Wake up your body and mind with this energizing somatic yoga morning routine. This 20-minute sequence is designed to clear out any lingering tension, refresh your energy, and set the tone for a vibrant day ahead.
Through fluid movement, deep breathing, and playful exploration, you’ll release what no longer serves you and welcome in fresh, dynamic energy. If something doesn’t feel good, leave it out. This is your practice, and it’s all about listening to your body.
Morning Somatic Movement
This practice is beginner friendly, but if you would like a beginner somatic practice that focuses on the hips, start here.
Thunderbolt Pose with Soothing Touch
Start by sitting back on your heels in thunderbolt pose. If this isn’t comfortable, place a block between your thighs or sit cross-legged instead.
Rest your hands on your thighs, take a few deep breaths, and soften your gaze or close your eyes. As you inhale, rub your palms down your thighs toward your knees. As you exhale, draw them back up to your hip creases.
Continue this soothing, rhythmic motion, letting it be as soft or firm as feels comforting this morning.
Flowing Cat Cow
Transition into tabletop position and move into cat cow, but with an added rocking motion to wake up the spine and hips.
- Inhale, drop the belly, lift the heart and gaze into cow pose.
- Exhale, round the spine into cat pose and dip your sit bones back toward your heels.
- Inhale, flow forward into cow, maybe letting your shoulders shift past your wrists.
- Exhale, round back, rocking gently into your hips.
Repeat a few times, letting the movement feel natural and intuitive.
Thread the Needle Somatic Variations
From tabletop, widen your knees slightly for additional grounding.
- Inhale, sweep your right arm up toward the sky.
- Exhale, let your right arm drift behind you toward your outer right hip.
- Inhale, sweep your right arm forward and up as you dip your sit bones back.
- Exhale, return through center and rereaching your arm back, continuing the flowing rainbow motion.
Repeat three rounds, then thread the needle by reaching your right arm under your torso and resting on your right shoulder.
Let your hips sway gently and explore subtle rocking movements. Option to reach your left arm up and make soft wrist circles or even place your hand behind your lower back for a deeper stretch.
Return to tabletop and repeat on the left side.
Downward Dog with Bouncing and Shaking
Tuck your toes and lift your hips into downward facing dog. Start by getting as comforable in the pose as possible.
- Pedal your feet or shift your hips side to side.
- Come high onto your toes, then drop your heels down towards the mat.
- Bounce lightly on your toes, letting your hips lift and lower.
- Shake out any lingering tension—embrace the wiggles and jiggles!
After a few breaths, pause in stillness, with knees generously bent and heart melting toward thighs.
Sun Dials
Step forward to the top of your mat and slowly roll up to standing in Tadasana (mountain pose).
Inhale, sweep your arms wide and up. Grab your left wrist and start leaning over to the right until you can no longer bend to the side. Roll forward through a forward fold and come back up the other side through a side bend on the left. Repeat two more times.
Somatic Shaking
Release your arms down by your side. Start by shaking out your right leg, like you’re flicking off water. Then shake out the left leg. Add in an arm, then the other. Continue shaking for 5-10 breaths.
Let everything wiggle and bounce! This is about freeing up energy and releasing tension to start your day. Reach your arms up, then fold forward.
Low Lunge and Half Splits with Undulation
Step your left foot back, lowering the knee into a low lunge. Bring your hands to rest on your thigh as you gently pulse forward and back in an easy bounce, opening the hip flexors.
Sweep your arms overhead, then send your hips back as you fold over your extended right leg in half splits. Option to bring blocks under your hands as you inhale. Draw your spine long, and exhale remelt over your extended leg. Move like a wave, complting this ripple like motion three times total.
Crossed-Leg Hip Circles
From tabletop, draw your right knee forward and cross your left knee behind your right. Begin slow, circular hip movements. Imagine you’re scraping the inside of a barrel, moving in big or small circles to open the outer hips.
Pause and widen your heels apart towards the edges of your mat. Then sit back between your feet. Extend your right leg long, placing the left foot inside the thigh and frame your leg with your hands.
Single Legged Forward Fold with Undulation
Lead with your heart and you melt forward and ripple back up to sitting straight up. Move fluidly between gentle spinal waves in this seated forward fold before switching sides. Then pause and hold the pose folding forward.
Swing your legs to the side to come back into a tabletop position, and come back to standing through downdog to begin your second side from sundials.
Bridge Pose with Hip Wiggles
Lie down, draw your heels close to your sit bones, and press into bridge pose. At the top, wiggle your hips side to side. Imagining you’re scooping ice cream with your hips or drawing figure eights. After a few breaths, slowly lower down and extend into savasana.
What’s next?
- Try practicing this class every day for a week and see how your energy shifts!
- Subscribe and get notifications of new somatic yoga classes on my YouTube channel.