Spine Wake Up Yoga Sequence

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Disclaimer: I am not a certified yoga instructor, nor am I a medical professional. Always talk to your doctor before starting any exercise regimen, especially if you have a medical condition. Proceed at your own risk.

This is my favorite yoga sequence, and I have been practicing and adapting it for years. Sometimes I complete this quickly as a warm up prior to other exercise, sometimes I take it slow and add more poses in between. This has been a great “base” yoga flow to incorporate spine health in your practice.

This yoga sequence starts with some simple standing stretches and a gentle twist. Next, a warrior sequence stretches the spine, opens the lower back, and warms the hamstrings. Cat & Cow poses massage up your vertebrae between each section. Finally, floor poses stretch all areas of the back.

Go only as far as you feel comfortable in each pose. For each Cat & Cow, repeat until you feel your spine warming up and becoming comfortable. To stretch quickly, do each pose for 1-2 breaths. To go a slower pace and delve deeper into the poses, hold each for 5 breaths or more.


Start out with these warm up poses, in the middle of your yoga mat:

Now, get down on all fours, and start this Warrior sequence in Cat & Cow. Do all poses on one leg, and then rest for a few breaths in Extended Childs Pose. Afterward, repeat this section again on using the other leg.

Next, prepare for the floor poses by going back into Cat & Cow.

* You can also do neck stretches here

This sequence has improved my spine health and flexibility as long as I practice it a couple times a week. I also like to shake things up with adding more poses. More poses I like to add include:

  • Pigeon, and its variations
  • Legs Up the Wall
  • Dolphin Pose
  • Plank Variations

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