Yoga and a morning routine

Yogis practice early rising because the hours between 4am-6am are sattvic. Sattva means purity, clarity and balanced in Hinduism. It is an optimal time to practice yoga and meditation as the energy is different at this time of day when the sun is preparing to rise and nature is preparing to wake up. In Ayurveda it is Vata time of day. Deep sleep has been completed and as we move closer to sunrise our body is ready to visualise, meditate and create.

I chose this as my first blog piece as it is something that I struggle with daily. Naturally I’m not a morning person but I want to be. Apparently there are early birds and night owls and that everyone fits into one of these categories. I fit into the category of those who go to bed the same time as their children and drag themselves out of bed in the morning with the promise of a strong cup of coffee!

One of my goals since I started the yoga teacher training diploma is to carve out some time at the start of each day to practice yoga and meditate. As usual when I set goals I aim way to high in the beginning and have to whittle it down to more achievable chunks later.

In early September I decided to take a leaf out of Robin Sharma’s 5am Club book and my plan looked like this….get ready for eye rolls:

5am: Get up, toilet, teeth etc

5.15am: yoga

5.30am: meditation

5.45am: study

6.15am: walk

6.45: shower

7am: Children up, breakfast, get ready for school, work etc

8am: out the door

Who was I kidding? It looks like a Gina Ford schedule.

Here is an abridged version from my journal in early September of my first attempts….

Monday: Why did I ever find it so hard to get up so early?! Felt so good after this morning 5am start. Feel like I can achieve anything! (Superwoman complex here!)

Tuesday: Felt so groggy this morning. Went downstairs and decided to meditate on the couch before yoga. Lying to myself of course and curled up on the couch, fell back to sleep.

Wednesday: Kids woke up about three or fours times during the night and ended up in our bed. Turned my alarm off at 4am.

Thursday: Happy birthday to me. Had a planned annual leave day from work. Tomorrow off too. Amazing how much easier the morning routine is when you don’t have the added pressure to get to work on time. Got up at 6am and did most of the routine, some after I dropped the girls off to school.

Friday: Its basically the weekend and I have the day off. Turned my alarm off.

In relation to the next week I got my period on the Sunday so decided to re-evaluate my 5am start plan!!

I’m a big believer in life long learning and the ability to change. I’m told that I used to get up very early as a child. I remember getting up early as a teenager too. I used a morning routine in my teens as a way to control some aspect of my day amidst all the anxiety and changes in friendships, relationships and self esteem. So I know I can do it but I just have to get into a new habit headspace. So this week I plan to get up at 6am. I’m only going to focus on yoga, meditation and a quiet cup of tea to start my day. The walk and study can be incorporated into other parts of my day. If you want to learn more about habit forming I recommend reading ‘The Power of Habit. Why we do what we do and how to change’ by Charles Duhigg. I read it last year and am going to listen to it on Audible on my commute while I try to establish my morning routine.

What I have learned, by reflecting on my goals and plans over the years and from observing patients that I work with, is that how we talk to ourselves when we fail to achieve our goals really is what effects the outcome. When we don’t achieve a goal or an aspect of a goal as we expected we can do one of two things. Beat ourselves up or be kind to ourselves and adapt. I used to be in a cycle of beating myself up and then giving up but am learning to show myself compassion and learn from what didn’t work in order to move forward.

So anyone out there trying to learn a new habit…….be kind to yourself.

I learned a long time ago, the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side. - Maya Angelou

Disclaimer: Content on yogaspace.ie is not a substitute for medical or health professional advice. The content reflects my experiences and my views and should not be taken as personal health advice. If you have concerns about your health always seek out a medical professional assessment.