10 Lazy Yoga Poses You Can Practice In Bed
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Morning Yoga In Bed For Lazy Yogi
I think we have to admit it, some of us are just not morning people. When I get out of bed, I don’t even want to stretch vigorously, never mind a rigorous yoga session down at the gym.
I know lots of people feel the same. For some people, just the thought of a morning workout makes them tremble at the knees.
Enter the beauty of yoga. You can do deep stretches, practice deep breathing and draw awareness all from the comfort of your own home, and conversely, in your own bed.
Maybe you feel under the weather, or you’re just a little bit lazy this morning, this article is just for you. Because we are going to show you how you can leave the tough yoga session until tomorrow, and instead, do a lazy yoga session in the comfort of your own bed!
It’s what I like to call “bed yoga.” Practicing bed yoga is a way to go inward, awaken the body, and start the day off on the right foot (pun intended).
Many floor Asanas (poses) can be practiced on your bed. With the padding of your mattress and support cushions, you can let go completely in these more restorative poses.
You may not feel you’re achieving much but the benefits from even a few moments in meditation with the most simple of stretches can have lasting effects on the body and mind. Keep it simple, breathe deeply throughout the routine, and remember the law of least effort.
The only problem is you really now, have no more excuses—here’s an easy way to include yoga into your day.
1. Savasana
This morning is the perfect time for meditation. When you wake up, keep your eyes closed and simply lie still on your back in Savasana (corpse pose) with your palms facing up. Bring awareness to your breathing. In a naturally relaxed state, breathing is effortless. Feel the belly rise and fall with each breath.
Benefits:
- Relaxes your body and your central nervous system
- Helps relieve depression
- Helps relieve stress
- Reduces headaches and fatigue
- Calms your mind
- Promotes restoration
2. Full-Body Stretch
This is the typical morning stretch that you probably already do naturally when you wake up. Bring your arms overhead reaching from fingertips to pointed toes. Elongate and engage the entire body with a slight forward tilt in the pelvis and an arch in the lower back.
Benefits:
- Increases overall oxygen intake from expansion of ribcage
- Activates the muscles in your body
- Makes room for vital organs
- Promotes Calmness
- Lowers depression
3. Goddess Pose (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
This pose is great for stretching your inner thighs and groin muscles. It helps to put pillows under your knees for support. While lying down, bend your knees and move your heels toward your pelvis. Press the soles of your feet together and let your knees relax open to the sides.
Benefits:
- Helps relieve depression and stress
- Promotes proper energy flow in your pelvic area
- Stimulates your abdominal organs and sexual organs
- Helps with menopause symptoms and PMS
4. Wind Removing Pose
This pose will help you with your morning digestion. Raise your right knee to your chest (avoiding the ribcage). Clasp your fingers around your right knee and pull in to your right shoulder. Repeat on the left side. Then, bring both knees to the chest and give yourself a big morning hug.
Benefits:
- Activates the thighs, abdomen, and hips
- Improves hip flexibility
- Strengthens the biceps, triceps, and forearm muscles
- Prevents flatulence
- Massages the ascending, descending, and transverse colon, compressing the entire digestive system
5. Hip Rock
This pose is great for those deeper muscles in the low back and pelvis. With the knees bent, place your feet flat on the bed, slightly more than hips-width apart. Begin letting both knees fall to one side than the other, naturally rocking and stretching your hips and low back.
Benefits:
- Increases lower back mobility
- Improves hip flexibility
- Massages internal organs
6. Modified Wheel Pose
From the hip rock pose, bring your feet slightly in (about hips-width apart). While pressing into the feet begin to raise your hips in the air as far as you comfortably can. Press your feet, shoulders, and back of the arms into the bed as you continue to push your hips higher.
Benefits:
- Stretches and expands the chest and lungs
- Strengthens the arms, legs, buttocks, abdomen, and spine
- Stimulates the thyroid and pituitary glands
- Stretches the hip, groin, and quadricep muscles
- Enhances energy
- Helps relieve depression
- Relieves back pain
- Helps with infertility
7. Legs Up The Wall Pose
Legs Up the Wall Pose or also known as the Viparita Karani is a restorative yoga posture that allows the mind and the body to relax. It also helps relieve stress and tension.
It is one of the most approachable yoga in bed poses as it doesn’t require much flexibility or strength. But even though it’s a passive pose, its benefits are pretty amazing.
- It helps you to relax and it facilitates venous drainage and increases circulation.
- It soothes swollen or cramped feet and legs.
- Stretches your hamstrings and your lower back.
- This pose will help you relieve your lower back tension and back pain.
8. Modified Downward Dog
Turn around to face the bed and place the palms of your hands and your forearms on the bed. Slowly move your hips back, until your back is flat. Slightly bend each leg (one by one) for an added hip stretch.
Benefits:
- Calms the nervous system
- Helps relieve depression and stress
- Increases flexibility in the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands
- Strengthens the arms and legs
- Helps relieve symptoms of menopause and PMS
- Improves digestion
- Energizes the entire body
- Therapeutic for sciatica
9. Hands to Floor Pose
Gradually place your hands on the floor and, with knees slightly bent, walk your hands back to touch your toes. Gently move your hips to the sky.
Benefits:
- Lengthens the hamstrings, calves, and back
- Relieves stress in the neck and shoulders
- Calms the mind
- Increases blood flow to the head and brain
10. Modified Mountain Pose
Sitting with feet crossed and knees spread out to the sides, bring your hands together in Namaste (prayer position) at your heart center. Set your intentions for the day, and give thanks for an easy morning yoga and meditation routine.
Benefits:
- Centers the mind
- Improves posture
- Firms abdomen and buttocks
- Improves mind-body connection
- Strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles
- Reduces flat feet
You can complete your routine by doing a round or two of sun salutations or simply end in mountain pose.
There are many more yoga routines you could do in bed. Your imagination can be endless. Try creating your own routine that incorporates your favorite stretches, mantras (affirmations), and meditations.
Be motivated to begin a yoga practice by making it simple and fun to do. After feeling the benefits of this easy morning routine, you may be inspired to start a daily practice that grows, expands, and blossoms with time.
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