Morning routines

SETTING A PRECEDENT
Starting your morning with a solid foundation to build on will set you up for a productive and enjoyable day ahead. The predictability of kicking into a familiar morning routine is very soothing for the nervous system and eases you into the day's activities. Putting aside time for yourself in the morning gives you a sense of personal space and fulfilment beyond work and deadlines and helps you value your down time. For most of us the morning is a set amount of time. When you set yourself a certain number of routines to get done in that time you need to be quite particular about how long each task takes. Establishing a routine makes you more disciplined and organised and helps with time management too. These important skills will help you feel less stressed and more in control of your day.

Some elements to your morning routine are personal preferences – like eating brekkie or fasting till later, having a tea or coffee ritual, meditation or journaling. Other elements are universally recognised recommendations – like starting the day with some sort of movement, hydrating first thing, going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday, getting natural light within the first hour of waking. Some of the world's most successful people have a no compromise morning routine including rituals like exercise, walking the dog, coffee rituals and meditation.

WHERE DO YOU START?
Be realistic about how much you can fit into your morning before your day starts or your routine will quickly become a source of stress. Stick with a simple routine for a few weeks, and if you have time, you can add another element to your routine. You can start with really simple tasks like ritually making your bed in the morning as soon as you get up or planning your day ahead to start the day off smoother and calmer. A morning routine starts the night before by getting to bed at a time that will allow you to get between 7 to 8 hours sleep. Don’t be tempted to scroll on your phone in the hours before bed, it reduces your deep sleep which is the period of sleep where your brain replenishes and your immune system strengthens. Try not to have weekend lie-ins, it has been scientifically proven that they are a fallacy. You can’t catch up on missed sleep at the weekend, it actually throws off your circadian rhythm and makes you even more tired on a Monday. Planning some self care into your morning ensures that you get your daily fix of ‘me time’ which will stand to you for the day ahead. Pick a few of the following morning routine suggestions, start modest and add as you get into the rhythm of you new rituals:

• Wake up and get up at the same time, no snooze buttons!

• Make your bed.

• Drink a glass of room temperature water.

• Meditation.

• Journaling.

• Breathwork.

• Exercise, yoga!

• Sunlight.

• Cold shower if you are brave enough!

• Plan your day ahead.

• Shower and get dressed, try not to get into the habit of staying in PJs.

MORNING EXERCISE ROUTINES
When you wake up in the morning your body has just completed a min hibernation. When we are asleep the brain stores new information and washes out toxins, while the body restores energy, repairs muscles and fights infections. But with extended hours of minimal movement the body can feel a bit slow and stiff in the morning. Getting moving first thing in the morning will help blow away the cobwebs and wake up all the muscles so they can support sitting, standing and moving posture. Exercise releases the happy hormone endorphins, increases respiration which brings in more oxygen, and boosts your circulation to distribute the oxygen around the body to make you feel more buzzy and energised.

The addition of a simple yoga practice is the best way to start your day. It is one of the easiest forms of exercise to fit into your morning routine, just roll your mat out, and covers all the bases when it comes to preparing the body and mind for the day ahead. Yoga stretches and strengthens all the muscles of the body, moves the spine in all directions and mobilises the hips – which is particularly useful if you know you will be sitting for most of your day. Yoga also balances the nervous system, eases stress, tension & anxiety, aids digestion, increases circulation, boosts the immune system, and helps with focus and concentration. You can read more about the benefits of yoga in my recent article.

My morning routine sets me up for the day ahead. I get up at the same time every day of the week. I have a shot of lemon and ginger elixir to wake me up and wipe down the already cleaned kitchen surfaces as a way to clear and prepare my mind for the day ahead. I put the porridge on, make school lunches and head out for a morning walk. I listen to podcasts or audible books on my walk which distracts me from procrastinating over the day ahead. When I get back I kick straight into my yoga rituals before I get distracted by work and emails. For my morning yoga ritual I have a formula that includes bite sized amounts of all my favourite wellness tools – MFR (myofascial release), pranayama breathwork and yoga mini flows. How long or how strong I practise for depends on how much time I have and how I am feeling that day. After my practice I’ll shower, have my brekkie and make my ‘to do’ list for the day ahead.

EXPLORING MORNING ROUTINES IN YOUR PRACTICE
Before you start, step on your mat and take a few moments to work out how your practice can support you today. Ask yourself how did you sleep, what you need physically, what do you need mentally, what your energy levels are, where do you feel stiff, where do you feel weak? Adjust your practice according to your answers. If you had a great night sleep go for it and maybe repeat the standing flow if you have the time. If you are feeling tired, focus on your breath to get your oxygen levels up to wake you up. If you have an injury, mind those areas and move slowly, adjust or leave out any poses that don’t currently suit you.

This sequence is some of my current favourite techniques and mini flows that give me a full body and mind floss. The first row starts with two MFR techniques followed by some mobility and breathwork flows. Row two and three and your two standing flows. If time is an issue you can just do one of them, if you have more time you can repeat each of them twice. Remember each standing flow is two rounds – one with the right leg forward and one with the left leg forward. If you don't have a brick you can do them without. If you do have a brick, use it as an opportunity to use the brick to refresh familiar poses, press into the brick when it's on the ground to lengthen up form and squeeze the brick between your hand or thighs in the poses where you are holding the brick. At the end of the fourth row is your third MFR technique and a short pranayama session which are detailed below.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Below are the MFR techniques used in this sequence. For more information on MFR go to my recent article: 

No.1 - Feet
Compression - from standing or seated, place 1 x ball at position No.1, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths and move on to No.2. Continue to No.5. 
Roll & cross fibre - with the toes on the ground place 1 x ball at No.5, roll the ball across your heel x 5. Place 1 x ball at No.6, roll the ball across the knuckles of your toes x 5. Place 1 x ball at No.6, roll in one direction from toes to heel x 5. 
Scribble - roll and scribble across the sole of the foot. Repeat all steps on the other foot.

No.2 - Hips (gluteus medius)
Compression - from side lying up on your forearm, stack 2 x balls behind your frontal hip bone on your outer hip, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower your leg x 5.
Roll & cross fibre - roll up and down on your outer hip.

No.3 - Lower back (quadratus lumborum & erectors)
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls above the back of the hips either side of the spine, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths.
Sheer - slowly lift and lower one knee at a time towards your chest x 5.
Roll & cross fibre - roll up and down the lower spine below the ribs.

Pranayama
Sit in a comfortable position – cross legged, sitting up on a brick, straddling a bolder. Inhale for the count of 6, exhale for the count of 6, and pause exhaled for the count of 2. Continue through the three progressions in the sequence. When you get to the third progression repeat this count for 3 to 4 rounds. You can then take an optional Savasana if you have time. 

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Shoulder tension release

EMOTIONAL SHOULDERS
We often experience our emotions in our shoulders – lifting them up around our ears when we feel stressed or collapsing them forward when we’re tired – which, when done repeatedly, can lead to shoulder tension. The body and mind are intrinsically linked which means when we have mental tension it becomes physical tension and similarly if we have physical tension it can lead to mental tension. We can use this body-mind link in reverse to dissipate stress & tiredness by releasing this physical tension in the shoulders and releasing mental tension as a body mind knock on effect.

Shoulder tension doesn’t always come from our emotions. Working at a computer for extended periods compromises your posture in a chain reaction – lower spine flattens, upper chest collapses, shoulders roll forward and neck over extends. Which is why at the end of a working day the back, shoulders and neck can feel exhausted. Habitual poor posture will do a similar thing to your shoulder girdle position. If your hips are inclined to tip back, which is the more common misalignment, the lower back becomes flattened and loses its natural curve, while the upper back becomes over-rounded and pulls the shoulder forward similar to the sitting position above.

The shoulders are a complex and shallow joint with great mobility, which makes them more prone to instability than the deeper simpler hip joint. The two main bones of the joint are the arm bones (humerus) and the shoulder blades (scapula). The head of the humerus sits in a shallow socket on the side of the scapula. Both bones have movement potential in shoulder range of movement, which adds to the complexity of the shoulder joint. For example when the arm lifts out to the side into abduction, the humerus moves in the socket of the scapula on its own for the first part of the movement, then when it hits its full range and bone hits bone the scapula rotates upwards to facilitate even greater movement. If the scapula was fixed on the back of the ribs we would have very limited movement of the shoulder joint.

MFR & YOGA FOR THE SHOULDERS
If we look at the two main shoulder positions that we lean towards, shoulders lifted and shoulders collapsed forward, we can identify the muscles that are most likely to be overworking to hold the shoulder in these positions. We can then work towards releasing these muscles with MFR, or myofascial release, and yoga poses that stretch these muscles and strengthen the muscles that will bring the shoulder down and roll them back. The two main culprits for the lifted shoulders are levator scapula and the upper trapezius. When these two muscles are overfiring the neck can get compressed which can also lead to tension headaches. The main culprit for the shoulders collapsed forward is the pecs at the front of the chest. MFR not only hydrates the connective tissue, it gives immediate, but not long term, increased range of movement (ROM). Doing MFR before your yoga practice increases ROM and when followed by targeted stretching poses will incrementally capture this ROM each time you do this MFR/yoga formula. You can read more about MFR & yoga in my recent article.

EXPLORING SHOULDER TENSION RELEASE IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence starts with MFR techniques to release the levator scapula and the upper trapezius at the back of the shoulder, pecs at the front and lats under the armpit. You will capture the increased range of movement from the MFR in the three mini flows in the first row. Focus your attention on your shoulder and look for symmetry left and right. If you find a sticky area, reduce your range of movement and stay away from pain. Don’t force your shoulder range of movement. The two standing flows will bring your shoulder into all the different directions. You might notice some directions are easier for you than others. This is very normal. We are all very individual and often asymmetrical too. You will end with some MFR on the back of the skull. This is a lovely technique that is great for relieving tension headaches associated with shoulder tension. Finally give yourself at least 5 mins to allow the shoulder to rest in Savasana after the sequence.

MFR ALIGNMENT CUES
No. 1 - Levator scapula & trapezius 
Compression - from supine with knees bent, place 2 x balls in the centre of each upper shoulder, gently press down with an inhale and release on the exhale x 5 breaths. 

Sheer - slowly circle arms overhead and back to the ground x 5.

No.2 - Pecs & lats 
Rocking - from side lying, place the brick on its mid height in the centre of the armpit. Rock your weight back and forward for the lats then pull the brick a little more forward and rock forward and back for the pecs.

No.3 - Back of skull 
Lie on your back and place a brick on its lowest high just below the curve at the back of your skull (occipital ridge). Extend your legs out, arms slightly away from your body, palms facing up. Legs slightly apart and feet fall out to the side, soften your shoulder, back of the neck long. Gently roll your head from side to side to ease out tension in the muscles at the back of the skull. Roll your head mid way to your right, pause and make small circles, repeat on the left side. Remove the brick, soften the muscles across your forehead, your temples, the back of your skull. Let the whole body become heavy and melt into the support of the ground.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• Move slowly through the sequence and repeat the two standing flows for 2 or three rounds per side to get some good fluid movement in the shoulder.

• If you are experiencing any tenderness in the shoulder, reduce your range of movement to stay out of pain.

• Observe the movement in both the arm bone and the shoulder blade as you move through the sequence.

• Use the breath guide in the sequence to help you link breath with movement in the flow. Inhale is indicated with a ‘+’, exhale is a ‘-”.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Posture reset

Join me for my online MFR Lower Back Love Workshop to learn techniques to support lower back health.

POSTURE STACKING
Last month I looked at lower back pain. This month's theme is a natural progression, as poor posture is the most common cause of lower back pain. Tiredness, ageing, illness, lack of exercise, asymmetry in muscle strength, chronic pain, and unresolved injuries are some of the main causes for poor posture. Good posture takes effort. It is much easier to let gravity press you down - slumped your shoulders and let your pelvis tip back when standing, sitting and moving. But the long term effects of poor posture include spine, shoulder, hip and neck pain, and make you more prone to injuries. It can even affect your breath, digestion, energy levels, confidence and mental health. 

Posture stacking checks throughout your day will build strength in your posture muscles and help them to hold you up against gravity. You can even set a reminder on your phone throughout your day to make sure hours don't go by in a slumped position. From a standing position stack - ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, head an extension of the spine. If you are inclined to jut your head forward, place your first two fingers on your chin, tuck your chin slightly and slide your head back onto your shoulders. This will create nice length in the back of the neck. From a seated position stack - hips, shoulders, head an extension of the spine, knees hip height or slightly lower, feet squared with your hips and on the ground. If, like me, your feet don't reach the ground, you can place a prop under your feet. I place a yoga brick at its lowest height under each foot, with a bit of space between them. Place your hand on your lower back and check for the natural curve of your lumbar spine. When we slump in our seats the shoulders roll forward and the pelvis tip back. This repeated poor posture will cause shoulder, lower back and neck pain if held for long periods of time. Consider taking standing breaks throughout the day too, this will bring circulation back into the hips and lower body. When you are doing your posture checks, notice if you have any areas where you hold habitual tension or gripping. Shoulders, glutes, neck, jaw, or even your expression, are common areas we hold tension. Check if you favour one foot, tilt your hips forward, back or to one side when standing or cross your legs, lean your upper body or tilt your head to one side when sitting.

5 STEPS TO GOOD POSTURE
Although types of poor posture can vary, I have focused on the most common one, which is shoulders rolled forward, flattened lower back and pelvis tilted back. The following are 5 areas to work on, if this is your inclination which are all covered in my sequence:

1. AROM (active range of movement) - adding hip, shoulder and spine movement practises into your routines will reduce mobility loss which can lead to stiffness related poor posture.

2. Strengthen the upper back (thoracic), lower back (lumbar) and the posterior shoulders - basically strengthening the whole posterior chain to prevent the front body from collapsing against the weight of gravity.

3. Strengthen the side of hips (gluteus medius) and the core (TVA, rectus abdominis) - strengthening the gluteus medius will stabilise the pelvis and prevent it from tipping sideways, while core strength will support the curves of the lower back. When the hips are weak or asymmetrical it can shift the whole posture stack.

4. Stress relief - mental stress can manifest as physical tension with muscle tension and gripping - pulling the shoulder up around ears, tension headaches or lower back pain which can all affect your posture.

5. Balance drills - the natural curves of our spine absorb impact and facilitate the ability to react, recentre and balance. Often in poor posture one or more of the natural curves of the spine are flattened or overarched throwing this delicate balancing act!

EXPLORING POSTURE RESET IN YOUR PRACTICE
Yoga does two things - it makes us more aware of our posture and builds strength in the posture muscles. The sequence starts with MFR on the feet to build a strong platform of support to create your posture awareness from. For more details on these techniques go to MFR + yoga. The first row works on strengthening the spine, core, outer hips, stretches the front of the chest and mobilises the shoulders. The start of each standing flow starts with arm extension to help stretch the front of the chest and hug the shoulder blades together on the back.The first standing flow gives into three mini flows working on side bends, twists and standing balance. In the second standing flow you are facing the side of the mat in Warrior style legs and goddess legs with lots of upper back and shoulder work. The start of the cold down has a last bit of work on the core. In this one you don’t hold on to the leg, you use your core to pull the bent knee towards your chest while also using your core to slowly lift and lower the straight leg. It finishes with a nice restorative bridge pose using a brick with a blanket over it to lift the hips. 

ALIGNMENT CUES
Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• Move through the sequence slowly, particularly when transitioning from pose to pose.

• This sequence is intended to be part of your posture rest routine not as a once off practice. Add it into your weekly routine.

• Practise the full sequence once or twice a week or even better take sections of the sequence and do a little each morning to reset your posture for the day ahead.

• Use the breath guide in the sequence to help you link breath with movement in the flow. Inhale is indicated with a ‘+’, exhale is a ‘-”.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru