5 Benefits of Yoga in the Morning – Special: 3-Day Morning Yoga Challenge
Welcome back, friends. This week we are talking about the benefits of yoga in the morning and this week’s blog post also comes with a SPECIAL for you 🖤.
>>> SPECIAL: 3-Day Morning Yoga Challenge <<<
Get ready to transform your mornings: join me for the 3-Day Morning Yoga Challenge and discover the benefits of yoga in the morning first-hand.
Table of Contents
A lot of my students ask me: ‘When is the best time to do yoga?’
To be honest with you, anytime really. What matters most is that you show up for yourself and we all know that unrolling your mat usually is the hardest part.
So whether you flow through a few yoga poses in the morning or evening is totally up to you. It really depends on your personal schedule, your lifestyle, your daily habits, etc.
But there is certainly some magic about a morning yoga routine and I would love to tell you more about it.
So, get your fluffy coffee, and let me walk you through the top 5 benefits of yoga in the morning that have made and still make the biggest impact on my daily life up until today.
Personally, I established a daily morning yoga practice a few years ago. I was never a morning person, to be completely honest with you, I was (very) far from being a morning person.
But establishing a morning routine and making yoga and meditation part of my daily morning routine changed my life for the better and really helped me to ease my anxieties and stress levels overall.
Practicing yoga in the morning is like my mini spa break every day. Sounds amazing…I know…but it really is. It’s pure quality time for myself and with myself and apart form all the physical benefits, it gives me so much mental clarity every day.
My morning yoga practice sets me up for the day ahead, it certainly brings more awareness to my daily life, keeps me aligned with my personal core values and helps me to keep my focus on my life goals and the things that matter to me most in life.
If I head to the yoga studio every morning to take yoga classes? Not at all. Honestly speaking, I am SUPER slow in the mornings and I practice my yoga asanas in the comfort of my pop-up home yoga space.
But whether you have a home yoga space or not doesn’t matter. This is the beauty of yoga, all you need is a yoga mat, yourself, and a laptop, phone, iPad, etc. and you are ready to go and receive all the wonderful benefits of yoga in the morning.
Benefits of yoga in the morning
And now, let’s dive into the 5 benefits of yoga in the morning, and let me tell you how yoga can help to kickstart your day too.
Benefits of yoga in the morning #1: Create space and energize your body
What is the first thing you tend to do when you wake up in the morning?
Maybe have a little morning stretch? Feels SO good, right?
Feeling a bit tense and stiff when waking up is totally normal. When we sleep, our body finally comes to a rest and so do our muscles. Having a morning stretch first thing is a natural reaction of your body.
Your body is looking for space and will welcome any further movement. Flowing through a few Sun Salutations in the morning helps your muscles and joints to loosen up and create space within.
Apart from that, the movement supplies the body with fresh oxygen which helps to energize the body and sets you up for a successful and productive day ahead.
Benefits of yoga in the morning #2: Create happiness from within
Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.
Elle Woods, Legally Blonde
I LOVE ‘Legally Blonde’, so yes, that quote was a must-have.
Movement boosts energy and it releases endorphins aka happiness and more happiness means more smiles, fun, and laughter during the day.
Yoga also helps to strengthen your body which will improve your posture. And a strong posture in turn will give you more self-confidence from within and more self-confidence will spark more positive thoughts and all this will result in even more happiness and smiles…..double strike if you ask me.
Benefits of yoga in the morning #3: Start your day with self-love
Fact: You are the most important asset that you have and you always will be.
Doing yoga in the morning allows you to go inward, spend some quality time with yourself, and focus on your own needs and desires before you start your day and head out there into the world.
Starting your day with self-love will remind you of the things that are important to you in life and at the same time, it’s an opportunity to cultivate a healthy mindset for the day ahead.
A healthy mindset will help you to make better decisions and choices for yourself throughout the day. Decisions and choices that feel more in alignment with who you truly are and what you truly want for yourself in this lifetime.
Benefits of yoga in the morning #4: Boost your focus and concentration throughout the day
Yoga starts with the breath and your breath is a real magic power.
In yoga, we link breath with movement to create unity between body, mind, and spirit. We learn how to breathe consciously.
Try this: find a comfortable seat, relax your hands on your knees, palms facing down, close your eyes, and connect with your breath. Take 3-5 deep inhales and exhales through the nose. Maybe a few more if you feel like it.
Conscious breathing soothes the nervous system and over time you will notice that your mind becomes clear and free from any distracting thoughts, judgments, or fears.
A clear mind is a strong mind. And a strong mind helps you to better focus and concentrate throughout the day.
Benefits of yoga in the morning #5: Set your intention for the day
Behind every action that we take lies an intention. Being aware of your intention is key to creating your own happiness.
Morning yoga invites us to set an intention for the day. This is an opportunity to create a clear purpose and direction to take every step throughout the day consciously, always keeping in mind your long-term life goal or life goals.
You are the creator of your life. What you focus on, you create.
There are so many benefits of doing yoga every day.
In addition to the above, yoga also strengthens your body and your immune system, it helps to stimulate your digestive system and as yoga teaches you to be more present, you will end up spending more time in the present moment and there is never a better time than the ‘now’.
Benefits of yoga in the morning – questionnaire
How long should I do yoga in the morning?
To be honest with you this is completely up to you and how much time and space you would like to create for yourself.
But you will notice that already 5 minutes of yoga in the morning will make a huge difference to the rest of your day. The benefits of yoga in the morning kick in quickly.
I usually recommend including your morning yoga in your morning routine. If you don’t have a morning routine just yet, have a look at my morning routine checklist and learn how to develop a morning routine that is tailored to your personal needs and desires.
We humans are creatures of habit and including morning yoga in your morning routine will help you to turn morning yoga into a brand new healthy habit of yours.
What type of yoga is best for the morning?
Personally, I am a bit slow in the morning, so I prefer gentle morning stretches. However, if you feel a bit more active in the mornings, a strengthening or energizing full-body yoga flow might be just what you are looking for.
It is totally up to you. There is morning yoga for beginners, morning yoga for flexibility, morning yoga for stress relief, morning yoga for glowing skin,…what I am saying is that there are tons of different options for you to choose from.
I would recommend sitting on your mat in a comfortable seat, taking a few deep inhales and exhales through the nose, tuning in with your body, and seeing what your body needs most. And then take it from there.
The more you personalize your morning yoga practice and the more you listen to what your body needs, the more you will feel the benefits of yoga in the morning.
Is it good to do yoga right after waking up?
Again, this really comes down to your personal preference.
For me, getting up and going right to my yoga mat would be a tiny bit too much. As mentioned earlier, I like to take my time in the mornings. For me, it is coffee first. Hence I usually get up, make myself a cup of coffee, and about 30 minutes later I make my way to my yoga mat.
So whether you get right onto your yoga mat after waking up or not doesn’t matter, you will still get all the wonderful benefits of yoga in the morning if you get on your mat a little bit later.
The important part is that you do get on your mat and show up for yourself.
Tip: Try your best and stay away from your phone in the morning. It makes such a huge difference to the start of your day.
So…are you ready for the 3-Day Moning Yoga Challenge? Great, then let’s do this so that you can experience all the benefits of yoga in the morning firsthand.
3-Day Morning Yoga Challenge
First things first:
- What do I need? All you need is a yoga mat and your wonderful self.
- How much time do I need? Allow yourself approx. 30 minutes for your morning yoga practice.
- When to start? This is up to you. Pick a day, block the time in your diary, and make it happen.
- What if it is my first time doing yoga? No worries. All videos are suitable for beginners as well as advanced practitioners. If you need to make adjustments, please feel free to do so. Be patient with yourself and listen to your body. Always trust the teacher within.
Tip: We, humans, are creatures of habit so ideally, you do your morning yoga practice at the same time every day. This is the easiest and quickest way to establish a new habit.
Feel free to spread the word, invite your friend to join you for the 3-Day Morning Yoga Challenge, and bring along your husband, your kids, etc. The more the merrier.
And if you feel like it, take a picture, share it on your Social Media (Instagram or Facebook), and tag me in it to keep me posted 🖤 💜 🖤. I would love to see and hear how you are getting on.
And now, let’s flow and have some fun together…
Day 1 – Sunrise Morning Flow in St Andrews
Welcome to the beautiful rocky shore in Scotland. Start your day with this energizing sunrise morning yoga flow suitable for beginners as well as advanced yogis. Have a beautiful day and stay wild.
Day 2 – Gentle Morning Flow in Tulum
Viva Mexico! Today we are flowing in vibrant Mexico. Join me for a gentle morning flow helping you to wake up your body and start the day with some serious self-love. Feel free to bring your coffee and join me on the mat. This flow is suitable for beginners as well as advanced yogis. Have a magical day and stay wild.
Day 3 – Gentle Morning Stretch from San Juan Del Sur
Good morning and welcome to Nicaragua, day 3 of our yoga challenge. Almost there. Today we have a gentle morning flow to create space within, energize your body, and help you to set an intention for the day ahead. This morning flow is suitable for beginners as well as advanced yogis. Allow yourself to simply be and as always, stay wild.
You made it warrior.
Well done for showing up for yourself and congratulations on completing the 3-day morning yoga challenge.
You have been flowing every morning for the past 3 days, time for a recap.
Get yourself a piece of paper and a pen, go through the questions below, or simply contemplate over a cup of fluffy coffee.
Journal exercise:
- How do you feel after 3 days of morning yoga? Happy? More relaxed? Calm? Energized?
- How does your body feel? Do you feel more space within your body?
- Have you noticed a change in your energy levels?
- Was it easy for you to get up earlier for your morning yoga practice?
- What did you enjoy most about your morning yoga practice?
- Have you noticed anything different in your day-to-day life since you started your morning yoga practice?
- What benefits of yoga in the morning can you feel after 3 days of practicing yoga every morning?
- Will you continue with your morning yoga practice?
I hope you enjoyed the 3-Day Morning Yoga Challenge and can already feel all the beautiful benefits of yoga in the morning yourself.
If you would like to share your experience or have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below. It’s always great to hear from you.
And if you enjoyed flowing with me, check out my weekly schedule, I would love to see you back on the mat.
Thank you so much for your commitment, your time, and your space beautiful warrior.
And a huge WELL DONE!!!!
And before we finish for this week, below are a few more resources I think you might enjoy:
- 7 Power-Packed Post-Yoga Snacks – My Personal Favourites For You
- 5 Best Yoga Props for Your Home Yoga Practice
- 5 Easy-To-Follow Tips on How to Create a Home Yoga Space
As always, stay wild,
Nicolle
Firstly, I love the quote, and so true….great post I love all the points they are so true in every aspect…
PS…I am starting your challenge
Yayyyy!!! Happy flowing 😉
What a great way to start your day! I find if I don’t do yoga or exercise in morning I lose my motivation as day goes on
Same here, even a 10 min morning yoga flow makes such a difference to my day.
Thanks so much for your time and thanks for your comment 😉
I need to do this, and soon. Fantastic post!
Hi Tammi, Thanks so much for stopping by and happy flowing 😉
Wow. This is a really good way of approaching yoga and exercise in general with a clear purpose that involves both body and mind. I especially like the idea of writing down how you feel through the journey.
I’m not much of a morning person but I think I could try out this challenge for at 15 minutes in the morning.
Thank you for this great article!
Thanks so much for your comment, Isabella!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the post. If you give the challenge a go, please keep us posted 😉
Such a great read! Makes me want to start doing yoga again.
Super happy to hear this, thanks so much for stopping by Christie!!
I also start my day with yoga and meditation and it really is life changing. Such a great post btw and thanks for the videos, I can’t wait to check them out!
Happy flowing beautiful warrior 😉
This is all so true! I love to do yoga as part of my morning routine
Same here, makes such a huge change to the rest of the day 😉
Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Yoga poses are the only way that I can keep my aches and pains at bay. Your tips are appreciated!
That is great to hear, Cathy, thanks so much for stopping by!!
Such amazing content! Love it that you also added videos which I will try to implement in the morning. Makes life easier 🙂 thank you!
Yayyy!! Happy flowing, Veronika 😉
I need to try doing this in the morning too. I like the idea that it helps manage anxiety and stress levels. Lovely post, l learned a lot.
Really happy to hear this, Rosie!! Thanks so much for stopping by 😉
Im so happy I came across this post, it’s my new years resolution to start yoga and this advice is so helpful!
That’s amazing Leena, really happy I could help!!
Happy flowing 😉
I find this helpful, especially for someone like me who’s on and off with yoga. I just can’t stick to it with my erratic work-from-home schedule. I guess we really need to make time for it. I find it best to do yoga in the morning but working from home just ruins everything planned.
Hi Sheila, thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Personally, I also prefer to do my yoga in the morning. What helped me most was establishing a morning routine and making my yoga practice part of my morning routine.
I read the blog post and it was really helpful. The way it was written was also enjoyable to read. Keep it up and please share more content. Cheers!
Thank you so much for your kind words, super happy to hear this 😉
Thanks for stopping by.
I watched the first morning yoga video and did some of the exercises from my chair at work 🙂 These are great and a wonderful resource. Thank you so much for sharing!
That makes me so happy to hear this 😉
You are so welcome, thanks so much for stopping by and joining me for some movement, so very much appreciated!!
This morning yoga is quite helpful to start a day with a positive mind. Thanks for the yoga videos – I can play these while doing my morning routine.
It really helps to start the day with a positive mindset. Enjoy the yoga videos and thanks so much for stopping by 🖤