Tag: morning

10 Ways to Prepare for a Healthy Morning

We all know how difficult it is to break a bad habit. Fortunately, breaking a good habit is just as difficult. Once a habit is engrained, it becomes part of daily life. Just think about your daily routine. You probably step out of bed and walk directly to the bathroom where you brush your teeth, even if you don’t feel like it. This habit of brushing your teeth doesn’t require much thought or stress. It’s automated. By automating a task, it becomes non-negotiable, and it gets done.

In my own life, I have automated a series of healthy tasks so that they feel like a natural part of my life. Every morning, I make my way through my morning routine without feelings of stress or dread.

If you are looking to adopt a healthy set of habits to create a new morning routine, you must find a way to automate these tasks so that they get done each day without a second thought. When I say “automate”, I don’t mean that you become a robot and mentally check out. I mean you get up and do these things without a mental debate of “should I” or “shouldn’t I”. You just do it.

A few days ago, I wrote an article discussing how much I love my morning routine. The routine doesn’t magically happen without planning and effort though. It takes a bit of preparation. I’ve found that the easiest way to get a routine to the point of automation is to prepare as much as possible in advance. Prepping doesn’t guarantee success, but it certainly increases the odds.

In order to help you, I’ve compiled a list of suggestions to help you prepare for your morning as much as possible. These are all tips that I’ve used in my own life. By taking some of these steps to start your morning routine the night before, you are much more likely to complete the routine when you get up. Feel free to incorporate as many of these suggestions as you’d like into your own life. You can do it!

1. For a portable, nutritious breakfast, pre-load your blender with fruits and vegetables before bed each night so that in the morning, you just have to add your liquid and blend a smoothie.

2. Use a multi-compartment pill case to set aside all of your vitamins and supplements for each day of the week. Allocate a little time, and sort your pills for the week. You’d be surprised how much time you can spend unscrewing childproof caps and getting your supplements ready every single morning.

3. Set out all of your exercise clothing the night before, including your socks and sneakers.

4. If you work out at home or practice yoga at home, set up all of your equipment before going to bed. Roll out your yoga mat, place your blocks at the top of the mat, make sure your strap is within reach, and a towel, too.

5. If you work out at a gym (or a studio), pack your bag and set it by the door. I remember the days of hitting the gym at 5:30 am. My brain was barely awake at that hour. If you are planning to shower at the gym and go directly to the office afterwards, I highly suggest that you wear your work clothes (NOT your exercise clothes) to the gym in the morning. Pack your exercise clothing in your gym bag. I used to think that I was saving myself lots of time by wearing my workout gear to the gym, but on many occasions, I found myself standing in the locker room after my workout without a vital piece of clothing. Once, I packed a full suit with stockings and heels, but I forgot to pack a shirt. Total disaster. At the end of the day, you’ve got to do what works best for YOU—even if it takes a bit longer.

6. Try a recipe for one of our make-ahead breakfasts! Oatmeal cake is one of my favorites. I don’t even bother re-heating it because I love eating it right out of the refrigerator.

7. Wash and chop frequently used fruits and vegetables, and store them in a container with a paper towel to absorb moisture in your fridge. Prepping any meal becomes much easier when the ingredients are ready to use.

8. Plan your drinks in advance. Do you want to start the day with a glass of water with lemon? If so, wash and slice your lemon and keep the wedges in a glass container in the fridge. Do you plan on taking your drink with you as you commute? If that’s the plan, make sure that your re-usable water bottle is clean and waiting for you on your kitchen counter.

9. If you have kids that need to get out the door for school, set the breakfast table the night before. Silverware, plates, napkins, placemats, cups, etc. Cutting out the small tasks in the morning leaves time for other things.

10. If your children need packed snacks and lunch boxes for school, do as much of the packing as possible the night before. Make sure napkins, water bottles, plastic spoons/forks and sandwich containers are washed and ready to go. Pack everything non-perishable in advance (i.e., apple sauce, crackers, drinks). In the morning, you only need to add your refrigerated items, and you will feel less rushed.

April 7, 2015
8 Poses to Energize Your Morning

You may be wondering how to develop a morning yoga practice if you aren’t a morning person. We’ve mentioned it in the past, and we will say it again—baby steps are the answer! Rather than setting your alarm clock 90 minutes earlier than usual, start by taking baby steps. Set yourself up for success by setting attainable goals. Perhaps a 5:30 am wake-up time will never fit your lifestyle, but a 6:30 am wake-up time may be palatable and sustainable. Even thirty minutes is enough time to set a daily intention, take a few deep breaths, stretch the body, raise the heart rate, and start each morning feeling peaceful and accomplished.

A few rounds of sun salutations, a series of core-strengthening exercises, and a number of warrior poses that fire up the leg muscles are a great way to stretch the body and break a sweat in a short period of time. Try each of the strengthening poses below, and once you are familiar with each of the poses and can hold each pose for five full breaths, repeat the sequence at a faster pace. Remember to practice the sequence on both sides of the body.

Down dog
Although it’s often called a “resting pose”, the entire body remains active in downward facing dog—Fingers grip the mat, biceps roll forward, shoulder blades move down the back, quadriceps pull up and away from the knees, and the core is engaged.

3-legged dog
For the most effective hamstring stretch, flex your top foot, and make an effort to keep all five toes of your lifted leg pointing down toward the ground. If you find your toes pointing to the side, lower your raised leg, and focus on keeping both hips equidistant from the mat.

Core Exercise
This effective exercise will strengthen the core without the need for a single sit-up or crunch. From 3-legged dog, bring the right knee to the right tricep, and round the upper back. Return to 3-legged dog. Repeat this exercise by bringing the knee to the nose, back up to 3-legged dog, and then across the body to the left tricep. Complete the core sequence by ending in 3-legged dog.

Warrior 1
From 3-legged dog, step your right foot forward between your hands. Rise up to Warrior 1. This fundamental yoga pose is accessible to yogis of all levels. Adjust the level of difficulty to suit your needs. Build up the strength to be able to hold this pose with a 90-degree angle in the front leg. And build up the flexibility so that both hip points are turned to face the front of the mat.

Warrior 2
With the hips facing the side of the yoga mat (rather than the front), most students find the alignment of Warrior 2 to be a bit easier than Warrior 1. Remember to breathe deeply, keep the core engaged, and resist the urge to lean toward the front of the mat. Keep your shoulders stacked right over the hips.

Reverse Warrior
Continue to strengthen your legs in a warrior pose, but add a side stretch to loosen up the intercostal muscles that run between the ribs.

Modified Side Angle Pose
Enjoy the benefits of a feel-good side stretch in this modified version of side angle pose. While the full expression of the pose bring the fingertips to the floor, this less intense modification allows the forearm to rest on the front thigh.

Triangle Pose
Triangle pose will feel like a welcome relief after holding so many poses that require a 90-degree angle in the front leg. Enjoy the stretch.

If you would like to practice with us and try our full 20-minute Good Morning Flow, CLICK HERE!

November 14, 2014
Set a Daily Intention

How do you start your morning? What is the first thing you do? Do you groggily open your eyes, roll over in bed to reach for your phone, check your Facebook, Instagram and weather apps, stumble into the bathroom to wash up and then find yourself in the kitchen where you begin to pour yourself a large mug of caffeine?

If this is your typical morning, I am here to tell you that it can be SO much more. You can change the frenetic pace of your day and start off feeling organized and peaceful. Each morning does not have to be a sudden jolt out of Sleepyland into Caffeineville.

I’m going to avoid the word “meditation”, because that word has the tendency to freak people out. No, I’m not asking you to meditate. I’m asking you to take 5 minutes each morning to sit quietly, breathe, give thanks, and set a daily intention.

Start out by finding a peaceful, clean place to sit.
I recommend setting a 5-minute timer (especially if you prefer lying down during this exercise) so you don’t drift off and miss your train to work. You can either sit on the floor on your yoga mat, on a pillow or in a comfortable chair. Just find a place that is away from the daily noise of your life. No catalogs, bills, permission slips for school, chapstick, tissue boxes or other visual clutter. I prefer sitting near a window because I love how I feel when natural light is pouring into my house.

Express gratitude
Next, close your eyes and say a simple prayer of gratitude. Whether or not you believe in a higher power, it is an important exercise to acknowledge and give thanks for everything in your life. Does it really matter if it’s a blessing from above or a matter of good circumstance? No. You are fortunate, and by actively recognizing that each morning, you will start the day on the right foot.

Breathe deeply
Once you’ve expressed gratitude, move on to an easy breathing exercise. Here is my favorite breathing technique that I learned during my yoga teacher training: Inhale deeply through the nose for a count of eight, hold the breath in the lungs for a count of four, and then exhale through the nose for a count of eight. In my mind, I count like this: Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Repeat this count over and over in your mind until you are breathing in this manner without having to count in your head at all.

When your 5-minute timer buzzes, slowly open your eyes, and set an intention for the day. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate plan—it can be as basic as, “Today, I will welcome each challenge as an opportunity to grow.”

Starting each morning with peace, gratitude and a positive statement can make all the difference in the trajectory of your day. Give it a try, and let us know how it goes.

May 6, 2014