Living your best life means inhabiting every minute of it. On days when this is easier said than done, particularly those that you start a little groggily, an energizing morning yoga practice can help. This 15-minute morning yoga session offers a combination of movement and stillness that meets you wherever you are, whether you’re prepping for a Zoom meeting, gearing up for (or recovering from) too many hours in the car, or stuck ruminating ahead of a particularly big day. After all, if we embody presence on our mat, we can live into it off our mat, too.

Feel free to make this practice your own by varying it—you can add or subtract poses, use it in the morning to launch your day or as a mid-day escape, or even as a way to wind down as you transition into your evening.

15-Minute Morning Yoga Practice for Energy

Have a couple of blocks, or a thick book or pillow, on hand for additional morning yoga support.

Mountain Pose

Make your way toward the front of your mat. Begin with one hand on your heart and another hand on your belly. Close your eyes if that’s comfortable for you. No need to do anything, just be where you are.

Upward Salute

Inhale, reach your arms overhead.

Standing Forward Bend

Exhale to hinge forward.

Halfway Lift

Inhale, Halfway Lift.

Exhale to fold back toward yourself in a Standing Forward Bend, then inhale as you take yourself upright again with arms overhead. Exhale as you stand in your Mountain Pose.

Repeat this Half Sun Salutation 3 times, finishing in Halfway Lift.

Low Lunge with Side Stretch

Step your right foot back and carefully lower that knee to the mat as you raise your upper body in Low Lunge. Bring your arms overhead, hook your thumbs, and try to pull your thumbs apart, using your arms to remain tall. Lean your upper body to one side, then take yourself in the other direction for a side stretch.

Downward-Facing Dog

Bring your hands to the mat and step back to Downward-Facing Dog.

Scorpion Dog

Lift your right leg behind you, bend your knee, and open your hip in Scorpion Dog.

Low Lunge with Side Stretch

Sweep your right foot through into a Low Lunge on your other side. Reach overhead, hooking your thumbs with the opposite thumb in front, and lift and lengthen through the spine. Lean to each side.

Half Sun Salutation

Bring your hands to the mat and frame your front foot before you step forward with your feet together or hip-distance apart. Inhale and Halfway Lift. Exhale as you fold back in. Inhale as you reach to the sky and repeat, finishing in a Halfway Lift.

Dynamic High Lunge to Pyramid Pose

From Halfway Lift, exhale as you step your left leg back for a High Lunge with your back knee off the ground.

Lower your hips and back knee as you lift your heart, as if you’re doing Cat-Cow in Low Lunge.

Lift your hips and fold your chest toward your front thigh in a straight-legged version of Pyramid Pose, staying on the ball of your back foot.

Move back and forth between your open-hearted Low Lunge and Pyramid Pose. Repeat 3 times with the pace of your breath before lingering in Pyramid. Use your blocks for support as needed.

Downward-Facing Dog

When you’re ready, step back into Downward-Facing Dog. Breathe here.

Plank Pose

Shift forward into Plank Pose, bringing your knees down to the mat if needed, and then lower yourself all the way to the mat.

Locust Pose

Untuck your toes and place your hands flat on either side of you for Locust Pose. You can leave the tops of your feet on the ground, or lift your legs. You might even float your arms off the ground, pointing your thumbs toward the sky to encourage external rotation in your shoulders.

(This is an ideal counterpose to hours spent in front of computers and steering wheels.)

Scorpion Dog

Release and lower to your belly. With your next exhale, find your way to Downward-Facing Dog. Lift your left leg in Scorpion Dog.

Dynamic High Lunge/Pyramid Pose

Sweep your left foot through for a High Lunge on the opposite side.

Find the dance of lowering your back knee and lifting your heart…

…and then straightening both legs into a Pyramid Pose with your back heel lifted. Repeat 3 times.

Half Sun Salutation

Step forward, bringing your right foot to meet your left. Inhale, Halfway Lift, exhale to fold forward, and inhale to rise and reach your arms overhead. Stand in your Mountain Pose.

Warrior II

Step your left leg back into a wide stance facing the long edge of your mat. Bend into your right knee and cheat your back heel to a 45-degree angle in Warrior II. Extend your arms wide, parallel to the ground.

Triangle Pose

Straighten your front leg and hinge at your right hip for Triangle Pose.

Half Moon Pose

Shift your weight onto your right foot, opening your hip and hovering your left leg off the ground in Half Moon Pose.

Standing Split

Bring both hands to your block or the ground as you carefully square your hips toward the front of your mat for a Standing Split.

Twisting Half Moon

Move your block beneath your left hand to twist to the right for a Twisting or Revolved Half Moon.

Twisting Triangle

Step your left leg about four feet back as you land in a Pyramid Pose. Slide your block beneath your left hand and keep your left hand down as you open to the right in Twisting or Revolved Triangle.

Warrior II

Windmill your arms up from Twisting Triangle and pivot on your feet to find Warrior 2 on your left side facing the back of the mat.

Triangle Pose

Straighten your front leg and hinge at the hips into Triangle Pose.

Half Moon Pose

Shift your weight into your front foot, open your hips, and hover your back leg in Half Moon.

Standing Splits

Carefully square off into your Standing Splits.

Twisting Half Moon

Move your block beneath your right hand and twist to the left in Twisting or Revolved Half Moon.

Twisting Triangle

Step about four feet back to a Pyramid stance for Twisting or Revolved Triangle.

Lord of the Fishes

From Twisting Triangle, tuck your right knee behind your left heel as you bend your left knee and slowly lower yourself to the mat in Lord of the Fishes. You might prefer to straighten your right leg for the twist. Hug or hook your right arm around or to the outside of your left thigh/knee.

Seated Forward Bend

Unwind into a seated cross-legged position. Extend your arms out in front of you, palms to the mat, and fold.

Lord of the Fishes

Sit upright and and step your right leg over your left for Lord of the Fishes with your left arm hugging or hooking on the outside of your right knee/thigh.

Seated Forward Bend

Shift into a seated cross-legged stretch.

Bridge Pose

Return to a seated position before making your way to your back. Lay with your feet hip distance and parallel. Lift up into a Bridge Pose, or flip your hands and make your way to a Wheel Pose if that works in your body.

Savasana

Lower down slowly from your backbend. Keep your knees bent for a constructive rest pose or straighten your legs out.

Take up some space and feel the arms of the Earth hold you in Savasana. Take a moment to honor yourself for this morning yoga session, and for being here, now.