5 Poses to Start Your Morning

My mornings on the lake have a rhythm to them. Before coffee, before my phone, I roll out my mat and move through a short sequence that never fails to change how I show up for the day. Here are the five poses I keep coming back to.

Child's Pose (Balasana) — Start here. Let gravity do the work. Three to five deep breaths, letting the back body expand on every inhale. This is your reset, your permission slip to slow down before you speed up.

Cat-Cow (Chakravakasana) — Warm up the spine one vertebra at a time. I like to close my eyes and tune into where I'm holding tension. Usually it's the same spot — right between the shoulder blades. Yours might surprise you.

Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana) — Open the hip flexors. If you sit at a desk or slept in a tucked position, this one is non-negotiable. Stay five breaths per side and feel the difference.

Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana) — Soft knees, heavy head. Let the neck release completely. This gentle inversion wakes up circulation and signals to the nervous system that you're ready to move.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana) — End here. Feet rooted, crown lifted, eyes soft. Take one full breath in and one full breath out. Notice you're standing taller than when you started. That's the practice working.

The whole sequence takes about ten minutes. Some mornings I linger longer; some mornings this is all I get. Either way, it counts.