Are you too busy to exercise? Maybe you have unknowingly filled up your schedule with a million things that you need to do for others, but you are unable to take time out for yourself.
With today’s fast-paced life, it has become equally important to turn our focus inward and to maintain mental well-being. And there cannot be a better time to practice yoga – either as an alternative to the regular cardio, a way to unwind after a long week, or simply as a part of your morning routine.
While you can practice this ancient exercise at any time, thanks to the fresh morning air, you can reap more rejuvenating benefits of yoga in the morning. It primarily caters to the three important aspects of your body – breathing, posture, and the mind (meditation).
Manage Your Breathing with Yoga
Yoga is a spiritual form of exercise that engages both mind and body. When you exhale deeply during morning yoga, the area of your brain that controls emotions gets relaxed and you feel soothed.
Not only do you learn to control your breath, but you also regulate your energy that animates your lungs with oxygen. As you train better, you learn to control the movement of this energy through your body.
What’s even better is that your blood circulation will improve within 2-3 weeks of starting the exercise regimen. Did you know that yogic exercises that are specifically aimed at improving your breathing require you to hold your breath deeply?
This will help improve circulation in your brain, forcing new neural pathways to be created and dormant neural centers to be activated. It makes your brain feel active and awakened.
Improve Your Posture
A sedentary lifestyle can cause you to lose muscle strength and deplete your stamina without you even realizing it at first. They say that sitting is the new smoking now.
Rightly so, as sitting for long hours can affect your posture and cause back pain, digestive issues, and even cardiovascular problems. Research suggests that practicing yoga regularly helps you walk taller and improve your overall posture.
Why you may ask? A majority of yoga asanas require you to keep your back and shoulders straighter and to open up your chest. This will gradually become a habit and you will feel an energetic spring in your step as you go about your day.
Enjoy the Benefits of Meditation with Yoga
Last but not least, another important aspect of morning yoga is mindfulness. In your busy lives, you are constantly looking for ‘a moment of peace’.
And when you sit down to meditate at the stroke of sunrise, you not only force yourself to slow down your breathing, but also subtly direct your mind to become less anxious and calmer.
That’s not all; you will be more mindful of your surroundings and your own self in the morning. This will help you stay more focused, productive, and in control of your day.
So, Ready to Get Your Yoga Mat Out?
If you need motivation, you can try exercising with the ‘buddy system’. Have a couple of your friends or family members work out with you. Encouraging and supporting each other will motivate you to stick to a routine.
They say that it takes about 21 days for a new practice to become a habit. And if you keep at it, very soon it will become part of your routine – so much so that you will be looking forward to your next yoga session.
