5 Reasons to Rise Early

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daily yoga, early rising, habit change, life-changing, meditation, nutrition, self-care, yoga, yoga for insomnia, yoga lifestyle, Yoga With Paul

Getting out of a warm bed can be difficult on cold, dark mornings. If you can overcome that initial reluctance, however, you’ll find there are many advantages to getting up early. Why try a new rising routine for a week or two and see how you feel? You might find you have no interest in returning to your sleepy ways.

Rise and shine!

Here are five reasons to rise early.

Yoga

Nothing starts the day off right like practicing yoga. I’ve taught early morning classes for years and it never fails to amaze me how students (and me) can come in bleary eyed and half-dozing and leave 90 minutes later full of energy and enthusiasm. Even if you don’t make it to the studio, 30-45 minutes of self-practice at home will transform your day.

Breakfast

Some people don’t like to eat right after they wake up; some just don’t have time. When you rise early, you give your body time to acclimate to the day, and you have the time to prepare, eat and enjoy a morning meal. This can help keep your blood sugar level during the day and prevent mid-morning cravings or lunch-time binges.

Quiet time

Most of the day is go-go-go. Getting up before everyone else is a chance to have peace and quiet, before beginning your family/work/life routine. You can use this time to meditate, journal, drink a cup of tea, or take the time for self-care. This sets you up for a calm, focused day, instead of feeling rushed and harried.

Sunrise

Sunrise? In London? In November? Are you kidding? I know, it doesn’t seem like there’s much to see most days, but being awake when the dawn breaks gives your mind and body a boost — even if it’s not a rosy pink sky. Simply experiencing the transition from night to day can boost your energy. And on the rare days when the sun lights up the clouds in glorious colour, you’ll be there to see it!

Routine

Getting up early leads to going to bed early, without fail. If you’re someone who has trouble switching off or struggle with insomnia, rising early will help ensure you are tired and ready for sleep. As you adjust to the new routine, the energising benefits of early rising mean you get more done during the day, meaning more time for relaxation in the evening.

 

5 Step Self-Care Challenge

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meditation, mindfulness, philosophy of yoga, self-care, self-care challenge, yoga, yoga intention, Yoga With Paul

Self-care. Would you believe that in all the years of Yoga With Paul blog, I’ve never written a post with “self-care” in the title.

In a sense, the whole blog is about self-care, so you could say there is no need to spell it out. On the other hand, self-care is something we should be consciously embracing.

Why? Because otherwise self-care can turn from something positive into just another line on the to-do list. What I mean is, when we make a decision to take care of ourselves by going to yoga, eating clean, meditating, or taking time to do an activity we love, it enhances our well-being. We go to yoga with the intention of healing and energising our bodies. We eat choose wholesome food to build us up. And so forth.

If we forget about self-care, yoga becomes another task, eating right is just a duty, hobbies get shoved aside because we’re too busy or too tired.

In other words, intention is everything.

When we approach our life and practice with the intention of self-care we experience the world differently. By being aware and respectful of our own needs, we become more sensitive to the needs of people around us. We learn to slow down and not judge.

Here’s my 5-step self-care challenge:

1. Make a self-care inventory: What keeps you healthy, happy and sane?
2. Write a list.
3. Stick it someplace you can see it.
4. Next time you’re struggling, read that list and pick one thing to do for yourself.
5. Repeat as needed.

What’s your favourite self-care treat? Share in the comments or Tweet @YogaWithPaul