Over the last 13 years I have talked to so many people about yoga, and one of the most common questions that everyone seems to have is when is the best time of day to practice?
The one thing that was consistent even from my doctor was morning was the best time to exercise. I was quite intrigued as to why, and so naturally I went into deep research mode, talking to personal trainers and other medical practitioners.
I have come to understand that exercise in the morning sets your metabolism on high for the day and aides in better digestion. Being busy working and chasing my children around, I find it so hard to find the time for myself – just as many of us do.
However, after reading that yoga in the morning can set you up for good posture throughout the day AND help reduce body aches, I decided to give it a go. To my surprise, switching to a morning yoga routine really does help my body pains while also setting me on a day full of energy and mindfulness.
My routine
I wake up before everyone in the house and slide into my yoga pants. I head to my quiet & calm yoga spot (in my case, the downstairs family room) and grab my favorite yoga mat. (I keep mine in the corner of the toy room where the kids can’t destroy it but I can easily grab it).
From there, I take 10-20 minutes and flow through a Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). While doing each of the Asana poses, I focus on centering my mind for the day ahead. As I start to wake up and my body gets warm, all the stiffness from the night slips away and I start feeling that Zen happy feeling.
At the end I am full of energy and ready to face whatever the day brings me. The Sun Salutation is a great flow for new yogis to do as it is super easy to master and works the whole body. I find that doing yoga each day even for a small amount of time increases my flexibility and tones your whole body and mind.
Your turn
What about you? Have you tried different times of the day and found different results? Share your experiences in the comments so we can all learn from each other!
Namaste!
