What’s your morning ritual? Do you hit the Snooze button repeatedly and burrow under the covers or do you have a mindful routine that sets the tone for the rest of your day? How you begin your day influences the rest of your waking hours and your sleep too. Adding yoga to your morning routine will set you up for a great day.
Here’s how unrolling your yoga mat at the start of your day can shift your perspective and improve your life.
1. Boost Your Metabolism and Immunity:
We’re two years into a global pandemic and it’s more important than ever to do all we can to boost our internal systems, especially our immune systems. Yoga is fabulous because it stimulates circulation, improves digestion and elimination, and impacts the lymphatic system, which is what removes harmful toxins from our bodies. Yoga asanas like forward folds and twists compress and stimulate our internal organs, which stokes Agni or digestive fire. Seventy percent of our immune system resides in our gut so, a regular morning yoga practice contributes to starting your day off as powerful as possible.
2. Prioritize Self-Care to Stay Strong:
Some people are great at making sure they refill their personal well on a regular basis, but for the rest of us, it’s easy to be swept up in the events of the day and neglect our own well-being. Consider practicing yoga first thing in the morning as a way to ensure that you’re nourishing your body, mind, and soul. Yoga soothes our nervous system which results in deeper sleep and more alert waking hours. When we feel strong and balanced, we are able to show up for others in our lives and be fully present.
3. Manifest Positive Intentions:
We’ve said countless times: we don’t have control over external events, but we can learn to control our reaction to how our days unfold. If we begin the day with a sense of gratitude and a positive mindset, we are better equipped to handle the latest news or master the latest challenge that comes our way. Mindful movement, breathing, and intention-setting enable us to be less reactive and more proactive. Happiness is a choice and who doesn’t want to make the most out of each day?
So, this week, join us first thing in the morning and see how you feel! If you’re not usually a morning person, these four classes by some of YogaDownload’s top instructors may convert you!
Pradeep Teotia - Morning Vinyasa Flow
Elise Fabricant - Morning Quickie 3
Kylie Larson - Morning Movement
Shy Sayar - Morning Yoga in Bed