Practice

Five Morning Poses to Wake Up Your Spine

The first ten minutes of the day set the tone for the other 1,430. A short, gentle sequence on the mat — before coffee, before screens — gives your spine a chance to lengthen, your breath a rhythm to land in, and your nervous system a moment to notice it's morning.

Why the spine first?

Your spine is the road all your nerves travel. After a night of stillness it is compressed, warm and slightly stiff. Moving it through all four directions — forward, back, twist, side bend — flushes fluid through the discs and tells your whole body the day has begun.

The sequence

1. Cat–Cow, slow

Begin on all fours. On the inhale, let the belly soften and the tailbone lift; on the exhale, round the back and tuck the chin. Move only as far as the spine wants to go today — five slow rounds is plenty.

2. Downward Dog

From all fours, tuck the toes and lift the hips, reaching the sit bones toward the ceiling. Pedal the heels gently. This single pose lengthens the whole back body and invites the hamstrings to wake up.

3. Standing Forward Fold

Walk the hands to the feet and let the head hang heavy. Soften the knees generously — the goal is a quiet spine, not a straight one. Breathe here for five full breaths.

4. Gentle Twist

Fold the knees and sit into a cross-legged seat, then place the right hand on the left knee and twist softly. This wrings out the sides of the spine and settles the belly. Repeat on both sides.

5. Supported Bridge

Lie on your back, bend the knees and lift the hips, sliding a blanket under the sacrum. Let everything soften over the support. Finish with a quiet five-minute savasana while the tea brews.

"The day you greet your spine first is the day you stop bracing against it." — Maya Linden, Sattva lead teacher

Come to Hatha Foundations any weekday morning and we'll practice this sequence together — with tea afterwards, always.