Wake the Body Before the To-Do List

Mornings set the tone for everything after them. A few minutes of movement before the phone tells your body the day has begun on your terms. Here are five gentle poses to move through slowly, breathing the whole way.

1. Child's Pose

A soft place to begin. Knees wide, arms forward, forehead down. Let the back of the body lengthen and the breath settle before you ask anything of yourself.

2. Cat-Cow

On hands and knees, arch and round the spine with the breath. This wakes up a stiff back and links movement to breath — the heart of the whole practice.

3. Downward Dog

Press the hips up and back. Pedal the feet, soften the shoulders. A full-body stretch that gets the blood moving and the mind alert.

4. Low Lunge

Step one foot forward and sink the hips. This opens the front of the body that sleep keeps folded — hips, thighs, chest. Repeat on both sides.

5. Standing Forward Fold

Feet hip-width, fold forward, let the head hang heavy. A gentle wake-up for the hamstrings and a quiet reset for the nervous system. Roll up slowly to finish.

Keep It Light

Five minutes is plenty. The point isn't a workout — it's arriving in your body before the day arrives in your inbox.