Bed Yoga is a wonderful and accessible way to get your daily stretch in. Bed yoga can simply be defined as a yoga practice done in your bed. The postures in bed yoga are typically low to the ‘ground’, gentle, and focus on helping the practitioner find ways to feel good. It is a nourishing and relatively easy way to nourish and care for yourself. All of this makes it a wonderful practice for winding down for a night of deep rest, or even as an invigorating morning practice. 

In last week’s blog we explored the Best Bed Yoga Sequence for Sleep, and today I will be sharing Morning Bed Yoga for A Gentle Rising, so read on to explore and prepare to flow! 

 

Seated Side Stretch. 

Start in a seated position either criss cross or on your knees and Reach both arms up towards the sky, Breathe in and lengthen your spine here. As you exhale, bend and lean towards the left, planting your left hand on the bed beside you as support while your right side body stretches, lengthens, and expands. Take a few moments here before switching and repeating on the other side. 

Now come on your hands and knees into tabletop position to set up for Child’s Pose. 

Spread your knees as wide as feels good for your hips and then push your hips back to your heels, walking your hands forward as your heart melts towards the earth. Rest your forehead on the bed or on a pillow, and begin to allow your body to fully relax into the support beneath you. Breathe deeply and surrender for at least 30 seconds and up to a few minutes. Release by pushing the hands into the bed and gently lifting yourself back up, closing the knees once more. 

Return to a Tabletop Position for Cat and Cow Pose. 

With your hips under your knees and your wrists under your shoulder, allow your spine to rest in a neutral position. Then, on your inhale, drop your belly button towards your bed while you lift the crown of your head towards the ceiling, stretching wide across the chest as you do. This is your Cow Pose. Then, on an exhale, contract the belly button and pull it in towards the spine while you arch the back. Allow the neck and head to fall and hang between the shoulders. This is your Cat Pose. Repeat for as many rounds as feels good. 

Seated Forward Fold

Come back to a seated position and extend both legs out long in front of you. Do your best to sit up strong and tall. If you need to, bend the knees. On your inhale breath, sweep both arms up over head to lengthen the spine, then as you exhale, hinge forward from the hips and allow your torso to melt over your thighs in a seated forward fold. Breathe deeply and fully surrender to the posture- relaxing and softening with each breath. Hold for at least 30 seconds and up to a few minutes. Release carefully and gently. 

Camel Pose 

Slowly come to standing on your knees with the knees hip width apart. Take both of your hands to your low back and relax your shoulder blades down your back. Begin to gaze upwards, and slowly bend back, only going as far as feels good and keeping your hands firmly on your lumbar for support. Hold here in this mild back bend if that is enough for just a few rounds of breathing. If you’d like to go deeper, you can release your hands from your lower back to your heels or to the bed. Release by bringing the hands to the low back once more, and using your core to help you lift up. 

Feel free to add any intuitive movement that feels good in your body into your morning bed yoga routine. Bed yoga is really about starting our day with self care- and taking time to listen and respond to our bodies needs in an accessible and gentle way. 

I hope you enjoyed this peaceful practice.