Yoga is a great way to maintain your health and immunity. It is easy to practice and has many benefits. Doing a bit of yoga, especially early in the morning, can be quite fruitful for your body. As well as your mental well-being. Although waking up early in the morning can be a tough thing. Especially in the winter, it is not that hard in the end. It just takes a little bit of determination and perseverance.
In this article, we will see the prime benefits of early morning yoga:
It sharpens your mental focus for the entire day
After waking up in the morning, you can do some simple yoga poses, such as the tree pose, and simple one-leg balances. These balance poses to keep your brain engaged and improve your focus levels. They prep you for the work for your day. After the yoga practice, follow up with a calm meditation session. If you feel like you can’t spend too much time on meditation, feel free to meditate for just 10 mins – even that makes a lot of positive difference.
If you are a beginner, here is how to start yoga at home.
It will boost your energy levels
The more your body moves, the more every cell in your body moves, and the cellular oxygenation levels increase, creating a refreshing sensation in your body and you feel energetic for the entire day. This also leads to a reduction in your stress levels.
It improves metabolism
Most people are afraid to eat more due to fear of weight gain. However, certain yoga exercises such as Planks, and Warrior II, will boost your metabolism, which in turn improves your digestion. Thus, there will be reduced concern about adding calories.
It helps tone your body parts
As yoga requires the coordination of several parts of the body, especially arms, and legs, it can have a great effect on the overall shape of your limbs. Your arms will look more defined and your back will feel stronger
It helps you sleep better
Insomnia is a common problem faced by many in our modern life, as we engage in activities that actively disrupt our natural circadian rhythm. Once you start engaging in the habit of early morning waking up, your body will start trying to get back to the natural sleep cycle. Yoga requires you to put effort into breathing, meditation, and poses (asanas) that have a positive effect on the endocrine system which generates the vital hormones required for the well-being of your body. Some of the poses also help stimulate the pineal gland which excretes melatonin, a hormone that is important in helping us sleep better.
Troubled sleep? Beyond yoga, also try these additional tips to sleep better
It can replace your need for an early morning coffee
Caffeine is an ingredient used in coffee that acts as a stimulant. It is favored by many to wake up in the morning and maintain their energy for the entire day. Although limited moderate use is not harmful, continuous dependence on it can cause a whole range of problems like insomnia, digestive issues, muscle breakdown, high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, and much more. However, even a light session of yoga in the early morning will do a much better job of stimulating you and removing your need for caffeine.
If you are an insomniac, have you tried these natural ways to cure insomnia yet?
It gives you more flexibility
Modern work life is very much centered around sitting in a chair for long hours, which can be a cause of concern for many. It may reduce your flexibility over a period of time. Exercising, or even light yoga can improve the coordination in your muscles and provides a better move to the areas of your body suffering from low flexibility and motion.
It can improve immunity
Regular yoga helps with lymph drainage (fluid rich in immune cells). It improves the efficiency of the lymphatic system to avoid infection, remove cancerous cells, and dispose of the toxic waste products of cellular functioning.
It is good for the heart rate
Some yoga exercises can improve the heart rate, which can lower the chances of depression and heart attacks. It is also important for the overall cardiovascular system and reduces the likelihood of several heart diseases. You can lower your resting heart rate, improve your endurance, and enable a higher rate of oxygen absorption by your body at the peak level of exercise.
It is good for your lungs
Deep inhalations and exhalations, along with the better movement of your body parts improve your overall lung function. Breathing properly through your nose allows you to properly filter the air, from dust, and pollen, and warm and humidify it before going to your lungs.
It gives you relief from body aches
Body pains in the early stages and pains due to wrong body postures, (pains commonly noted in the neck and back) can be cured with yoga. These days, one of the most common pains is back pain due to 9-5 desk jobs. Unless there is no major damage such as a fracture and the pain is in the nascent stages. Yoga can definitely help you recover from the same.
It makes you happier
A fruitful yoga session leads to a surge in the serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels of the brain, which is linked with lower levels of depression and anxiety. A 15 min yoga session early in the morning can start changing your brain chemistry and improve your mood.
It makes you a better thinker
Yoga lowers your stress levels, improves mental coordination, and enables you to have a better thought process. Thoughts become more organized, and you can think sharper – through it all, you will be able to stay calm and composed. End of the day, having a clear mind is crucial in all aspects, and phases of life.
It is very important to look after your mental health at all costs. Here are a few ways along with yoga that will help you to protect your mental health
It gives you your own ‘Me’ time
In the world of work and daily exertions, juggling different responsibilities and people, we barely have time to enjoy our own company. Doing light yoga, even if for a very short period every day. We can achieve a feeling of satisfaction of being one with ourselves.
It gives you a positive approach to the day
The experience we have from the outer world is more or less the creation of our inner self. How we feel on the inside is reflected on the outside. When you get into the habit of yoga at the very start of the day, you are bound to be more refreshed, calm, and happier than usual and the same feeling reflects into your daily experiences, which become more positive in nature.
To practice yoga, one does not need any particular requirements such as a very flexible body, a super-strong body, or a lot of time. It is all about giving yoga some time and conscious effort – with which you can improve both your physical and mental well-being.