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9 Refreshing Morning Yoga Poses for Beginners

Not everyone enjoys exercise in the morning. You get out of bed, prep your kids for school, and hardly ever have time for breakfast. You might be late for work, and thoughts about a long commute by subway or standing in traffic jams while driving a car make you nervous.  

It gets easier when you work from home or have no family to care for, but if anything mentioned already resonates with you, you’re in the right place. 

Nine refreshing morning yoga poses for beginners won’t take up too much of your time. You can even handle most of them in your bed if you want. There’s no need to wear any special sports clothing or shoes – you can wear whatever gets you moving in a full range of motion. 

Starting your morning with a short yoga routine will benefit you a lot in the long term, particularly if you have so much stuff to do every day. Once you create discipline, your body and mind will thank you for all your effort. Let’s get into the basic morning yoga moves and their benefits for your well-being. 

Is It a Good Idea to Do Yoga as Soon as You Wake Up?

Yes, it’s better to start your yoga routine before you reach out for your phone. A quick morning workout can be beneficial to your body and mental being. It can:

  • Decrease your pain
  • Improve your flexibility
  • Improve the quality of your sleep
  • Increase your self-esteem
  • Help you learn to cope with stress and anxiety better (1)

Once you start your morning yoga routine, you should be proud of yourself, because instead of flicking through your phone and scrolling the news feed on social media, you’ve decided to work on your body. Naturally, this will boost your confidence, which will allow you to be more mentally ready for the rest of the day. 

Other great yoga perks include: 

  • Increased muscle strength and tone
  • Potential weight reduction when paired with healthy eating habits (check out our  morning yoga poses for weight loss to get some morning exercise ideas)
  • A balanced metabolism
  • Improved energy and respiration
  • Enhanced athletic performance
  • Better cardio health
  • Decreased possibility of injuries (2)

If you have any health conditions, you should start with beginner-friendly movements and stop if you encounter any pain or discomfort during the activity. In this case, the important thing to do is pay attention to how your body feels throughout each pose. 

Some poses may be easy, while others seem too intermediate for the beginning. It’s completely okay to feel saggy or inflexible – progression will come with discipline. 

Another good tip is to not push yourself to do yoga every morning – start with two to three times a week. When your body adjusts to this system, you’ll automatically shift to more frequent training. 

Read more: List of Chair Yoga Exercises for Every Senior and Beginner

Which Type of Yoga Is Best for the Morning?

The type of yoga you choose for your morning practice will depend on your fitness level. As this review is focused on morning yoga poses for beginners, we recommend starting with Hatha yoga poses. 

Hatha yoga is good for beginners and offers slow, balanced moves. It focuses on your breathwork, which helps you gently stretch and activate your muscles. 

A study has shown that Hatha yoga is also effective in alleviating physiological stress (3). More recent research has highlighted the power of Hatha Yoga on your mental well-being. (4).

According to another study, Hatha yoga helps with flexibility, balance, and core muscle strength. Doing it frequently can positively impact your cardiovascular health and overall fitness (5).

So, if you’re mulling over the best type of yoga for your morning practice, start with easy Hatha poses that align your body and mind. 

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What Are Some Low-Impact Morning Yoga Poses?

These low-impact morning yoga poses for boosting energy will spruce up your day by engaging your entire body. Feel free to start them today. You don’t necessarily need to integrate all nine of these poses at once, but you can combine a few poses in any sequence you like. 

  1. Knee to chest pose
  2. Half cobra
  3. Cat-cow
  4. Child’s pose
  5. Spinal flex
  6. Mountain pose
  7. Reclining twist
  8. Downward-facing dog
  9. Happy baby

Knee to chest pose

How to perform the pose: 

  • Lie on your back and hug your knees to your chest.
  • You should feel a gentle stretch in your spine.
  • Breathe in through your chest and out through your stomach throughout the stretch. Try your best to relax here.

Half cobra

How to perform the pose: 

  • Release your legs and lie on your stomach, resting your forehead on the floor.
  • Place your palms on the ground under your shoulders, keeping your bent elbows tight against your sides.
  • Gently push away from the floor, lifting your chest and forehead but keeping your hips and legs fixed to the ground.
  • Feel how your spine stretches as you continue to slowly breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
  • Hold the pose for three breaths.

Cat-cow

How to perform the pose: 

  • Get on your knees in a tabletop position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees hip-distance apart under your hips.
  • Inhale and arch your back into a cow pose, bringing your head and chest upward so you’re looking toward the sky as you inhale.
  • Exhale and release your breath, pulling your belly up and in and rounding your back into a cat pose.
  • Alternate between these two poses as many times as you wish.

Child’s pose

How to perform the pose: 

  • In the tabletop position, inhale, touching your big toes together behind you. Sit on your heels and open your knees wide to create space beneath you.
  • Exhale, shifting your hips back and your upper body forward while lowering your torso to rest between your thighs. Stretch your arms out in front of you, reaching as far forward as feels comfortable, and rest your forearms on the floor.
  • Feel a stretch in your spine, arms, thighs, and buttocks. Remain in this pose for a few breaths.

Spinal flex

How to perform the pose: 

  • Sit down on the floor and cross your legs. Place your hands on your knees.
  • Inhale and gently arch your back, then lift your chest and chin forward and up.
  • Relax, and while exhaling, round your spine, bending forward slightly and tucking your chin toward your chest.
  • Repeat this sequence 5-6 times.

Mountain pose

How to perform the pose: 

  • Stand with your back straight.
  • Roll your shoulders up and back, lift your chest, and keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Look straight ahead and lift your arms over your head with your palms facing in.
  • Distribute your weight across both feet.
  • Inhale and lengthen your spine upward. Exhale and feel your feet root down into the earth.

Reclining twist

How to perform the pose: 

  • Lie down on your back and bring your knees up toward your chest.
  • Hug your knees and place your left hand on your right knee. Allow your right arm to lie flat, extended on the floor beside you.
  • Exhale and gently guide your bent legs to fall together to the left side of your body.
  • Bring your knees toward the floor until you feel a stretch in your hips and back. Turn your head to the right side, gazing at your hand.
  • Inhale and come back to the center before switching over to the other side.

Downward-facing dog

How to perform the pose: 

  • Get on all fours with your hands shoulder-width apart and your knees under your hips.
  • Lift your hips and send your butt up, drawing your hips toward the ceiling.
  • Straighten your legs as comfortably as you can (it’s alright to have your knees slightly bent) and press your heels gently toward the floor, creating an inverted V-shape.
  • Keep your back straight and let your head hang between your arms.
  • Hold for 3 to 5 breaths.

Happy baby

How to perform the pose: 

  • Lie on your back.
  • Bend your knees and bring them to your stomach. Grip the outsides of your feet. Flex your heels and ankles.
  • Breathe well, keeping your ankles directly above your knees while pushing against your hands with your feet.

Read more: 4 Types of Yoga and What They Mean for You

Should I Do Morning Yoga on an Empty Stomach?

It’s hard to recommend that every person should do morning yoga because so much of it depends on individual lifestyles. The best time of day to exercise is the time that works for you. Consistency is arguably the most important aspect of all of this. 

However, if you have an opportunity to do this easy morning workout at a slow pace, you’ll get a lot out of it. 

Doing morning yoga on an empty stomach is good for different reasons:

  1. You won’t feel discomfort during bending, stretching, and twisting because there’s no food in your body.
  2. You’ll decrease the risk of cramps or nausea.
  3. You can stimulate your organs, supporting your digestion before breakfast.

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If you feel lightheaded or weak in the morning, treat yourself to an easy snack before doing yoga, and stay hydrated (take a glass of water). In many situations, drinking fluids in the morning can satiate your slight hunger. 

Another thing you should keep in mind is the type of yoga you’ll be training. If you perform more intense moves on an empty stomach, it may be more challenging for you. 

Therefore, beginners should start with 5 to 10 minutes of slow-paced, easy morning yoga moves to get the most out of them. As you gradually nail the basic moves, it’s good to progress by integrating intermediate poses. However, you should ultimately listen to your body and do what’s best for you. If you need a snack before you do yoga to fuel your workout, feel free to have one. 

What Happens if You Do Yoga Every Morning?

Doing yoga every morning is an awesome decision that generally improves the quality of your life. In addition to the perks that come from mastering morning yoga that were mentioned at the start of this article, additional research has suggested that regularly practicing yoga could:

  • Improve your general wellness by relieving stress and supporting good habits
  • Relieve neck pain, migraine, or tension
  • Relieve menopause symptoms
  • Help you quit smoking
  • Lead to weight loss (6)

Another interesting morning yoga perk is mood-boosting abilities. One study suggested that practicing yoga could lift your mood (7). This is a great natural way to be happier despite all the chaos that may be present in your life. 

To sum up, a morning exercise routine, whether it’s yoga, Pilates, or anything else, is great for your body and mind. It starts with waking up every muscle in your body and ends with an uplifted mood because you’ll be proud of yourself. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Should I drink coffee before yoga?

Drinking coffee in the morning before yoga isn’t necessary. If you feel sluggish when training in the morning and coffee helps you get energy, then drinking coffee is OK. However, if you’re already invigorated for your training, there’s no need to consume coffee, and you should drink water instead.

  • What is the most relaxing yoga pose?

Child’s pose is considered one of the most relaxing poses in yoga. It calms you down, supports the spine, encourages deep breathing, and is relatively safe. This pose is often used as part of the post-workout cool-down. 

  • What is the hardest yoga to learn?

There are yoga types that fit only advanced practitioners. These include Ashtanga yoga, Bikram yoga, Kundalini yoga, and Power Vinyasa. Such types of yoga aren’t suitable for beginners, so if you’re a newbie, avoid these difficult poses. 

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The Bottom Line

You’ve learned about nine refreshing yoga poses for beginners. Now it’s time you integrate them into your routine safely. Morning yoga is good for your health. Even 10 minutes of yoga can do your body a big favor, starting with improved flexibility and ending with a boosted mood. 

If you’re new to yoga, these nine poses will perfectly fit your day. It’s generally safe to do yoga on an empty stomach, but if you feel lightheaded, don’t hesitate to eat a light snack beforehand. 

DISCLAIMER:

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.

BetterMe, its content staff, and its medical advisors accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, misstatements, inconsistencies, or omissions and specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal, professional or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and/or application of any content.

You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.

SOURCES:

  1. Perceived benefit of yoga among adults who have practiced yoga for a long time: a qualitative study (2023, biomedcentral.com)
  2. Maintaining a regular yoga practice can provide physical and mental health benefits (2025, osteopathic.org)
  3. Hatha Yoga Improves Psychophysiological Responses of College Students in Both Indoor and Outdoor Environments (2021, researchgate.net)
  4. The influence of hatha yoga on stress, anxiety, and suppression: A randomized controlled trial (2023, sciencedirect.com)
  5. Is Weekly Frequency of Yoga Practice Sufficient? Physiological Effects of Hatha Yoga Among Healthy Novice Women (2021, frontiersin.org)
  6. Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety (2023, nccih.nih.gov)
  7. Improvement in Moods after the Practice of Yoga: A Study (2024, researchgate.net)
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