15 minute Yoga

“Starting your practice
What morning practice will do for you is wake you up in a really fundamental way - inside and out - and ready you for any action needed in your day. You will notice after your morning practice that you will feel more confident, more prepared and more optimistic about the day ahead of you.
It is not always easy to do your Yoga practice first thing in the morning. You may be surprised to learn that the posture you struggle with on waking up will seem a lot easier later on in the day. However, that does not mean you should avoid the mornings. Just do your 15-minute practice early knowing that you are up against your body’s natural stiffening after a night’s sleep.
Sun Salutations
Always start with Sun Salutations. In the morning even these may test you, but repeat them until you feel warm and awake. These are important to ready your body for further postures as well as synchronising your breathing. When you are warmed up and wide awake, you can embark on the following positions...”

The article continues to give a short exercise sequence designed to get you going first thing in the morning which includes downward dog, downward dog transition and half moon.

The article is followed by a short interview with the author.

The article is reproduced courtesy of the book 15-MINUTE YOGA by Chrissie Gallagher-Mundy, published by Harper Collins and available on SPECIAL OFFER to readers of Yoga & Health magazine. Please see page 5 of the October 2007 issue for details. Offer runs until 17 December 2007.