Health & Fitness

Beginner Yoga for Stiff Mornings

Meets Mondays · 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM · on Zoom 9 enrolled Free to audit

Listen—if you wake up stiff as a board and dread getting out of bed, this class is for you. We meet Monday mornings and move through slow, gentle stretches to loosen up tight hips and shoulders before your day starts. No pretense here. You don't need to be flexible, you don't need to be young, and you don't need to buy a single thing. A towel works fine as a strap.

I'm not a certified anything. I'm just a woman who couldn't touch her toes a few years back and figured out how to move again. Slow and boring is the whole point.

By the end you'll have a five-minute routine you can do on your own, forever. Your body, your rules. 🌞

What you'll learn

Distinguish normal stretch ache from actual pain
Do gentle bed stretches before standing up
Move through cat-cow, pigeon, and low lunge safely
Build a five-minute daily morning stretch routine
Use household items like books and towels for support

Materials & tools

What to bring

Loose, comfortable clothing you can bend and stretch in (leggings, sweats, or a soft t-shirt) — from home, $0
A bath towel or large hand towel — doubles as a stretching strap and as padding under knees or hips — from home, $0
Water bottle to sip before and after — from home, $0
Bare feet or grippy socks; yoga is done without shoes — $0 (non-slip socks $8-12 if you want them)

Nice to have

Yoga mat, standard size (about 68" x 24", 1/8" to 1/4" thick) for cushioning and grip — $15-30
Yoga strap, 6 ft cotton, for reaching feet without straining (a towel or old necktie works just as well) — $8-12
Foam yoga blocks, standard 4" x 6" x 9", one or two, to bring the floor closer in seated and standing stretches — $8-15 per pair
A firm cushion or folded blanket to sit on and to pad knees — from home, $0
A small pillow or rolled blanket to support the low back or neck while lying down — from home, $0

Lessons

The ground rules before you move
Why slow beats hard, what you actually need, telling pain from ache, and how to keep breathing.
Gentle wake-up stretches
Easy movements in bed and on the floor to loosen the small joints first thing.
- Bed stretches before your feet hit the floor12 min
- Cat-cow, or being a cat on purpose15 min
- Slow neck and jaw releases11 min
- Rolling out the wrists and ankles10 min
Loosening the body, shoulders to hips
Working top to bottom through the shoulders, arms, upper back, hips, and legs.
- Shoulder rolls and shrugs, done slow12 min
- Arms overhead and side reaches14 min
- The doorway chest opener13 min
- Threading the needle for the upper back15 min
- Knee hugs and gentle rocking12 min
- The pigeon thing (I think that's what it's called)16 min
- Seated figure-four stretch14 min
- Low lunge with a book under the knee15 min
Standing poses and finding your balance
Forward folds, side bends, seated twists, and a first wobbly try at balancing.
- Forward fold without touching your toes yet13 min
- Standing side bends12 min
- Gentle seated twists14 min
- Tree pose, where we all wobble together13 min
Your routine and going solo
Building a short daily routine and keeping it going on your own from here.

Key terms

Asana: A yoga posture or pose; the physical shapes you move into and hold during class.
Hatha yoga: A slower, gentle style of yoga that focuses on individual postures and breathing rather than fast flowing sequences.
Cat-Cow: A gentle warm-up on hands and knees that alternates between arching and rounding the back to loosen the spine.
Child's Pose: A common resting pose where you kneel and fold forward with arms extended, used any time you need a break.
Neutral spine: The natural, gently curved alignment of the back that keeps the spine safe and supported during movement.
Range of motion: How far a joint can comfortably move; gentle stretching gradually increases it over time.
Mobility: The ability to move a joint actively through its full range with control, which is what morning stretching builds.
Prop: A supportive tool such as a block, strap, cushion, or towel that makes a pose easier and more accessible.
Modification: A simpler or adjusted version of a pose that fits your body, injuries, or flexibility on a given day.
Breath awareness: Paying attention to slow, steady breathing during movement to help the body relax and release tension.