Yoga can play a good part in preparing mentally and physically for a big walk, a run, or a bout of exercise in general. This short sequence can be useful in waking up different parts of the body, legs, hips, shoulders, and even the brain, boosting mental motivation.
Place your mat against the wall and step the feet about 1 to 1.5 feet away, leaning the buttocks against the wall. Bend forward in Uttanasana, placing the hands on the shins or on the floor. This will start to slowly lengthen and broaden the hamstrings and release the spine.
Step away from the wall and bend down onto the mat for Virasana Forward. Come up for Adho Mukha Svanasana (Dog Pose) and go from Virasana to Dog Pose several times, finding your rhythm as you synchronise the breath with your movements.
Place the feet one foot or so away from the wall, feet apart, and with the back of the pelvis, the sacrum, against the wall slide up and down 3-4 times. Get the legs to work, keeping the knees pointing forward.
Come up and get a chair and a belt, and a blanket or towel if you have one there. Place the chair against the wall and the blanket folded over the rim of the chair back. Place one foot on the chair seat, bending the knee to bring it over the ankle. Extend the arms up in Urdhva Hastasana, to lift the side chest up. Then make a small lunging movement forward and back, a few times, to start to release any tension in the back of the legs and hips. Repeat on the other side.
Then place the Right heel onto the back of the chair, and keeping the left leg straight, loop the belt around the Right foot and straighten the knee. Shoulders over the hips. Change sides.
Stand sideways to the chair seat and take the Right foot onto the chair seat and turn the trunk to face to the side. Then place the Right heel on the chair back, holding the left leg straight. Change sides.
Turn the chair away from you, and heels onto a folded blanket, hands to the chair back, bend the knees to come to a squatting position; Malasana.
Now go to the wall and hands on the floor walk the feet up the wall to half Full Arm Balance (Adho Mukha Vrksasana). Then either repeat or go the full pose to lift your mental energy.
Come up, and you are now ready to go.
Video stills from this sequence
