I struggle to function if I haven’t had my morning coffee. So, I was surprised when Annie Landa, yoga instructor for Alo Moves, told me she had given up on coffee altogether.
Instead, Landa starts her day with a short flow to give her mind and body the jolt it needs to get going.
“Yoga is one of the most powerful ways to shift your state—physically, mentally and emotionally,” she tells Fit&Well. “The moment you step on your mat, you become more attuned to your breath, your body becomes your anchor and energy starts to move.
“In just 10 minutes, yoga wakes up stagnant areas of the body, activates your core and circulation, and clears mental fog. It’s not always about intensity—it’s about intention.
“When you move with presence, stretch with awareness and breathe deeply, you activate your nervous system in a way that’s both calming and energizing.”
Sounds like the perfect swap for that morning coffee. “It’s like hitting reset. You realize you don’t need caffeine, and if you’re like me, maybe you stop having it at all,” says Landa. “You just need a few minutes with yourself, to breathe, to connect.”
How to do Annie Landa’s energizing mind and body flow
All you need to do Annie Landa’s flow is a yoga mat and 10 minutes.
Work your way through the moves in the order below, it might feel slow the first few times as you get used to them, but soon enough it will be your new morning habit.
Here’s a quick overview to refer to if you need to remind yourself of the poses mid flow, followed by explanations of how to do each pose.
- Seated breath into spinal twist and stretch 3-5 twists each side, stretch once each side for 3-5 breaths
- Cat-cow 3-5 breath cycles
- Yogi squat 3-5 breaths
- Downward-facing dog 3 breaths
- Leg lift with knee to elbow 5 times each side
- Bear hold 3 breaths
- Falling triangle 3 breaths each side
- Child’s pose final resting pose
1. Seated breath into spinal twist and stretch
(Image credit: Alo Moves)
- Sit on your mat in a comfortable position, with your spine straight and your eyes closed.
- Take deep breaths into your belly to ground and center yourself.
- Exhale as you slowly twist your torso to the left to mobilize the spine.
- Inhale as you return to the center.
- Repeat on the other side and peform three to five twists each side.
- Lean your torso to the left and lift your right arm overhead and to the left, feeling the stretch down your right side.
- Hold for three breaths then repeat on the other side.
2. Cat-cow
(Image credit: Alo Moves)
- Start on your hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Inhale as you arch your spine, lifting your chest and chin into cow pose.
- Exhale as you round your spine, tucking your chin to form cat pose.
- Repeat this sequence three to five times to warm up the spine, syncing your movement with your breath.
3. Yogi squat
(Image credit: Alo Moves)
- Sit with your legs extended in front of you.
- Bend your knees and bring your claves as close to the back of your thighs as possible, with your feet flat on the floor wider than hip-width apart.
- Use your hands to gently push your body forward, lifting your butt off the floor and shifting your weight onto your feet.
- If your heels lift off the floor, add a cushion or rolled-up towel under your heels for support.
- Bring the palms of your hands together in front of your chest, using your elbows to push the knees out and open up the hips.
- Hold for three to five breaths.
4. Downward-facing dog
(Image credit: Alo Moves)
- Get on your hands and knees, then walk your hands forward slightly.
- Exhale as you lift your hips up and back, straightening your legs until your body forms a triangle shape, with your weight evenly distributed between your hands and feet.
- If your heels don’t touch the mat, this is fine, just exhale deeper into the stretch, pushing the heels towards the floor as much as you can.
- Hold for three breaths as the pose stretches the spine and hamstrings, energizing your body.
5. Leg lift with knee to elbow
(Image credit: Alo Moves)
- From downward-facing dog, lift your right leg behind your so your toes are pointing up.
- Bring your right knee to meet your right elbow.
- Place your right foot next to your left and push your hips up and back to return to downward-facing dog.
- Repeat five times, keeping the move slow and controlled.
- Repeat on the other side.
6. Bear hold
(Image credit: Alo Moves)
- Get on your hands and knees.
- Press your palms into the floor and lift your knees just off the floor, shifting your weight from your knees onto your toes
- Hold here for three breaths, maintaining a neutral spine.
7. Falling triangle
(Image credit: Alo Moves)
- Start in downward-facing dog.
- Lift your right foot behind you then slowly bring it underneath you, past your left elbow and onto the mat with your toes pointing forward.
- With your left foot and right hand supporting your weight, lean back and reach your left arm up and look up. For more of a challenge, stretch the arm over your head.
- Hold for three to five breaths, feeling the stretch in your side.
- Return your hand to the mat and bring your foot back under your body to return to downward-facing dog.
- Repeat on the other side.
8. Child’s pose
(Image credit: Alo Moves)
- Get on your hands and knees.
- Keeping your palms in place, move your hips back to rest on your heels.
- Rest here and connect with your breath until you’re ready to finish.
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