your draw forward. Move to the right to complete the circle and draw your chin back toward your chest in the starting position. Take a few fluid circles in that same direction, then switch the cross of your legs and repeat the circles in the other direction.
4.
seated cat-cow
Come back to the cross-legged position with your hands resting on your knees. Take a deep breath in, then exhale to tuck your chin and round your spine. On an inhale, press your heart forward and gaze up. Exhale and return to the rounded spine position. Repeat for a few more rounds to work out any remaining spinal tension.
5.
neck circles
Finally, in your seated position, drop your chin to your chest and draw a circle with your nose in one direction, letting your head gently drop back at the top of the circle. After a few circles in one direction, switch sides.
Now that you’re nice and open, ease right into your morning meditation of choice. We suggest Caley Alyssa’s Brain Food series, which has meditations for everything from morning intention setting to focus and productivity. Try it for free with a 14-day trial to Alo Moves.
