A yoga instructor’s hacks to wake up early and seize the day

As a Yoga Instructor I wake up super early and teach classes. This has not always been the case and to tell you the truth, in the first month of my teachers training I had a very hard time waking up early.

I feel your pain: you really want to wake up early, you’ve been trying so many different tricks, and for some reason laziness has been winning. After loads of research on the internet, much trial and error and numerous mortifying early mornings where I just didn’t wake up for Yoga Teachers Training, I finally zeroed in on a few solutions that actually worked to wake me up on time. These are tried and tested and have “Yoga Teacher Seal of Approval” written all over them so go ahead and use any or all of these tools with reckless abandon. Enjoy:

1. Get a good night’s rest

This one is the most obvious, so I’m mentioning it first. Everything else will be absolutely futile if you don’t do this one thing. The recommended standard for sleep is generally 7.5 hrs to 8 hrs a night. Get some shut-eye early and make sure you are fulfilling your quota of sleep with full sincerity.

2. Do some yoga asanas before you sleep

Try some relaxing hip openers just before you sleep, this guarantees for a good night’s rest and relaxes your whole body for the night. If you still aren’t getting any sleep, go wash the soles of your feet with cold water and then get into bed, youll be asleep in seconds.

3. Use an awesome alarm clock

It isn’t enough to just have one regular alarm on your phone, if you are anything like me, you need some serious arsenal to wake you up from those beautiful dreams. There are a few Apps available on the android store: I recommend Walk Me Up and Alarmy.

The first one uses the accelerometer on your phone to track steps that you take, which means the alarm will not go off unless you get out of bed and take at least 12 steps with your phone in your hand. Alarmy takes things to the next level and will not go off unless you take a picture of a pre-decided object in your home.

4. Keep your alarm clock far away

I suggest on top cupboards or in some difficult to reach place in your bedroom. Make sure it is audible though.

5. Buddy System

Tie up with one of your besties to be your wake up buddy. This way you can check that your buddy is awake and she can check that you are awake. Don’t be afraid to be a little hard on each other for skipping days or waking up late. (Quick Tip: Pick a buddy who wakes up pretty early already or there are chances of both of you oversleeping and this whole plan being a flop)

6. Open the curtains

Leave those curtains open all night, make sure your face is facing the window, and when the sun rises, tada! You will rise too

7. Getting over that morning grogginess

Drink loads of water as soon as you wake up, this will wake you and your system up. Stretch a lot. Work out (Do Yoga). This is the absolute best way to start your day. Morning affirmations are a brilliant way to start your day on a positive note and the best-selling book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne recommends starting the day by listing out all the things in life you are thankful for and ending each sentence with a “thank you” to the universe.

8. The power of your sub-concious mind

It is a proven fact that self-suggestion works best in an alpha state( that is half asleep) so just before you nod off for the night, when your eyes are closed and you are lying in bed, simply suggest what time you would like to wake up the next morning and visualize it happening. Some elite athletes use this technique to win at their respective sports.

9. Gamify it

I’m a huge fan of Gamification and I work during the day with a gamified platform. This one is probably more effective than any of the other tips I’ve listed so far.

Set a reward for reaching your goal. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, maybe a money jar where you put in Rs. 100 every time you wake up on time, but once you reward yourself for waking up early, you will find that waking up early becomes almost like a game and very exciting.

I hope you find these tips as useful as I did and I wish you all the best in your waking up early journey. Remember, all habits take time and persistence really is the key.

– Pallavi

(An internationally certified Yoga instructor from SVYASA University. She has been a practitioner of Yoga since 2009 and conducts classes at her private practice in Bangalore where she teaches Hatha Yoga through mindfulness practice. She also conducts corporate Yoga workshops on behalf of FeetApart and just happens to be the Customer Success Manager at FeetApart)

© msn.