Why yoga is the perfect way to start your day
My favourite way to start the day is on my mat, practicing (or indeed teaching) yoga.
I know for lots of people yoga is the last thing to add to a hectic morning routine. As both a morning person and a yoga teacher, it’s not surprising I’m keen for super early yoga but I think I can bring you round to my way of thinking…
Set the tone for the day ahead
I have always been a lover of early morning exercise. However, this used to be waking at the crack of dawn for a long run or an intense cycle. I wondered why I often felt chaotic from the moment the day started, stressed before it seemed that my eyes had even opened.
Starting the day slower and quieter has done wonders for my stress levels. This isn’t to say the yoga I practice in the morning is always slow, but it does always feature time for grounding, reflecting and deciding what I want out of the day ahead.
It’s easy to get consumed in whatever emotions we wake up with in the morning, but taking the time to think “I need more of this” and “I need less of this” can be really helpful in helping you feel more in control.
Stretch the body out after your night’s sleep
Not only is early morning yoga the perfect remedy to any night time aches or cricks, it’s the perfect way to prepare your body for a day sitting at the desk, driving long distances or running around after children.
It’s no mystery that yoga is great for stretching parts of the body that rarely get a look in during our everyday life. And just in the way you get your mind ready for the day, what better time to get your body ready for the day too!
Yogic tradition
Yoga has an incredibly rich history, tracing back thousands of years. In ancient yoga texts and mantras the sun is sometimes referred to as ‘the one who illuminates our minds’, almost like a guru or a master to learn from and listen to. There’s a reason that the more modern (by yoga standards!) sun salutations are so named, greeting the sun is seen as being respectful to one of the biggest powers in our world.
As the sun rises, it brings light and heat to the day; practicing in the morning (ideally with the rising sun) gives you the chance to take on some of that light, heat and energy into the day ahead.
So why don’t you try it? Doesn’t have to be a daily ritual, just a little something different one morning - see how you feel.
Join me, Monday and Friday mornings at 6:30am on zoom for an early morning live yoga flow or have a look through my YouTube library for some on demand practices to start your day.
