A Strong and Energising Yoga Practice to Set You Up For the Day

The struggle is real at this time of year. Motivating yourself to just nip out for some milk can be hard, let alone doing some exercise.

Sound familiar? Lizzy Jarvis wants a word. The founder of Hotpod Yoga, Eastbourne is all about a powerful practice to help shake off the day or gear you up for a bullet-proof morning.

This flow, from Hotpod Yoga’s signature class, can be done anywhere and will make you feel great in just a few minutes.

Ready? Just flow with it.

Downward dog

1. Start in a tabletop position with your wrists underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips. Tuck your toes under and push back through your hands to lift your hips
   and straighten your legs. Keep your hands shoulder-width distance apart and feet hip-distance apart.
2. Spread your fingers wide and actively press down through the palms and all the fingertips. Rotate your thighs inward, keep your hips high and shift your weight into your heels. Don’t worry if they don’t reach the floor. Hold the position for three breaths.

Three-legged dog

1. Keeping your hips level, raise one leg, pointing your toes and keeping your leg as straight as possible.
2. Keep your weight evenly distributed through all points of contact with the mat. Hold the position for three breaths.

High lunge

1. Bring the extended leg in towards your chest, rounding through your back to create more space, and step it between your hands. If you don’t reach your hands in one step, simply adjust until you achieve the position.
2. Extend your hands to the ceiling with palms facing in, ensuring a 90-degree bend at your knee in your front leg. Aim to get your back leg straight. Hold the position for three breaths.

Warrior two

1. Transition into a warrior two position by rotating your hips 90 degrees away from your front leg and extending your arms out to the sides, with palms facing down, at shoulder height. Take your time to find your way into the position, sinking down into your front knee a little more.
2. Keep your torso upright, tuck your pelvis under and look over your front arm towards your front hand. Hold the position for three breaths.

Reverse warrior

1. Keeping your legs fixed in the same position, reach forward with your front arm and flip your palm upwards.
2. Lift your arm to the ceiling and over your head, leaning backwards into a reverse warrior position, rest your back arm gently on your back leg, staying strong in the legs.
3. Hold the position for three breaths.

Extended warrior

1. Return to a warrior two position. Next, place your front forearm onto your front thigh. Rest it lightly but don’t allow it to take all of your upper body weight.
2. Take your back arm over your head, so that you have one long line from the tips of your fingers to your toes.
3. Reach out through your fingers and straighten your arm if you’re able. Once you feel stable, try to look up towards the ceiling. Hold the position for three breaths.

Twist

1. From extended warrior position, rotate your torso to the front of your mat and place both hands on the floor, either side of your front knee, aiming to get your palms flat to the floor.
2. Lift the opposite hand to your front knee and reach it towards the ceiling, rotating into a spinal twist. Hold this for three breaths.

Plank

1. Return both palms flat onto the floor and step your front foot back to meet the back foot. Push the ground away through your hands, pushing shoulder blades apart.
2. Brace your core, squeeze your glutes and ensure a solid, with your lower back flat so your hips neither sag or are too high. Hold the position for three breaths.

Upward dog

1. From plank, lower your knees and chest towards the mat. Keeping your hips on the mat, begin to straighten your arms and lift your torso.
2. For a greater challenge, lower your body in one line without putting the knees down, drive your hips forward, roll over onto the tops of your feet and lift into full up dog. Hold the position for three breaths.

Downward dog/child’s pose

1. Push yourself back into the starting position of downward dog, either by extending your arms and lifting your hips. Or, if this is too challenging, push back into a child’s pose first.
2. Repeat the sequence, lifting the other leg to the ceiling.

Hotpod Yoga is offering Health & Wellbeing readers a free class at one of its 53 studios this January. Book a class at hotpodyoga.com using the code TRYHPYHW. (Expires on 28th February 2023).