It’s cold out. It’s hard to get out of that warm comfy bed. But this is exactly the time of year when we need to get up and be active. Establish a disciplined routine now and it will benefit you through the whole of winter.
As the weather cools, we have the tendency to be more sedentary and less mobile, eat warming comfort foods, drink hot sweet drinks and spend our days of breathing warm recycled air. This leaves us feeling sluggish, unmotivated and heavy. A yoga practice boosts circulation, gets those stiff joints moving, cleanses the lungs and keeps you feeling lighter and more agile under all those extra layers. Not to mention helping your body build immunity, fighting potential colds & flus, and warding off the winter blues.
We know we should get up and go, but how do we actually do it?
Our 10 tips for starting (or re-starting) your morning practice will get you there.
- Go to bed earlier the night before. It seems obvious but it really is the best way to ensure you get enough rest to wake up earlier.
- Put the alarm on the other side of the room. You will be more likely to stay up if you are actually out of bed when you’ve turned the alarm off. And you’ll do that quickly if someone else is sleeping in the room too.
- Heat your get-ready rooms. Set timers to have rooms you need to get ready in toasty before you go into them. Your partner, flat-mate will be grateful for a warm room when they get up too.
- Get organised. Lay your clothes out the night before. Get your bag and anything else you need ready.
- Make your partner your coach. Tell them to support you by encouraging you to get up and go if you crawl back into bed. Remember, the healthier and happier you are, the better your relationship will be in the long run. Plus they get the whole bed to themselves, win-win.
- Layer, layer, layer. The room is heated in winter but put a few warm long sleeve tops or thermals over your yoga clothes so you can peel them off as you start to warm up. And don’t forget some warm socks so you can enjoy a nice long relaxation at the end of your practice.
- Hydrate, and if you need to, eat something light. Drinking a warm glass of water on waking (with a dash of lemon juice if you like) will help wake you up and cleanse your system before practice. It’s preferable to practice on an empty stomach but a glass of milk, a banana or a piece of toast is ok if you really can’t do without, and ideally as soon as you get up.
- What’s your motivation? Why do you want to do yoga? To get fit, strong, flexible? To manage stress and relax? To be nicer person? To connect with something greater than the day-to-day grind? Whatever your reason, stay focussed on it and remind yourself of it when discipline starts to wane.
- Visualise success. Before you nod off to sleep, visualise yourself getting out of bed, coming to the studio and doing your yoga practice. See yourself feeling fit, strong, calm and focussed and having a fantastic day where you remain centred amid the chaos.
- Remember – yoga is good for you. In 17 years I have NEVER finished my yoga practice and thought ‘Gee, I really should have stayed in bed’. I always feel so much better, fitter, stronger, calmer for getting on the mat.
Above all remember that discipline doesn’t just happen, it has to be practiced. The more often you do it, the easier it will be, and the rewards are well worth that initial effort.