Find Your Core: Yoga In Your Day to Day

“Several key benefits of practicing yoga daily include increased energy, a stronger immune system, stress relief, strong and lean muscles and improved balance and flexibility.”—Caroline Charlton

Life is hectic, life is stressful, life is all of the above! With the millions of to-dos on our list, it would be nice to take a break and press the “off” button once in a while. Taking a few minutes a day to reset can make a world of difference when that means being more focused, grounded, and energized to handle the “Wham! Bam! Thank you ma’am!” moments we all experience.

Yoga is a great tool to use when we need to take a step back and center ourselves. Several key benefits of practicing yoga daily include increased energy, a stronger immune system, stress relief, strong and lean muscles, and improved balance and flexibility. Personally, I like to begin my day with a yoga class or do a yoga routine at home. Practicing yoga in the morning sets me up for success by creating a clear, calm mind and energized body so I can handle anything that comes my way.

This ten-minute yoga routine is packed with poses that have detoxifying, revitalizing, and de-stressing benefits. This routine can virtually be done anywhere, which makes it easily accessible no matter where you are, so no excuses!

Mountain Pose Tadasana

• Bring your big toes to touch with your heels slightly apart, if you have difficulty balancing, keep your feet hip-width distance apart
• Distribute the weight of your body evenly across the toe pads and heels of your feet
• Keep your arms by your sides
• Draw your belly button in towards your spine to engage your abdominals
• Lift your chest up
• Draw your shoulder blades down your back

Take 2-3 deep cleansing breaths. Use this moment to close your eyes and set an intention for the day. I like to call yoga “my moving meditation”.

Half Moon Pose Ardha Chandrasana *Hold for 2-3 breaths

• From Mountain pose, clasp your hands together overhead with your index fingers pointing up
• Take a deep inhale to stretch yourself up
• Firm your belly to engage your abdominals
• Exhale, lean your torso to the right side, keep your feet firmly planted on the ground
• Focus on stretching the left side body
• Inhale back to standing by using your abs and obliques, Repeat on the other side

Forward Fold Pose Uttanasana *Hold for 2-3 breaths

• From Crescent Moon pose, release your hands to your sides
• Hinge from your hips
• Keep a slight bend in your knees
• Place your palms on the floor or on your shins
• Relax your neck and gaze back

Downward Facing Dog Adho Mukha Svanasana *Hold for 2-3 breaths

From forward fold, place your palms on the floor shoulder-width distance apart and step your feet back hip-width distance apart to high plank position

• Use your abs to lift your hips up and back
• Place a slight bend in your knees
• Spread your fingers wide and press your thumbs and index fingers into the floor
• Bring your gaze back, make sure your ears are in line with your arms

Modified Crescent Lunge with side twist

• From Downward facing dog, bring your right foot in between your palms
• Place your back knee down
• Lift your torso up and lean your left hip into the lunge
• Raise your arms up to shoulder height and twist to the right
• Hold for 2-3 breaths
• Release your arms down and press back to downward facing dog
• Repeat on the other side

Seated Forward Fold Paschimottanasana

• From Crescent lunge, come to a seated position on the floor
• Extend your legs long with a bend in your knees as needed
• Flex your toes toward your face
• Inhale to sit tall and exhale reach forward grabbing a hold of your ankles or feet
• Hold of 2-3 breaths

Supine Twist Jathara Parivartanasana

• From seated Forward fold, rise up and stretch your arms out in front of you
• Use your abdominals to roll down on to the floor
• Pull your right knee to your chest and extend your left leg long
• Guide your right knee across your body to the left side, you can use a towel to prop up your knee *It is ok if your knee does not touch the floor
• Stack your top hip over your bottom hip
• Reach your right arm out to shoulder height
• Hold for 2-3 breaths then repeat on the left side

Caroline Charlton is a Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Power Yoga instructor. She believes in healing the mind, body, and spirit with holistic methods including nutrition, yoga, meditation, and reiki. She is founder of the holistic private practice Wellness Warrior Inc.