Getting up early in the morning, squeezing into a yoga outfit and heading to a yoga session may not seem like the best idea to many people. It is a struggle for them to drag themselves out of bed, let alone dash to the studio for practicing yoga. However, morning yoga is the most transcending, energizing and enlightening experience you can have to begin your day with. Making it a part of your daily regime instills a wide variety of changes within your body and mind, heightening everything that makes you the person you are. It widely benefits people with eating disorders, anxiety and depression, and other health problems through their healing abilities.
Tips to Get Yourself onto the Yoga Mat
Once you plan on getting up early and submerging yourself into a dedicated routine of morning yoga, here are a few tricks of the trade that can keep you motivated:
Stay Prepared and Organized
Though the entire time taken to practice yoga at any time of the day remains the same, it seems less in the morning owing to the rush you are into. It is best to be prepared with stuff like laying out your mat the previous night. In case you are opting for an online class, decide on which class would you like to attend (or join Blissflow Studio and I have a class ready for you every day).
Take a Shower
Once you have everything organized the previous evening, it is highly recommended that you take a shower before you begin with the yoga session. It might sound odd to take a shower before you sweat it out. However, it is not just hygienic, but also refreshes and wakes you up.
Rope in A Friend
Nothing motivates you to attend yoga classes better than having a friend accompany you to it. Having a yoga buddy keeps your spirits high. Moreover, with your friend attending the entire session, you will probably do the same. Well, nobody likes leaving their yoga buddy hanging!
Practice in PJs
If you are practicing yoga at your home, an important thing to make sure of is the room you practice in is warm. Waking up in a cold, dark winter morning is even more challenging. Nevertheless, the best thing about practicing at home is that you can do it within the comfort of your pajamas or a woolen jumper. Isn’t that wonderful?
Ponder on the Greater Benefit
There is nothing wrong with longing for more sleep when you feel exhausted from the previous day’s work. However, rising early and practicing yoga is undoubtedly the best beginning you can have to your day. When you think of the greater benefit you get to derive along with the lingering feeling of peace, equilibrium, and openness, you might consider extracting it from those few extra minutes.
Health Benefits Derived from Morning Yoga
The impact of yoga on the body and mind of an individual is vast and there is no denying it. However, the primary question that most people wonder about is when must you practice yoga to derive the most benefit out of it? Well, yoga can be practiced at any time of the day. Irrespective of the time, yoga will bring about certain health benefits for you. Nevertheless, practicing it right after you get out of bed rejuvenates and brightens you for the rest of the day.
Here is a list of health benefits that you can derive from practicing morning yoga.
1. Improves Strength, Posture, and Flexibility
Practicing yoga every day helps you tone and stretch your body muscles. Common poses like planks work on strengthening your shoulder, legs, arms, and abs at the same time. The fact that you must be super agile and flexible to practice yoga is a myth. The beauty of yoga lies in the fact that people with all levels of ability can practice it.
2. Enhances Metabolism
One of the greatest benefits of practicing yoga in the morning is that extra boost to your metabolism. Practicing it the first thing in the morning wakes up your body and fosters metabolism for the entire day. Doing a few special twists within your yoga routine greatly stimulates your digestive system. It works wonders in removing bloating caused by your previous day’s dinner!
3. Tones You Up
Unlike the common belief, you do not need to hit the gym regularly to keep your body in shape or acquire good health. You can simply attain the same by doing yoga at home using a yoga mat and some good online tutorials. Performing yoga in the long run tones up your entire body, beginning with your arms to your legs. People with issues of being overweight can also burn down those extra calories to get back to shape. Practicing yoga early in the morning before consuming any food lets your body reap surprising benefits over a several month span.
4. Improves All-round Fitness
Most of us tend to run to the gym or subject our bodies to rigorous outdoor activities whenever we think of improving our fitness levels. But, did you know that yoga can give your body all the benefits you acquire from a gym, but in a rather holistic and safer way? Yogic postures bring together a combination of functional, strength and cardio training in every session. The best part? You can do it all within the comfort of your home.
5. Eases Out Body Pain
Have you been suffering from severe neck pain or backache due to wrong posture and sitting all day? Yoga can help ease out the pain. Surprised? Starting your day with meditation or a flow of asanas can make you feel a lot better without consuming too much medication.
6. Improves Heart Rate
Certain yoga postures can enhance your heart rate. This decreases the risk of a heart attack and relieves you from depression. On the other hand, it has been noticed that yoga brings down your heart rate, makes your body absorb higher levels of oxygen and increases your endurance if you are involved in regular sessions of exercise as well.
7. Benefits Your Lung Health
Adapting to yoga in the morning is highly beneficial for your lungs as it gives you enough room to breathe. The fact that you move your body parts and stretch in combination with deep inhalations and exhalations, your lung functions in a better manner. Moreover, yoga encourages breathing through the nose, thus, filtering more air, humidifying and warming it and making it devoid of any harmful elements that might enter your lungs.
The option of practicing early morning yoga might not feel enticing. However, having a knowledge of the amazing long-term benefits you get to acquire can always motivate you to try it out. If you are looking forward to maintaining a healthy body and mind without having to sweat it out at the gym, yoga is the answer for you. From managing daily stress to relieve your body of severe pains, yoga does the trick!
Click here for my favorite yoga poses to get energy in the morning.
