3 reasons to start a daily morning movement ritual today

Say goodbye to manic mornings forever and start a daily morning movement ritual today. Here’s how. By Sarah Rumble

For some, mornings can be a hectic rush, dashing out of bed like a comet speeding through the sky. For others, it can be a slow start. We hit snooze, roll over and pull the sheets over our head, longing for just another five minutes in our cosy nest.

Whether you are a get-up-and-go comet, or a nesting cosy chick, a morning movement practice will help bring balance, calmness and set you up for a smooth day.

I can hear some of you saying: “I just don’t have time in the morning.”

I agree we all have jobs to do, responsibilities, appointments, with an endless list of things to achieve and this may seem like adding something else to that list.

But I would like to plant a seed here, that beginning with a 5-10 minutes morning movement practice will bring so many benefits and cultivate more ease in your mind, body and spirit.

Once you have embedded movement into your morning ritual and it has become a daily habit, which takes between 21-66 days depending on which experts you ask, it won’t feel like another thing on your to-do list. Instead, it will be a moment in your day you will look forward to and enjoy.

So, now lets look at the benefits of adding movement to your morning ritual today:

1. Harness the morning magic

The ancient yogis believed that the veil between night and day held profound potential and potency. This time in the morning just before sunrise, when the sky is pink and awe-inspiring, is believed to be a magical time in many traditions, a time to connect to the divine, pray and meditate. If you are already a morning bird, you may already know that feeling of quiet, stillness and peacefulness these early morning hours hold. This is a time the yoga tradition calls brahmamuhurta. Let your movement practice be like a moving prayer, honouring your aliveness, being grateful for your body and the potential your day ahead holds.

2. Say hello and wake up all your cells

Moving the body gets the blood flowing, lymphatic system moving, oxygen pumping and prana (our life force energy) dancing. On the physical level we can see the benefits movement will bring in the form of building strength, creating flexibility, lubricating joints, easing away discomforts, clearing head fog, improving digestion and boosting the immune system, just to name a few. On the subtle level, we are shifting stagnant energy, moving and releasing the heaviness accumulated from our slumber and enlivening every single cell. Where attention goes, prana flows. By bringing our awareness into the body and moving consciously, we are bringing consciousness into our cells, reawakening the cells’ intelligence to function optimally for our day ahead

3. To treasure you!

By making time to connect to your body before you face your day signals sweet reminders to yourself: I matter in this world. I deserve to be cared for. I have needs and I will meet them. I respect my body. You energetically set yourself up with a healthy boundary. You are meeting your needs to be healthy, well and vibrant, before you go out and do the wonderful work in this world that you do, whether that be parenting duties, business emails, favours for friends, environmental activism or anything and everything else! We all know the phrase: “You can’t give from an empty cup”. Making time for yourself is not a selfish act, but a responsible act of self-care. Crafting more happiness, health and positivity within yourself. From this position, you can then go out into your community, to your work, and do a great job.

Where to start

So you might be wondering where to begin?

First thing in the morning can be a tricky time to make decisions. You might like to plan your movement the night before, or you might like to intuitively tap in and see what your body needs in the moment.

Have the freedom to choose any movement that works for you. This could be: dancing to your favourite track, a few rounds of sun salutations, mobility drills, rolling around on a foam roller, a YouTube yoga class, sleepy stretches in bed, a walk, or resistant bands. Whatever works for you is perfect!

Try to avoid getting tied up in being prescriptive, strict or ambitious. Your practice may and should change day to day. The length of practice may also change day to day. Start with just five minutes and build it up from there.