ANN/THE STAR – Even if there is often no time to celebrate a long morning routine on work days, we can still endeavour to make our start of the day more calm and enjoyable.
Here’s one thing you can do right away that will instantly make a difference: stretch.
Usually, a peaceful and tranquil time on the weekend, for many people, a weekday morning is the epitome of stress, with breakfast, lunch boxes and school drop-off all to be taken care of before work.
But little time doesn’t necessarily mean that we can’t introduce a bit more peace and quiet into our mornings, said yoga instructor Inga Heckmann.
In an interview, the relaxation expert explained that small rituals are key, and that the groundwork for a relaxed morning is already laid the night before.
Question: How do we make our mornings a little more relaxed, even when there’s little time?
Answer: It already comes down to the night before.
Instead of binge-watching TV right until going to bed, I recommend taking 30 minutes to wind down before going to sleep.
Breathing exercises or a yoga session are a great way to calm the nervous system.
Otherwise you can try reading a book or poetry, or listen to a podcast.
Basically, anything that nurtures the soul works.
This will help you to sleep better, which in turn, strongly influences how we feel in the morning.
What can I do in the morning to make the start to the day a bit easier?
It’s important to be woken gently, especially if you’re not an early bird. Instead of using the blaring tunes on your phone, try a gentler-sounding alarm that wakes you with by playing the sound of chirping birds or music. Another important aspect are morning rituals that give us energy and motivation.
The more consistently we cultivate them, the more the brain and the body know to look forward to them.
What kind of rituals?
Simple breathing exercises, for example, which you can do in bed even before getting up.
Assuming the so-called butterfly pose prevents you from falling asleep again. Place the pillow under your head and pull your feet up so that your knees are bent at a right angle.
Now let both knees fall outwards. Then place your right hand on your lower belly and your left hand on your upper belly, and breathe deeply and long into your abdomen and then into your chest.
The hands make sure that you feel the breath well. Repeat this five to 10 times.
This exercise raises the pulse, increases the oxygen content in the blood, and stretches the respiratory muscles in the chest, flanks and around the shoulder girdle, to help awaken us fully.
If the pose hurts your knees or thighs, you can cushion them with pillows to reduce muscle tension.
