try this quick morning practice for clarity

Try This Quick Morning Practice for Clarity

(gather up all of the garbage in your mind and DUMP IT!)

If you have been thinking about starting yoga in the morning, but can’t really commit to 30 min before you hit the shower and start your day, I have an idea. Why not start for 5 minutes? This ultra mini-sequence is the BEST to start your day fresh and bury any thoughts that impact you negatively, therefore providing you with mental clarity. My girlfriend dreamt that she saw me doing this one night and without really knowing much about yoga, she felt compelled to show it to me. So, now I’m going to share it with you step-by-step!

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

 Mountain Pose, Tadasana

  • Step your feet together and your hands by your side with palms facing forward.
  • Lift and spread all ten toes nice and wide then place them on the mat one by one.
  • Close your eyes and sway side to side and forward and backward until you find balance.
  • Take a slow deep breath, filling your belly then your chest
  • Exhale slowly, every single last drop of air in your lungs. Do this 2 more times with full and deep breaths. (Read more about breathing properly here)

 

Tadasana No-No

 

 

*Chin out and ears beyond shoulders

*Spine angled forward

*Tailbone sticking out

 

 

 

 

Sweeping Arms Up in Tadasana

Now open your eyes, spread your fingertips wide, and as you inhale, sweep your arms (palms open and towards the sky) all the way up so your biceps are lined up with your ears. Stay here and breathe.

     Mountain Pose, Tadasana

                       .

Alignment from the ground up:

  • Feel the edges of your feet press into the mat.
  • Notice the inner arches of your feet pulling towards each other while instantly engaging your inner thighs, quadriceps, and glute muscles.
  • Direct your tailbone ever so slightly towards the mat as your pubic bone slightly tilts up and engages your core.
  • Separate each rib in your rib cage as it stretches up and your abdominal muscles press back towards your spine.
  • Pull your chin back gently to line up your ears with your shoulders
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together and softly down your back, away from your ears.
  • Feel your biceps by your ears, your palms face each other, and your little pinky finger slightly turns inward externally rotating your shoulders a bit more.
  • Observe your spine straighten from your tailbone all the way up your spine and out the crown of your head. One long line of energy running up and back down through your central nervous system. 

Prayer Pose (Pranamasana)

Take a nice deep breath here then as you exhale bring your palms together and down to your heart center.

 Prayer Pose, Pranamasana

  • Press palms firmly together and lift elbows in line with palms.
  • Relax shoulders down your back
  • Tuck chin slightly back so spine is nice and tall.
  • Close your eyes
  • Take a deep breath and a nice full exhale
  • Feel grounded and connected.

 

 

 

 

 

Repeat With a Special Twist

How did that go? Ok, so you are going to do that again from the beginning BUT as your palms are open and you raise them above your head, there is one thing you must do: GATHER UP ALL THE GARBAGE IN YOUR MIND.

So as you sweep up, envision all of your worry, stress, fear, anger, or anxiety sweeping up with your palms as if you are gathering it all up into a ball. When your hands are above your head and your palms are facing each other, envision that you are holding this ball of crud. Go through all the steps of alignment once again.

Now the good part…Clarity is on the horizon

With your eyes closed, envision the earth below you opening up a hole that goes deep down. I’m talking miles down. Did you get that? Good. Now bring that ball of garbage down half way like this:

  • Engage legs
  • Point tailbone softly down
  • Engage core by lifting pubic bone up towards the belly button
  • Slightly bend knees here if you wish
  • Bend forward from hips and bring your upper body, along with the ball of garbage above your head, in one strong and straight line towards the earth.
  • Stop when the upper body is parallel with the earth
  • Shoulders move away from ears
  • Tuck chin back so ears are in line with shoulders

 

 

 

Let it all go!

Now DROP THAT BALL OF GARBAGE and watch it fall miles and miles into the earth and away from you. Visualize the hole instantly close up never to be seen again. See ya never ball of garbage and hello clarity!

 

Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Now, bring your fingertips towards the ground, wherever they may land (it could be your shins it’s ok!) Keep your knees slightly bent and put most of your weight into the ball mounts of your feet.

Standing Forward Bend, Uttanasana

 

  • Bend knees as much as you need to
  • Release the crown of your head and neck towards the floor
  • Grab elbows
  • Sway back and forth releasing lower back
  • Don’t forget to place the weight in the ball mounts of your feet
  • Shake head back and forth
  • Release jaw

(This is SUPER FAB in the morning to stretch your spine)

 

 

 

As you enjoy this newfound clarity, sloooooooowly, roll up, vertebrae to vertebrae, one by one until you are standing back in Tadasana with your palms pressing together at your hearts center.

Take a huge full deep belly to chest breath inhaling in new fresh light and energy and a slow exhale releasing all that you just gave back to the depths of the Earth.

I would repeat this 3 times or as many as you need to feel FREE when you roll up the last time.

Now go get ready for your day and enjoy your freedom. Namaste!

 

Try This Quick Morning Practice for Clarity