As Sri K. Pattabhi Jois said, the practice and all benefits, wisdom, peace and clarity will come from it. That’s true, but it raises a lot of questions about how and when to practice. Different yoga teachers and gurus may recommend different styles of yoga, but the general consensus is that morning practice is most effective.
Practice and everything will come. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
There are many reasons to practice yoga in the morning, including physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and traditional. However, morning workouts can be difficult for many who would rather doze off than roll out the mat. Here are 21 top reasons why you should be practicing yoga in the morning.
1. Start the day with self-care
Start Your Day With Self-Care
By practicing yoga in the morning, you can start your day with self-care and self-love. Yoga is an investment in self, health and wellbeing. It is a spiritual act with no immediate or material gain. Instead, the benefits of yoga are practiced gradually throughout life. Knowing this, practicing yoga first thing in the morning is an endorsement of self-care and a stepping stone on the path to lifelong enlightenment.
2. Clear your mind
It makes sense to start the day with a clear head so you can move into your work and relationships with clarity. Yet as you start your day, yesterday’s actions, food, and thoughts can often cloud your mind. A morning yoga practice is an ideal way to combat this and start the day with a clear mind. Studies have shown that if you practice yoga regularly for a long time, it can not only clear the mind, but also affect the structure of the brain. A major yoga sutra even talks about this:
The citta vritti nirodhah of yoga. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras 1.2
This means “Yoga is the limitation of the mind”. Through morning yoga practice, these “thoughts” can be soothed, so that the new day starts in a fresh and bright way.
3. Adjust what you ate the day before
Adjust what you ate the day before
As mentioned earlier, what you ate yesterday often affects how you feel today. Through your morning yoga practice, you can learn which specific foods affect you and how they affect you. Yoga brings awareness into the body: its physical being as well as its emotional being. When you start your morning with this body awareness, you become aware of how it reacts to the food you ate yesterday. Armed with this knowledge, you can change what you eat the rest of the day based on what’s good for you and what’s bad for you. Regular morning exercise is a long-term fuel investment that energizes your body.
4. Establish healthy work and rest habits
For many of you, your body and emotions thrive on day-to-day activities. When daily life is disrupted, everything from digestion to mood can be affected. Building a solid routine will keep you healthy. One study found that the vast majority of people who exercise regularly (more than 3 times a week) do so in the morning. Decided to practice morning yoga for a week. Once you start to feel its profound benefits, you’ll want to make it a habit, the first step to maintaining a regular routine.
5. Sun Salutation
sun salutation
One of the most common and beneficial yoga sequences is the surya namaskaras or sun salutations. Every major muscle group in the body is strengthened and stretched during each sun salutation. This sequence is traditionally performed at sunrise (hence the name sun salutation). The sequence changes from downward facing dog to standing upright in front of the mat, reflecting the movement of the rising sun, bringing the body into alignment with nature.
6. Reduce Your Stress and Anxiety
Yoga is known for its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. This phenomenon has been studied and documented in clinical studies. There are many theories as to why yoga is an effective way to manage stress and anxiety. One is to consciously bring one’s awareness into the present moment. Another theory revolves around yoga’s ability to modulate physiological stress responses by lowering blood pressure, regulating heart rate, and more. Other studies have shown that yoga reduces stress and anxiety by changing brain structure and function. Ultimately, these theories may all overlap due to yoga’s unique status as a mind-body practice. Starting the day with a yoga practice is a proven, science-backed way to reduce stress and anxiety for the rest of the day.
7. It Boosts Your Metabolism
it boosts your metabolism
Doing yoga in the morning can not only make your body work, but also make your internal organs such as the digestive system work. This in turn keeps your metabolism going. Practicing yoga every morning can boost your metabolism and start the day ahead. In particular, twisting poses are most effective for boosting metabolism when practiced on an empty stomach. This allows your body to use its energy most efficiently each day.
8. Recharge your batteries for the day
Many people feel tired in the morning, rely on coffee or their snooze button, and blame them for not being a “morning person.” Anyone can become a morning person with morning yoga. This is thanks to the refreshing effect yoga can have. If you want to feel extra energized in the morning, frame your yoga poses (asanas) into more energetic ones. For example, the warrior pose is particularly inspiring.
9. Helps you stop procrastinating
help you stop procrastinating
Start your day the way you want it. If you often find yourself, procras