*This* Yoga Pose Is As Energizing As a Shot of Espresso—and Jessamyn Stanley Swears by It

Photo: Christine Hewitt
Sure, coffee is great: Sipping on your favorite brew can wake you up in about five seconds flat. But something that might be even more powerful? Doing a little yoga once you crawl out of your warm, cozy bed—just ask yogi Jessamyn Stanley, who credits one pose in particular with giving her as much energy as any amount of caffeine ever could.

When answering reader questions for The New York Times, the star yogi revealed the four poses she would do if she could only practice for 10 minutes a day. And while she has a handful of go-tos, the camel pose never fails in being the ultimate way to invigorate her, no matter when or where she does it. "It's a deep back bend that always energizes me. It's literally like taking a shot of espresso every single time," she says. Yep, even your cold brew doesn't have that level of power.

"The camel pose is a deep back bend that always energizes me. It's literally like taking a shot of espresso every single time." —Jessamyn Stanley

In addition to the wake-you-up powers of camel, she has some other super-effective moves up her sleeve as well when you're strapped on time. Despite having a love-hate relationship with it, Stanley recommends doing a downward facing dog, which she says "is a standard core pose that should definitely be [in the mix]." Follow that with a mood-boosting dolphin pose because it "is a good way to work the hamstrings and a good way to see how your whole body integrates together to hold you." And finish up with a stress-reducing happy baby pose, which lends itself to a "carefree feeling that is so difficult to manifest in our regular lives."

See? You don't need to devote hour upon hour to yoga to reap the benefits. If you're low on time, just whip out these four poses for some major energy, full-body strength, and all sorts of feel-good vibes.

You need to check out these three simple happiness tips from a 99-year-old yoga teacher. Or, find out which yoga moves pretty much feel like a massage.

Tags: Yoga

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