If you’re new to yoga or simply want to move a little more slowly for a change, this beginner yoga at home practice is designed for you. It features basic poses and movements that are perfect for anyone who’s not in a rush. Each day you can take a slightly different approach to a 10-minute morning yoga routine, depending on how you feel, or you can keep coming back to this yoga poses for beginners class.

The following sequence takes you through classic shapes, including Child’s Pose, Cat and Cow, High Lunge, Chair Pose, and some seated stretches. The poses are taught in a flow style, which means you’ll linger in each posture and then link it to the next pose with your movement.

Remember, it’s normal if you feel a little stiff in the morning, so you’re definitely not alone in that! If you like the sequence and want to work on those poses some more, you can always come back to it and repeat it whenever you like. After all, it’s your practice.

10-Minute Morning Yoga Poses for Beginners

No props are required for this practice. All you need is yourself and a mat. Try not to focus too much on the end result. These beginner yoga poses will get easier and easier the more you do them.

I like to include a short phrase to keep in mind as you practice. And because you’re a slightly different person than the last time you practiced, it can be helpful to focus on a different affirmation each time you come to the mat. Today’s affirmation is, “I am calm and centered.” You can see how it feels to remind yourself of this affirmation throughout your 10-minute morning yoga routine—and throughout your day.

Child’s Pose

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Come to your mat, bring your big toes together to touch, and take your knees as wide as you’d like. Then reach your hips toward your heels and walk your hands out in front of you. Lower your chest and head toward the mat and relax your shoulders down and away from your ears. Take 5 deep breaths here. Maybe you remind yourself, “I am calm and centered.”

Cat-Cow

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Walk your hands back beneath your shoulders and lift your hips to bring your knees underneath your hips. Spread your fingertips wide and push your palms into the mat as you inhale, lower your belly, arch your back, and lift your gaze in Cow Pose.

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

As you exhale, round your back, tuck your chin toward your chest, and draw your navel toward your spine in Cat Pose.

You’re going to continue this movement, slowly coming in and out of each of these yoga poses, moving in sync with your breath. You’re simply waking up the spine. Take a couple more cycles here.

Bird Dog

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

From hands and knees, find a neutral back by trying to flatten through your lower spine. Reach your right leg straight back at about hip height. Roll your outer right hip down a little so the front of your right thigh is facing the mat. Stay strong through the core.

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Press down through each of your right fingers and then reach your left arm forward. (If that’s too much balancing this morning, keep your left hand down on the mat.) As you inhale, lengthen and reach with your right leg and left arm.

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

As you exhale, round and contract as you bring your knee to and elbow toward your chest beneath you.

Let’s take 3 more like this. Inhale and find some length. Exhale and squeeze it in. On your last one, hold your arm and leg extended and see if you can create even more space between your left fingertips and right heel. Stay here, calm and centered. Then bring your left hand to the mat, followed by your right toes.

Side Plank Variation

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Roll onto the inner edge of your right foot so your right toes point toward the long side of the mat. To help with your balance, you can pivot on your left knee and angle your left shin behind you. Reach your right arm straight toward the sky as you stack one shoulder over the other. Take slow, steady breaths in and out through your nose. Maybe you turn your head to look up at your thumb if that’s comfortable for you.

Then come back to both hands and knees on the mat. You’re going to repeat Bird Dog and Side Plank Variation on the second side. Remember to squeeze through your abdominals to help steady your balance. Don’t forget to breathe.

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Come back to your hands and knees. You want your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees. Then tuck your toes under and lift your hips up and back in Downward-Facing Dog. Your hamstrings are most likely going to be a little tight first thing in the morning, so you can bend your knees generously. You can stay still or maybe you peddle out your feet.

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Maybe you slowly shake or nod your head to help release your neck before you find some stillness in Downward Dog.

Three-Legged Dog

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

As you inhale, reach your right leg toward the sky. Bend your knee, let your foot dangle behind you, and stack your hips here. Get a nice big stretch here in your hip. It should feel good.

High Lunge

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

As you exhale, shift your shoulders forward over your wrists and try to tap your right knee to your nose, then pause and step or walk your right foot between your hands.

Push into both feet. As you inhale, slowly lift your chest and reach your arms alongside your head in High Lunge. Relax your shoulders down and away from your ears. See if you can bend a little more into your front knee. Pay attention to the rhythm of your breath. Remind yourself, I am calm and centered.

Standing Pigeon Pose or Standing Figure 4

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Bring your palms together at the front of the heart. Step your back foot forward to the top of the mat and bring your left knee toward your chest. You’re welcome to stay here.

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

To intensify the balancing challenge, you can cross your left ankle over the top of your right knee in a figure-4 shape and start to bend into your right knee as you sink your hips back. This is your Standing Pigeon Pose or Standing Figure 4.

Chair Pose

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Wherever you are, slowly lower your left foot to the mat with control as you bring your big toes together and keep your heels apart. Bend your knees and sink your hips back, as if you’re sitting down in a chair. Reach your arms alongside your ears. This is Chair Pose and it will build some heat and energize you for the day ahead. Rock most of the weight into your heels.

Standing Forward Bend

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Exhale as you start to straighten your legs, fold forward, and relax your head.

Halfway Lift

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Inhale as you lift yourself halfway so your back is flat and lengthen the top of your head toward the wall in front of you

Plank Pose

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Exhale as you plant your palms on the mat and step back to Plank or the top of a push-up.

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

You’re welcome to bring your knees down to the mat first if you’d like.

Slowly lower all the way down to your belly. Keep your elbows tucked toward, but not touching, the sides of your chest.

Cobra Pose

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Bring your feet at least hip-distance apart. Press the tops of your feet into the mat and lift your chest a little or a lot into Cobra Pose. Then lower your chest to the mat.

Downward-Facing Dog

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Tuck your toes. Either come back to hands and knees first and then lift your hips or simply lift your hips back into Downward-Facing Dog

Then explore the same sequence of poses on your left side.

Inhale as your left leg rises in Three-Legged Dog.

Exhale as you bring your left knee toward your nose and step your foot in between your hands.

Inhale as you push your feet into the floor as you lift into High Lunge.

Exhale as you bring your right knee toward your chest and stay here or bring your right ankle to your left knee in Standing Pigeon Pose.

Stay here and then exhale as you bring your foot to the mat and bend your knees in Chair Pose.

Exhale as you forward into your Standing Bend.
Inhale as you come into a Halfway Lift.

Exhale as you bring your hands to the mat and step back to Plank.

Inhale here.

Exhale as you come down to the mat.

Inhale as you lift into Cobra.

Exhale as you sink back into Child’s Pose like at the beginning of class.

Child’s Pose

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

As you breathe here, feel the effects of those poses. Even a little yoga has helped you stretch and strengthen throughout your entire body.

Remind yourself, I am calm. I am focused. I am centered.

Seated Cross-Legged Forward Bend

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Walk your hands in, lift your chest, and come to take a cross-legged seat with your right shin in front of your left shin. Find a little length in your spine and then fold forward. You want to feel the stretch in your glutes. Your chest might come closer to the mat or it might stay higher. Relax your shoulders away from your ears and take 3 breaths here.

Slowly lift your chest.

Seated Twist

(Photo: Yoga With Kassandra)

Bring your left hand to your right knee and bring your right hand behind you. Take a little twist with your chest toward the right. Then come to face forward

Switch the crossing of your legs so your left shin is in front of your right one. Then repeat the forward bend. It’s totally normal if you notice that one side feels a little tighter than the other. Then lift yourself upright and twist toward the left side with your right hand to your left knee and your left hand behind you. Stay long here so you’re reaching the crown of your head upward and lengthening through your spine.

Closing

You’ll skip the traditional Savasana at the end of this morning yoga class because I always find it tempting to fall back asleep when lying down again in the morning.

Instead, I encourage you to take a short one-minute meditation. Sit any way that is comfortable to you. Close your eyes if you choose, bring your hands to your heart one last time, and reconnect with the intention you set for the day. I am calm and centered. Let this carry you through the rest of your day.

Thank you so much for doing this 10-minute yoga poses for beginners practice with me.