Yoga for Sleepyheads

There are lots of poses you can do with minimal effort before (or whether or not) you get out of bed!  Maybe you're depressed, maybe you had a late night, or maybe you're sore from yesterday.  Strike a deal to stay in bed (just five more minutes?) while getting in touch with your body and breath.  Here are some baby steps, before your feet even touch the floor!

On your back, there are plenty of choices, aside from savasana.  Here are my absolute favorites:

• Supta baddha konasana!  Soles of the feet together, shoulders down and back to expand the ribcage.  Open your hips the relaxing way, with gravity and breath.  You can bunch your blankie under your knees if you're not comfortable flat on the bed.
• Spinal twists!  With bent or straight knee, engage the core and stack one hip on top of the other.  Stretch the bottom leg out long, torso long.  Neck is relaxed.  Shoulders press down, away from the ears.  Yawn, snuggle your partner or a body pillow, then switch sides.
• Pavanmuktanasana!  Your posterior fascia will thank you for waking it up before you get out of bed.  You can grab the bottom of your foot, or your knee, one side at a time.  Just make the lower back is long and strong, and keeping the hips square.  You can also engage the core and bring your hips up over your shoulders in plow pose (halasana), to feel the burn (not pain!) all the way up your neck!

On your side, with or without the pillow!  Try for yourself:

• Side bow!  (Parsva Dhanurasana!)  Half or full, remember to engage the lower abs to protect the lumbar spine. 
• Side plank!  (Vasisthasana!  ...Was ist das-ana?)  On your elbow to take it easy.  To really get into it, raise the top leg and extend through the front of the hips.
• Side locust!  Getting pumped?  Throw a little pilates in there!  Stabilize your torso with your abs and raise both your legs.  No, it won't be easy, and no, this is not "real yoga."  Real yoga is not giving a f***.

On your front, for the overachievers!  Experiment and feel if they serve you:

• Child's pose!  (Balasana.)  Take it easy, or put some work into it.  Push your hands down into your mattress, find more space in your shoulders by sliding your blades down your back, and rotating your elbows downward.  Neck and face stay relaxed, eyes closed.
• Bridge!  (Setu bhanda sarvangasana.)  Plant your feet close to your butt.  Engage quads.  Tilt your hips toward your face, and slowly lift your spine, sacrum to cervicals.  Relax your neck, shoulders, face.  Deeeeeeep breaths!
• Locust and bow!  (Salabhasana and dhanurasana.)  Remember to engage your lower abs and press down with the pubis.  For me, this is more comfortable than on a mat or floor.  Open the shoulders and ribcage with slow, gentle breaths.

Transition mindfully.  There are many ways to sit up in bed yogi style.

• You can turn your tucked legs to the side and push up with your arms.  Engage abs and spread fingers wide!
• Get into a slow burn with a controlled abdominal roll.  End up in staff pose (dandasana).  
• For the brazen, the Bikram sit up combines a double exhale with an intense burst of core energy.

On the side of your bed, for the ones who just might make it out of bed after all!

• Standing poses!  Yes really!  I find it best for extended side angle (utthita parsvakonasana) and extended triangle (utthita trikonasana) poses, but you might have a different favorite.  Sit on the side of the bed and put your feet on the floor.  Widen your stance to a lunge, and put your hand down on the bed to steady yourself.  Lengthen through the torso and put as much or as little weight as you like on your legs.
• Downward facing dog!  (Adho mukda svanasana.)  Forget touching your toes in the morning!  Push the bed away as you walk back, until your hips make a right angle with your torso.  Square the hips, lengthen the spine and open the shoulders.  The elevation shifts weight off your wrists and arms.  Of course, there's also dolphin, aka puppy dog, for more shoulder action. 
• Plank pose and dolphin plank!

Followed me so far?  Feeling spunky?  Okay, now stand up.  Whoa, not too fast!  Look, you're out of bed and feeling fantastic!  It's a yoga miracle!