The Ultimate Guide to a 20-Minute Morning Yoga Routine for Beginners

By Jola @YolaYoga | February 15, 2023

Starting your day off with a morning yoga routine can be just the thing for getting into a positive frame of mind and feeling energized. No matter if you’re a beginner or have some regular practice, this simple 20-minute yoga sequence is perfect for when you are short on time but don’t want to compromise on the rejuvenating benefits of Yoga.

This blog post will guide you through each step in detail, explaining the sequence of poses and modifications and providing helpful tips so that even if it’s your first time doing yoga, you can complete the entire routine without any issues! Let’s get started – happy stretching!

And remember, for the best benefits do the routine in the sequence it is listed below:

1. Standing Poses
2. Backbends Poses
3. Forward Bends Poses
4. Twists Poses
5. Inversions Poses
6. Relaxation

20 min Morning Yoga Routine for Beginners:

Standing Poses

Standing poses are a great way to start a morning yoga routine for beginners. Not only do they allow you to focus on building strength and flexibility in the body, but they also help develop balance and posture. Below will walk through some basic standing postures that can be enjoyed by beginner-level yogis! We’ll explore the alignment cues, benefits, and modifications you can use with each pose so that your next practice is enjoyable while providing a foundational experience as well.

Mountain Pose – Tadasana

1. Stand at the front of your mat, with your feet together. Spread the toes wide and press evenly through all four corners of your feet.
2. Stand up tall and engage your legs, and buttocks, and draw your navel in. Projects the chest forward and relax your shoulders down. Make sure that the neck is aligned with the spine and the chin is parallel to the floor. Gaze forward.

Triangle – Trikonasana

The pose stretches the hamstrings and calves, strengthens the core, and corrects the alignment of the shoulders.

1. Begin with a comfortable wide stand. Turn your right foot 90 degrees out and your left foot slightly in. Bring the right heel in line with the left heel.
2. On the exhalation shift your hips to the left and tilt your torso to the right while reaching to the right side as far as you can. Let your right palm come down to rest either on your thigh, shin, or on the floor. Reach straight up with your other hand. Keep the torso aligned with the hips. The back heel is pressing to the floor. Keep the knees straight and lift the kneecaps up. Gaze towards the raised hand.
3. Lengthen through both sides of your waist. Bring awareness to the hip and side of the torso. Take 10 breaths. Repeat on the other side.

Warrior 1 Pose – Virabhadrasana I

Warrior I strengthens the legs and back. It is also a centering pose that trains the mind to be focused.

1. Stand at the front of your mat. Take a big step back with your right foot, align your heels, and square your hips. Turn your right foot slightly forward and make sure your left toes point straight ahead.
2. Bend your left knee to a 90-degree angle so your left thigh is parallel to the floor. At the same time, press the right foot into the mat and keep straightening the right leg.
3. Extend your arms overhead. If elbows are straight, then touch your palms together and look up. Spin your left rib forward to square off your chest with the front of the room. Repeat on the other side.
4. Hold the position for 10 breaths and repeat on another side.

Warrior II – Virabhadrasana II

The Warrior II pose increases endurance and strengthens the legs and arms. Creates a sense of braveness.

1. Starting from the previous pose (Warrior I) turn your torso so it faces the sidewall of the room. Right toes to face forward and your left toes at a slightly in. Line up your front heel with the arch of your back foot.
2. Keep your knee bent at a 90-degree angle. Press through the outer edge of your back foot and straighten the back leg.
3. Raise arms to shoulder height and reach them forward and back. Keep your torso directly over your hips.
4. Hold for 10 breaths and repeat on the other side.

Chair Pose – Utkatasana

Practicing this pose will help strengthen the core and leg muscles essential for more challenging poses.

1. Stand straight on your mat.
2. Bend your knees and drop your hips as if you’re sitting back in a chair.
3. Reach your arms up alongside your ears. Lift your chest and look straight.
4. Engage your core and lift up through your chest, keeping a straight back and letting the shoulder fall away from your ears.
5. Hold for 10 breaths.

Back Bending Poses

Backbends come next in our morning yoga routine! They are an essential part of any yoga practice, no matter what level you are. If you’re a beginner to practicing yoga, the thought of back bending can be intimidating – however, there is no need for fear! Backbending poses can help open and strengthen your spine while also releasing tension in your body. Below we will discuss some basic back-bending yoga poses that beginners can feel confident exploring. 

Cobra – Bhujangasana

The pose is opening the chest and strengthening the lower back.

1. Lie facedown on your mat. Bend your elbows and place your palms flat on the floor alongside your lower ribs so that your elbows are stacked directly over your wrists. Keep legs together.
2. On an inhalation, press into your hands and use the muscles of your lower back to lift your chest off the ground. Keep your shoulders relaxed away from your ears as you draw them back and down.
3. Start to work your arms straight, but stop as soon as you feel your shoulders raising toward your ears. Take 5 to 8 breaths and come down. Repeat 2 more times.

Bow – Dhanurasana

This pose is great for digestive problems as it stimulates internal organs. It also stretches and opens the chest, shoulders, and quads, and strengthens the back and glutes.

1. To start lie facedown on your mat. Bring your forehead to the floor. Bend the knees and bring the heels toward the buttocks. Reach back and take hold of the ankles. Knees and heels should be parallel and kept apart.
2. On the next inhalation press the legs into the hands lifting the lower half of the body. Then slowly extend the chin and raise the head, neck, and chest.
3. Continue pressing the feet into palms and allow shoulders to release and arch the entire spine. Hold the position for 15-30 seconds.

Camel – Ustrasana

The Camel pose energizes the body and opens the chest.

1. Kneel and tuck the toes under. Place your hands on the back of your pelvis. Draw your elbows close to each other, so they point straight back.
2. Bring your thighs and hips forward and open your chest upward. Look up. Breath normally. Bring shoulder blades together.

Bridge – Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

The pose is alleviating back pain, opens the chest and shoulders, and strengthens the glutes and quads. It also stimulates the thyroid gland.

1. Lie on your back. Bend your knees. Place your feet flat on the ground, hip-distance apart and parallel to the side of the mat. Stack your knees directly over your ankles. Place your arms alongside you; palms face down.
2. Inhale, and press down into your feet to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
3. Roll your shoulders toward each other underneath you. Interlace your fingers. Open chest toward the ceiling. Engage buttocks.

Modifications: If you have lower back issues, try turning this into a restorative pose. To do so, place a block on its low or medium height underneath your sacrum, the boniest part of the back of your pelvis.

Forward Bending Poses

After the energizing effect of Back Bending Poses it is time to calm your body and mind with Forward Bending Poses. With their calming effects, forward bends are perfect for reducing stress, improving posture, and toning the abdominal muscles. While these poses can be challenging at first, they aren’t impossible to master – with careful practice and dedication, even beginners can make progress toward greater flexibility. Below we will look at some of the basics of forward-bending yoga poses so that you can gain all the wonderful benefits of stretching and relaxation.

Seated Fold Forward Bend – Pascimotanasana

The pose stretches the hamstrings and has calming effects on the mind. Recommended after backbends.

1. Start seating on the floor with your legs straight in front of you. Inhale and reach your arms up alongside your ears.
2. On an exhale, hinge from the hips and start to reach forward. Lead with your chest and do not round your back.
3. When you can’t reach any further, let your hands come down either to the ground or the outside of your legs or clasp your feet.

Modifications: If you feel too much pain in your hamstrings you can micro-bend the knees and use the strap placed around your feet and held by both hands as an extension of your arms.

Standing Forward Bend – Uttanasana

Standing Forward Bend is a great way to relieve neck, shoulders, and back tension while improving flexibility and range of motion.

1. From the standing position bring both feet together. Then raise both arms up overhead. Inhale and extend the spine and arms up.
2. On exhalation folding forward from the hips, keeping the back straight. Extending out and down and bringing the head toward the legs.
3. While in pose relax the back and keep the knees straight. Breathe normally and hold the pose for 20 seconds to 1 min.

Modifications: If there is tightness in the hamstrings or this bothers your lower back, bend your knees while in the pose.

Twisting Poses 

For beginners especially, twisting yoga poses can offer many additional advantages when done correctly. Twists act as powerful detoxifiers for the body – helping to rid of any toxins – while also allowing for better digestion and improved circulation throughout the entire system. When done regularly over a period of time they can act as an effective way to release stuck energy from deep within too! Below we will discuss some beginner-friendly twists which you may want to do during your morning yoga practice in order to reap all these amazing benefits.

Half Lord of the Fishes – Ardha Matsyendrasana

This twist stretches and lengthens your spine, relieving pain and tension.

1. Seat straight with your legs extended in front of you. Bend your right knee and place your right foot over your left thigh and set it on the outside of your left leg.
2. Bend your left leg and the heel toward the right sit bone. Sit tall.
3. Place your right hand behind you and lift your left hand to the ceiling.
4. As you exhale, twist to the right and bring your left elbow to the outside of your right knee.
5. Hold for 1 minute and repeat on the other side.

Reclined Twist – Jathara Parivartanasana

Benefits: This restorative pose helps with mobility in the spine and back. It stretches the spine, back, and shoulders. Practicing this pose can help relieve pain and stiffness in your back and hips.

1. Lie on your back. Draw your both knees to the chest.
2. Have your arms extended to the side.
3. Slowly bring both legs to the left side while keeping your knees as close together as possible.
4. Turn your head and look to the right.
5. Focus on breathing deeply in this position.
6. Hold this pose for at least 30 seconds.
7. Repeat on the opposite side.

Inversion Poses

Inversions are poses that involve going upside down – or nearly so – and can add variety to your morning routine. Not only do they provide physical benefits such as increased circulation, but they also help kickstart concentration and focus which is especially beneficial when starting the morning. When done correctly, inversion yoga poses can be extremely effective for beginners and offer several health benefits, from improved digestion to more restful sleep. Try mastering a few of these postures in your morning routine to get the best out of each morning yoga session!

Downward Facing Dog Pose – Adho Mukha Svanasana

This pose calms the mind and helps to relieve stress. It also stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, and calves.

1. Start in a tabletop position with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and your knees aligned beneath your hips.
2. Tuck your toes, then lift the hips to move into the pose.
3. With arms slightly rotated inwards, press away from the floor with the hands and engage the core to evenly distribute the weight of the body.
4. Your heels may not touch the ground at first, and that’s ok – stay focused on maintaining proper alignment and feeling the stretch.
5. To deepen the pose, bend one leg at a time while pushing the other leg towards the mat. This stretches out your hamstrings as well as strengthens your upper body and core.
6. Hold for 5-10 breaths, and repeat several times as desired! Downward Facing Dog is a great pose for relieving tension in your shoulders, back, and legs.

Shoulder Stand – Sarvangasana

Important!: Do not do this pose if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, hiatal hernia, neck injuries, recent surgeries, headache, eye or ear problems, or if you menstruate.
Recommended alternative pose: Legs Against the Wall

1. Start by laying down on your back. Arms alongside the body on the floor. Bring both knees to the chest.
2. Press down on the palms, inhale, hold your breath, and raise your legs up and overhead so they are parallel to the floor. Keeping the elbows in place put your palms against the lower back and raise both legs toward the ceiling. It is ok if the legs are at the angle it is first.
3. While in pose bring awareness to the base of the throat.

Legs Against The Wall – Viparita Karani

1. Put a bolster or folded blanket against the wall. Sit next to the wall on the blankets so that your right hip is pretty close to the wall and your legs run parallel to the wall.

2. Lean back into your hands so that you can bend your knees and lift your legs up the wall. Lie on your back and straighten your legs up the wall to create an “L” shape with your body while keeping the hips on the blankets. Move your sit bones as close to the wall as possible.

3. Relax your legs, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Hold the position for at least 15 minutes.

Relaxation

Relaxation is key after yoga practice. My teacher often said: the whole yoga practice was just done for this part – relaxation. After putting much effort into your practice, it can be quite satisfying to finish with the Yogic Sleep pose. Not only does yogic sleep help ease tension in the body, but more importantly it has great potential for relaxation of the mind – precisely what’s needed before any deep restful sleep! With its calming effects, practicing the yoga posture yogic Sleep Posture can help reduce stress levels and rebuild balance in our lives even on those chaotic days when we feel like nothing else is going right.

Corpse – Savasana

The Corpse pose has relaxing effects on the body and mind, and it ends each yoga practice. Probably the most important pose as it requires letting go. During the Corpse poses, we can practice the Yoga Nidra – guided relaxation technique that leads to deeper relaxation. Stay in position without movement for about 5 minutes after each yoga practice. Close your eyes. You can also cover yourself with a blanket and cover your eyes. If you feel pain in your lower back, you can place a bolster underneath your knees.

Conclusion

When finished with this morning yoga sequence, you will feel the benefits in mind and body. Remember to keep your movements slow and steady for maximum relaxation and connection to the breath. As a beginner, just focus on continuing your practice each day without feeling pressure or measuring success. The poses included in this routine are tools that you can incorporate into your yoga practice anytime as you explore new classes, styles, and variations of poses. Plus, there are endless other pose options available out there that you can add to grow your practice! Ultimately, the goal is to discover what works best for you – do more of that for a holistic experience of physical strength, inner peace, and spiritual connectivity.

Namaste.

Jola is a co-founder of YolaYoga, a certified yoga teacher, and a passionate practitioner of yoga for over 20 years. She specializes in therapeutic yoga for students with brain injuries. She loves sharing the wisdom of yoga with clients and assisting them on their journey to recovery, healing, and peace. If you want to schedule a yoga session contact her here.