My favorite time to practice is first thing in the morning. Upon waking I usually have a cup of warm lemon water... most mornings, a cup of coffee... and then I roll out my mat as a way to greet my self, as well as welcome my day ahead. Now, it's not every morning that I wake up bright-eyed and excited to begin my day. There are many mornings where the last thing I feel like doing is yoga. There are also many mornings where I'm rushing to get out of the house, and my yoga practice is usually the first thing I cut out when I'm short on time. But, the more and more I stay committed to a morning yoga routine, the more I hold space for it as the sacred ritual it is - a moment before I dive into my day to check in with myself, let go of what I need to, shift my perspective if that's what would serve me best, and to just give myself some freakin' time before I give my time and energy to the world. And I've noticed that, no matter what I have to do that day, when I take the time to step onto my mat first thing in the morning - whether it's five minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour - I tend to move through my day with more energy, a more positive mindset, and with trust in my ability to handle whatever shows up.
So if you haven't started practicing in the morning, or if you're looking to switch up your morning routine, I put together a 20-minute(ish), simple-yet-effective, yoga sequence that's designed to help you WAKE UP and get ready for your day!
Click on each page to enlarge or to print a copy. Remember to always listen to your body (that's the point of the practice), and to modify when you need to. If you're looking to make your practice a little longer, repeat Poses 3-7 three times, and add on two extra rounds of Pose 8, Bridge or Wheel.
Give it a try and let me know your thoughts! And keep your eyes peeled for a Free Evening Sequence coming soon.
I'd also LOVE to hear from you - do you like to practice yoga in the morning or the evening?? Let me know in the comments below!