How I was able to blend Yoga into my life

I am one among the millions who would want to wake up early – take the first step to set an alarm, but I am guilty of hitting the snooze several times. Waking up early has been a battle for me, rushing through the morning and feeling stressed before the day even started. I always admired people who could wake up, be calm, and be instantly productive. Read about any successful person; a common theme is that they are all early risers. The thought of adding yoga and meditation to my routine seemed both appealing and daunting. However, after reading about the “brahma mahurat” and the many benefits of waking up early, I took up this challenge, and today, I will share my experience with you. Incorporating yoga and meditation into my daily schedule was not as easy as it sounds. Still, after a few successful days, it transformed my work and personal life.

The Struggle (of waking up early)

Let me be honest: this is the hardest part of the routine, but once I overcame this challenge, my body clock took over the alarm, and I never had to deal with the snooze button.

It took me about ten days to get comfortable with this routine, but remember, do not give up even if you are unable to wake up on time on a particular day.

I used some simple tricks to start with:

1) Instead of very early, set a time that is more likely to work for you. Although I wanted to wake up as early as 4 a.m., I started at 6 a.m., just 45 minutes before my usual wake-up time.

2) Keep my yoga mat and meditation cushion by my bedside. The visual cue reminded me that I had committed to this new habit and helped me get up.

That’s it—not so complicated. But remember, I had to make sure that I was in bed at least an hour before. I started with a 30-minute early bedtime and eventually settled for one hour earlier than my usual bedtime.

3) iPhone Trick—Make sure to enable your phone’s sleep routine. Here are simple instructions on how to do this. This is very helpful as it prepares you to sleep on time and keeps your phone distraction-free at night.

What after waking up?

Head to the bathroom, splash water on your face, and you are ready! I also added brushing my teeth, as it helped me feel completely awake.

Next – Start with a Few Minutes of Meditation

As recommended by Yoga, spiritual, and mindfulness experts, I started with just 5 minutes of meditation. Taking a few minutes to breathe deeply and center myself before diving into any physical activity made a huge difference. I used a simple breathing technique (repeat six times): inhale for six counts, hold for six counts, and exhale for six counts. This gentle practice helped quiet my mind and thoughts. Over time, I lengthened the sessions, but starting small made it less intimidating.

What I discovered was that these few minutes of meditation were incredibly grounding. They helped me clear my mental clutter and reduced my anxiety about my day ahead. This sense of calm carried through to the rest of my morning routine.

Then it is time for 20 minutes of Yoga

What can be better than Yoga as a perfect morning movement? Nothing!

Once I had settled into my meditation routine, I turned to yoga. Some of us can feel self-conscious, unsure of flexibility or whether we are “doing it right.” But the beauty of yoga is that it doesn’t require perfection—just consistency.

I started with a 20-minute session that used several Yoga poses as a routine called Surya Kriya. I followed this routine for the first 10 days without any changes. From this point onwards, we can all vary yoga poses and meditation duration depending on our personal preferences and familiarity with yoga.

Impact on my personal and work life

Took about two weeks to feel the difference, but it was extraordinary to see how I could do more in less time:

• Meditation helped with increased ability to tackle my tasks with more focus and clarity
• No more feeling overwhelmed
• I can now prioritize better and not worry about small, irrelevant things and details in life
• Increased energy levels throughout the day
• Being more present during meetings, thinking more creatively, and managing stress better when things got hectic.

Yoga also helped me maintain better posture throughout the day (I will share more on this later—as I tried to add some Yoga routine throughout the day, a couple of minutes at a time), reducing the back pain I used to get from long hours at the computer. With meditation providing a calm start to the morning, I felt more in control and ready to face challenges rather than getting bogged down by them.

Tips for Starting Your Own Routine

Here are a few tips based on my experience:

• Start small: It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the idea of a full hour of yoga or 30 minutes of meditation. Begin with just a few minutes each, then gradually build up as it becomes part of your routine.
• Be consistent: Even on days when you feel like skipping it, try to stick to your morning routine. The consistency, even if you only practice for 5 minutes, will create long-term benefits.
• Be kind to yourself: Some days will be harder than others, and that’s okay. Yoga and meditation are about progress, not perfection.

Set up your space the night before: Lay out your yoga mat and cushion the night before. This makes it easier to start your practice first thing in the morning.