Not sure what poses to do when you first roll out your mat for your home practice? You are in the right place. My favorite yoga warm-up sequence will help!
It can be hard enough to motivate yourself to do your yoga practice, but when you’re not sure what to do? Forget it!.
Fun fact: I originally enrolled in my first yoga teacher training for this very reason. I wanted to practice at home, but I had no idea where to start unless I followed a teacher’s instructions.
My solution is to have a quick series of poses that you do every time you exercise at home as a warm-up. Usually, once you get moving, you’ll be able to lean into your body’s intuition and have no problem finding poses to practice.
It’s the best of both worlds. You stay in the design at first, then you gain the freedom and magic that comes from tuning into your own breath, your body, your thoughts.
Need inspiration? Here is my warm-up sequence for my home practice and lessons right now. Works great for any class — including prenatal yoga!
Grab your favorite leggings, cozy hood (only until you warm up, of course), and your favorite yoga mat… and let’s get started.
My favorite yoga warm-up sequence
Cat-Cow
Try it: Start on hands and knees. Inhale as you drop your belly, reach your chest forward and lift your chin slightly. Exhale as you round your back and look toward your belly.
Cat-Cow with leg extension
This slight variation on the traditional Cat-Cow adds an inner thigh stretch to the mix.
Try it: From a table position, extend your right leg out to the side. You want your leg to be at hip height, foot on the floor. Everything else is Cat-Cow as usual. After a few rounds, keep your leg extended and move on to the next pose.
Half Squat
Add your outer hip into the mix with this great half squat.
Try it: Begin in the extended tabletop leg position described above. Turn your right fingers slightly outwards. Take a deep breath. With an exhalation bend your right knee and walk your hands towards your right leg. You want your knee to follow your ankle. You can even use your shoulder to push that knee out a little more to increase the hip stretch.
Flow: Inhale, walk your arms toward center and straighten the knee of your extended leg. Exhale, bend the knee of your extended leg and walk your hands toward your foot. Repeat a few rounds. Then walk your hands back to center to prepare for the next pose.
Leg Lift (Fire Hydrant) + Cross Body
Because it’s always a good idea to balance stretching with strength work.
Try it: From the table position with the right leg stretched out to the side. Inhale, raise the entire right leg until it reaches the height of your right hip, leg parallel to the floor. If you want more hip strengthening work, tap your toe on the floor and lift it up a few times. Move slowly and with control.
Then sweep your leg behind you, cross your body and stretch your outer hip.
Flow: Inhale, return the leg to its starting position by extending to the right, at hip height. Exhale, swing the leg behind you and kick your toes as far as you can to your left side.
Gate pose
Everyone’s favorite side stretch!
Try it: From your table leg extension, walk your hands toward your knees to help yourself into a kneeling position. Inhale, touch your hands to the ceiling. Exhale, maintaining the length you created in your spine as you extend your right arm under the right leg. Then, when you’re ready, come back up and return to your desk (yes, with your leg STILL extended).
Thread the needle
Get to that point between your shoulder blades AND the front of your shoulders with this open twist.
Try it: On an inhale, reach your right hand toward the ceiling. Exhale, bring it through the space between your left hand and left knee, palm facing up, shoulder coming to the floor. Let the side of your head gently touch the floor. To reinforce this, press your left toes into the floor to help rotate your collarbones toward the sky. Either bring your left hand to the sacrum or grasp your right hip. Hold for a few breaths, then return to hands and knees.
Child’s pose
Return to hands and knees. Widen your knees slightly and bring your big toes together. Sit your hips on your heels. Rest your forehead on your mat. Take 5 grounding breaths before completing the entire sequence with the left leg extended. Then continue with the rest of your yoga session.
Do you warm up when you do yoga at home? Share your favorite poses in the comments below.
