I know, I know. Especially at this time of year with the cold and the dark and the rainâŠyeah. When 6am rolls around, our yoga mats and a morning yoga practice just don’t sound quite as appealing as our bed. ButâŠitâs worth getting up for. Trust me. And if you need a little convincing, here are our top 5 reasons why starting a yoga practice could be one of the best things you can do for yourself and your day.
It helps to create a sense of routine
For a lot of us, routine provides comfort and a feeling of stability. If you have a regular morning yoga practice, it helps to create a really healthy habit. So not only is the yoga practice good for you, but the actual act of getting up and doing â more or less â the same thing every morning is good for you too. And it can also help in the creation of a night routine too. If you know that alarm is going off super early the next morning, youâre more likely to spend your evening winding down and preparing for bed, which in turn helps to encourage a good nightâs sleep. Itâs win win.
It feels good
If you start off your day with an hour-long morning yoga class, itâs way more likely that youâll reach for some porridge and fruit for your breakfast rather than, say, an Egg McMuffin. Yoga helps us feel good, and when itâs the first thing we do in the morning, weâll probably gravitate towards making other choices that help us feel good throughout the day, whether theyâre to do with food, water, movement, relationships, or social situations.
Itâs usually a bit more difficult
And not just because of the alarm clock. In the morning, our bodies are physically stiffer and poses that we may find simple at the end of the day can be more challenging. Why is this a benefit, you ask? Because it helps us to challenge our egos and practice non-attachment to a postures aesthetics. We can practice by feel, listen to our bodies, and take a slice of humble pie when our forward folds require some serious bent knees.
Itâs a stress-buster
Go to a 7am morning yoga class and float into the office calm, collected, and connected to your breath. When youâve taken the time to destress, move your body, and connect to your breath first thing in the morning, situations that might have really stressed you out on other days just donât seem to matter as much. Itâs less likely that little inconveniences will bother you, and youâll likely be a more efficient worker throughout the rest of the day. Thereâs a reason more and more companies are incorporating yoga classes into the working day!
It sets a positive tone for the rest of your day
Iâm a firm believer that what we do in the morning affects how the rest of our day flows. When you take the time to look after yourself in the morning and make that a priority, it helps to foster a real sense of self-love and self-compassion. And that helps you show that love and compassion to other people you encounter throughout your day. Take the time to fill your own cup with all of the goodness that your yoga practice can bring, and then just let all of that goodness overflow to those around you 😊
YogaHub offers a variety of classes at 6:45 and 7am, but if making it to a studio that early isnât possible for you, no worries! Youtube is your friend â a quick search for âmorning yogaâ will give you more options than youâll know what to do with. And if youâre short on time, a 5 minute meditation or a few Cat/Cows or Sun Salutations will still help to start your day off on the right foot. But honestly â yoga is magical, no matter what time you can make it to your mat. So if a morning practice isnât feasible for you at the moment, no worries! Thereâs something special about your practice at any time of day 😊
