Many people I meet are often perplexed when learning I wake up early to attend my yoga practice, especially those who are new to yoga, they look at me rather strangely.
I recognize this look of ‘disbelief' from when I started my yoga practice nearly a decade ago and wondered why people would ‘do that to themselves’.  Little did I know that waking up early was just one of the walls I was about to break down in my life, along with many others... but that’s a story for another day.
 
Waking up at 4:45am to practice yoga is hard; it requires dedication, devotion and perseverance. All of these traits don't come naturally to me and I am determined to practice these regularly. Committing to a regular practice can be the hardest thing, believe me, it’s my on-going battle despite nearly a decade of practice! But it is an extraordinary training ground to observe your life and actions ‘off the mat’ and then measure whether or not these actions are having a positive or negative impact on your physical, mental and emotional health.
 
For instance, feeling ‘heavy’ during practice can be due to an undigested dinner the previous night, perhaps having an earlier dinner may be better for your body; or being distracted by an overpowering thought or worry during meditation can be a sign to take action and listen to that voice within; or if the body is sore it may be time to rest and restore.
 
By practicing yoga postures daily, you’ll notice your changes in yourself as the strength and flexibility of both body and mind begins to improve.
 
But many students ask me why do I practice so early? Why not practice later at night? There are many reasons for this. Many traditional yogic texts state that the hours between 4am and 6am are the most conductive for meditation and yoga practice because the mind is at its stillest and the rest of the world hasn’t yet sprung into action, so there’s a sense of calmness in the air. If these hours are a little too early for you, then one of my teachers Guruji Iyengar states ‘practicing a bit later is also OK’.
 
Practicing first thing in the morning, before outside messages broadcast into our minds invites a level of focus and concentration that is hard to achieve later in the day creating a perfect training ground to harvest that state of awareness for the rest of the day. As a woman in society I have many roles. A wife, mother, business owner, teacher, daughter…. but at that time no one requires any thing from me, all that is required is for me to be present on my mat. Some days just being ‘on’ my mat can be the biggest sense of achievement.
 
There is a beautiful stillness about early morning practice. The quietness at that time, especially in the winter months when the moon is still out invites calmness into the mind. 
 
Practicing ‘Sun Salutes’ can create a connection with the environment and the natural rhythms of the universe. It reminds me of the greatness and wonders of life as I welcome the sun each morning.  The ‘awakening’ from a morning savasana practice, is a metaphor for welcoming a new day - a new life.
 
Over the years I have developed some tricks that help to get to practice yoga in the morning:

• Starting the night before: have a light dinner.
• Before going to bed lay out the clothes you will wear. This will be one less thing to think about first thing in the morning.
• Set up your Tea/Coffee/Cocoa ritual. (Again, one thing less to think about – but also a good way to make that commitment with yourself).
• Have a warm shower as soon as you get out of bed.
• Don't snooze your alarm.
• Tell family and friends about your practice. (My husband’s support is imperative to my morning practice as he looks after our baby son as he wakes up. Shout out to the best hubby!)
• If you practice at a studio, tell your teacher or a friend you will see them there. 
   

With time a morning practice becomes part of your daily ritual. The beauty of a morning practice also lies in the victory and achievement of committing to your practice – to your body and to your mind. When you finish and roll up your mat you know you have already achieved something huge. You did it! And you can start the day with that sense of absolute reinvigoration. Every. Single. Day. What a positive way to start the day!
 
If you would like to try a morning practice, at YogaLife Wellness we offer yoga classes 7 days per week. On Monday and Wednesday mornings we offer a 6am class (doors open at 5:45am), and also have yoga classes every day of the week at 9:30am.
 
See you on the mat.
 
Namaste.
Lizette x

This is one of the standing poses in which the pelvis faces forward, parallel to the front plane of the body. It is the natural progression from warrior II, with one hand placed on the floor and the other stretching over the head.
 
Pelvis and legs
The back leg buttock muscle extends the hip and turns it outward. The group of muscles on the inside of the thigh extend and draw the leg towards the midline stabilizing the back foot on the floor. The tensor fascia lata and gluteus medius turn the hip inward. This balances the strong outward pull by the large buttock muscle. The quadriceps, straighten the back knee. The muscle along the front of the shin draws the ankle towards the shin, which stretches the calve muscles and the muscles along the outside of the calf. The psoas and pectinius muscles bend the hip of the front leg. The muscle crossing diagonally over the midline of the thigh refines this action. The quadriceps of the front legs activates to support the body weight. The muscles along the outside of the front leg calve turn the ankle slightly outwards. The foot is pressed firmly against the floor by flexing the ankle.
 
Trunk
The lower side abdominal oblique and transverse muscle draws the trunk towards the bent leg, stretching the same muscles on the upper side of the trunk. On the lower side the muscles along the spine and those in the lower back bend the trunk to the side stretching the corresponding muscles on the upper side.
 
Shoulders and arms
The muscles attached to the side of the ribs and the shoulder blade straightens the lower side arm drawing the same side shoulder blade away from the midline and pressing the hand to the floor. The triceps straighten the elbows the back portion of the deltoid on the lower arm draws the arm away from the midline. Since the hand in fixed on the floor this action turns the chest upwards and opens it. On the lower side the muscles that wrap the kidneys and lower arms ribs opens the chest through the closed chain contraction. This occurs because the muscles of the upper arm remains fixed with the origins on the lower back moving, lifting the chest. Muscles over the shoulder blade turn the arm outward.  The lower section of the trapezius draws the shoulders away from the ear freeing the neck.