
Yoga To Jump Start Your Morning
Practicing Yoga in the morning is a great way to jumpstart your day. It leaves you feeling energized and gives you a boost, which helps make you productive. In just 10 minutes, you can start your day full of life. Here are some poses to help you start off the day
Cat-Cow Pose

Start by getting on your yoga mat, down on your hands and knees. Lift your head and relax your shoulders away from your ears. On your exhale, move into cat-pose by rounding your spine outward and bringing your pelvis forward. Now as you inhale, release your head towards the floor. Don’t force your chin to your chest, let your head hang. Do this exercise for at least two minutes before moving on to the next exercise.
Downward Dog

There are different variations of this pose, but we are going to talk about the traditional pose. Begin by going into child-pose, extending your arms out in front of you. Your hands should be shoulder-distance apart and the crease of your wrist should be parallel to the top of your mat. Now with your hands, lift your forearms off the mat while pressing your hips backward. You can look at your feet which should be parallel. From here, you can let your head hang. This pose will open up your back allowing for a more energizing feel.
Extended Side Angle Pose

Begin by standing in mountain pose, upright, with your arms at your side and your palms facing outward. Take a breath, and move your feet apart about three and a half feet away from each other. Turn your left foot slightly to the right and your right foot outright to 90 degrees, making sure your heels are aligned. Take your left hand and place it on the floor beside your left foot. Now take your right arm and extend it over your head. This pose will stretch your side and strengthen your legs.
Tree Pose

The Tree Pose is one of the easier poses to do. To begin, start by standing with a long, tall back with your feet aligned and touching. Place your arms at your side with your palms facing outwards. Now clear your mind, and bring your attention to something you can focus your on in the room. When you’re ready, bring your weight to your left leg and start to raise your right leg. Bring the bottom of your foot to your inner left thigh, make sure your toes are pointing downwards and that your hips are straight. Now stretch your arms towards the ceiling while pressing them together to make an inverted V.
The Seated Twist
/lordofthefishes-5c536edd4cedfd0001efd517.jpg)
To get the most out of your morning yoga, The Seated Twist is a must-do. Think of it as ringing the water out of a wet towel, but we’re ringing out all the tension in your body. To do this pose, start by sitting on your mat with your legs stretched out. Bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor. From here, slide your left foot under your right leg to the outside of your right hip. Now, lay your left leg on the floor. Now bring your right leg over the left, standing over the left. The right knee should be pointing up; bring your left elbow to the outside of the right leg allowing your body to twist. Hold for about 30 seconds, stretching both sides.
Practicing yoga to jump start your morning great way to get a boost for the day ahead of you, and to get all your energy flowing. If you are new to yoga, some stretches may not be as easy as others. Ultimately, you can tailor your morning yoga routine with the stretches that you are able to do or that are better suited for your needs. You may want to consider finding a professional yoga instructor to help you in the beginning.
If you are interested in Yoga Therapy, we now have classes available and would to love to have you in for a session! Please email us or call Danielle Rabinovich: dwahl@mountainvistapsychology.com or 720-583-9332 #104. Danielle Rabinovich is a licensed counselor and a certified yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance
Class schedule
6:00-7:00 PM every Tuesday evening
8:00 AM-9:00 AM every Friday morning
5:00-6:00 PM every Friday evening

Dr. Steffanie Stecker a licensed psychologist and the owner and clinical director of Mountain Vista Psychology, PLLC.
In addition, she is a board certified neurotherapist (BCN E5669) and board certified in QEEG (QEEG-D). Less than 100 people world wide are board certified in QEEG, which indicates competency in reading QEEGs and choosing neurofeedback protocols. Dr. Stecker is passionate about brain based effective therapy and creating a safe relationship for her clients to create change. She loves what she gets to do each day!