Rushing is my natural rhythm, even when I try to slow down. Although I hit the snooze button at least three times most days, once I'm out of bed I hurtle through my morning routine and speed-walk the entire 15 minutes it takes for me to get to the office. If I do manage to get up at the sound of my first alarm, I go for a run and then hurry about as usual. The problem is, this constant go-go-go often puts me into a frantic state long before I've even written my day's to-do list at work.
In an attempt to ease into my day more mindfully, I decided to work yoga into my morning routine. Studies suggest that doing yoga can relieve anxiety and make you more flexible, and since I'm a high-strung person with a running habit (and subsequently, tight muscles), I could use both of those benefits. Plus, I've been meaning to return to a regular practice. Ever since moving last summer—and saying goodbye to the studio where I was a member—my mat has spent most of its time rolled up in the corner of my living room. I was never a morning yoga-doer before, but it's a habit I've always wanted to get into since it all but ensures you'll actually hit the mat.
"Setting up a regular morning practice is beneficial because it creates a ritual—it sets the tone for the day," says yoga instructor Julie Erickson. "Also, by practicing first thing in the morning, there are no distractions or tasks that will get in the way."
Clearly, she hasn't met my cats (aka Distraction #1 and Distraction #2), but I see her point. I figured it would be far easier to focus on my practice before breakfast than after work when the only thing that's on my mind is what's for dinner.
That's not to say AM yoga isn't without its challenges. Aside from the struggle of, you know, actually waking up, Erickson says many people have a slightly smaller range of motion right after getting up. "For most folks, places like the lower back, the shoulders and the hips are a little tighter in the morning upon first waking. I would just be sure to practice within the limits of the body at that particular time."
Keeping in mind that my sleepy muscles wouldn't be as limber as they would be during an evening session, I officially made it my goal to start each day with yoga for two weeks—and then, hopefully, beyond. It didn't matter to me if I managed to do a full 45-minute flow or just one simple sun salutation, as long as I was on my mat. Here's what I learned:
YouTube is an at-home yogi’s best friend.
I'm familiar enough with yoga to go with my own flow, but I still prefer to zone out and listen to instruction from a teacher. Most mornings, I turned to YouTube to find a 25- to 40-minute video that would serve my needs. My most frequent searches included "energising morning yoga," "yoga for core strength," and "yoga for runners," and there was no shortage of routines to choose from. I liked trying out different channels to find new videos worth adding to my yoga playlist. Whether you prefer gentle Hatha or a more dynamic vinyasa flow, I guarantee you can find a class online for free. If you're a total newbie, it's a good idea to take a handful of classes with a teacher present first, just to make sure you're aligning your body properly—after that, YouTube away.
Pets can learn how to go with the flow.
My two cats are by far the biggest obstacle to yoga at home, and part of the reason I didn't attempt to get into a routine for so long. While my older black cat is pretty mellow and mostly just enjoys lounging on my mat in inconvenient spots or rubbing against my head when I'm turned upside down, my younger orange and white cat, Eggo, is rambunctious and used to play-attack me whenever I hit the mat. Sometimes I would lock him in another room, but then I'd hear him meowing and lose all my Zen.
But as I stuck to my goal and did yoga each morning—with a spray bottle at the ready, just in case—the cats adapted. Eggo even got in on the action and learned how to balance on my back or my bent leg in some impressive poses.
Morning yoga really is energising.
Once I'm physically out of bed (and not under the sheets, scrolling through my Instagram feed like a zombie), I'm a morning person. Not in the chipper, "I accomplished five tasks before work!" way, but in a generally awake and motivated way. Still, I noticed a greater surge in energy when I got my om on first thing every morning—before eating, checking work e-mails or even brushing my teeth. Most days I didn't even change out of my pajamas before I started my flow. Gentle movement and stretching helped awaken my body slowly, and it seemed to translate into less neck stiffness and lower back pain after sitting in a desk chair all day. That didn't come as a surprise, since many studies show that yoga can ease arthritis and chronic pain.
Savasana can be stressful.
At the end of a studio class in the evening, I relish the stillness of savasana (aka Corpse Pose, where you're literally just lying on your back on the ground with arms splayed), but in the morning before work, it's hard to quiet down the voice in my head urging me to hurry up and get out the door—especially on those days when I woke up later than I should have. Usually this meant I spent a measly, agitated minute in final resting pose before calling it quits, or sometimes I'd skip it altogether. But then I'd remind myself that this experiment was about not rushing myself all the time, so I'd force myself to stay put for a while. Sometimes my cats would even curl up on top of me, which made me more inclined to chill.
There’s always time—no matter how brief.
Ideally, I'd do at least 30 minutes of yoga every morning, but sometimes that just wasn't possible. For instance, when I managed to fit in a run before work, there was no way I also had enough time for a full flow. So instead I'd do a 15-minute video after or stretch out on my own with a quick series of poses targeting the muscles I'd worked. This was a huge improvement from my usual no-stretch routine, and something I hope to continue to prevent injuries.
And then there was the weekend I traveled for a friend's wedding. One morning I managed all of 7 minutes of yoga in my tiny Airbnb room, and then I skipped yoga completely the next day (oops). On typical mornings at home, though, I always found the time to hit the mat, and I almost always felt calmer afterward.
Consistency truly does form habit.
It's been a month now since the start of my 2-week challenge, and I'm still doing yoga almost every morning. I'll skip a weekend session now and then, or a day when I do some other form of exercise before going into work, but even then I feel a little off without easing into Pigeon Pose or going through a few rounds of Cat and Cow. I know that if I continually skip my morning sessions, they'll fall lower and lower on my priority list, so I plan to keep going. At this rate, I may be able to open a cat yoga studio someday.
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