15 Minute Morning Yoga Sequence for Beginners
By Estefania Loewenberg Oct. 22, 2017
Sam Emrich has been at Blue Indigo for approximately 3 weeks and we are so happy to have her in Siem Reap. We made a brief interview along with her to learn more about her background and get some tips on how beginners could slowly start getting themselves into practicing yoga at home with a short sequence that lasts less than 15 minutes! Sam is a yoga instructor from New York City, New York. She has been traveling and teaching around Southeast Asia and is very excited to be here in Cambodia teaching at Blue Indigo Yoga.
Sam started practicing yoga casually in her teens, but her yoga practice really started to become more consistent in her late teens and early twenties. After a few years of consistent practice, she decided to get her yoga teacher training in Brooklyn, New York.
She teaches a vinyasa based classes, blending classical and modern yoga philosophy. Her training includes a broad range of influences – from Iyengar, Ashtanga, Forrest, Dharma, Hatha and Bikram yoga. Sam’s classes consist of a fusion of different lineages based on a vinyasa class.
Sam’s best advice for anyone who is interested in beginning their yoga journey is – Don’t take yourself too seriously, yoga is another way to ask questions. Enjoy the process of learning and exploring.
We asked Sam if she could share a short yoga sequence that anyone can do at home before getting started with their day and this is what she shared with us.
Morning short yoga sequence for beginners
We start off in easy pose crossing the legs sitting with our back straight on the two sit bones growing tall palms facing up to get energy for the day ahead. Take 10 breaths in this pose.
From easy pose you place your left hand on top of your right knee and reach your right arm behind you for a gentle twist. Look over your right shoulder, take 5 breaths, return back to center and take your right hand to the left knee. Place the right arm behind your back, gazing over the left shoulder 5 breath and then return back to center.
Come onto your knees placing your hips on your heels and tuck your 10 toes underneath you so you can feel the contact of your 10 toes on the ground, you might want to keep your hands in front of you for support as you walk them onto your thighs, balancing into your toe stand. This pose is considered a reflexology move that stretches and strengthens the connective tissue all across the bottom of your feet. Take 5 to 10 breaths in this pose.
Come to all fours in your tabletop position aligning your shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees. Keep your 10 toes tucked underneath, just like toe stand. On an inhale arch the belly and the chest as you gaze forwards and upwards for cow pose. On an exhale, round the belly into the spine and tuck the tailbone. Press the floor away and tuck the chin to the chest for cat pose. Repeat inhale to cow and exhale to cat for 5 rounds of breath.
Come all the way down to your belly and let your toes untuck hip-width distance apart. Take your forearms to the ground parallel from each other. Press on to the floor with the palms of your hands for sphinx pose. Shoulders should be aligned over your elbows and relaxed down away from the ears. You are actively pushing the floor away and lifting the chest with the strength of the forearms.
Returning back to a tabletop position take the knees a little bit wider and touch the two big toes together. Sit with your hips to the heels, letting the belly fall between the legs as you lengthen the arms out long. Let the head relax down towards the ground for child’s pose. Take 5 to 10 breaths in this pose connecting to the earth.
Thank you, for sharing your knowledge and practice with us.
Namaste!