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. 

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

The circulatory system

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
The circulatory system, or cardiovascular system, is the body's main transport system. It consists of the heart, blood vessels and the blood. The heart pumps the blood around the whole body through the vessels. It is a closed circulatory system, which means blood moves in a continuous loop with no start or finishing point. The blood carries oxygen, nutrients, hormones, carbon dioxide and waste products to and from all the cells of the body. This transaction takes place in the capillaries. There are two main divisions of the circulatory system – the pulmonary, which delivers deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs and oxygenated blood back and the heart; and the systemic, which delivers oxygenated blood from the heart to the whole body and deoxygenated blood back to the heart. If you were to follow a full loop, starting at the lungs it would be – lungs, heart, body, heart, lungs. Arteries are responsible for carrying the oxygenated blood around the body, while veins are responsible for returning the deoxygenated blood back to the heart. The circulatory system also plays an important role with the immune response by helping fight infection and regulating body temperature. When there is good housekeeping the body is well serviced and works more efficiently.

When we inhale we decrease pressure in the thoracic region, not only does this drive air into the lungs but this increase of pressure also draws blood back to the heart, this is called venous return. So, although we often talk about the calming benefits of the exhale, the inhale also has its benefits when it comes to increasing blood flow and all the benefits that come with a circulatory system that performs well. We can use this principle to help the circulatory system by increasing our inhale in a pranayama practice or by focusing on the breath as part of our yoga practice.

HOW YOGA CAN HELP 
Similar to the lymphatic system, the circulatory system can be assisted by our yoga practice. We can produce an increase in heart rate and an increase in blood circulation by creating internal pressure, muscle contractions and an increased demand for oxygen. The flowing movement in yoga creates a demand for oxygen in the cells which increases heart rate. Standing poses which require muscle contractions in the big muscles of the legs also require extra oxygen and increase heart rate. Twists and backbends create internal pressure and help move blood around the areas being pressed and squeezed. The claves are considered the second heart, so poses that recruit the calves help move blood from the lower extremities. Inversions can also help by flipping the effects of gravity and giving the heart a little helping hand. As mentioned above we can also focus on the breath and encourage venous return , especially with an extended inhale.

EXPLORING THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence gives you the opportunity to work with your circulatory system with flowing movement, standing poses, twists, backbends and calf work. The first row warms up the spine, core, hips and calves. Row two and three are your two standing flows. Press firmly into the ground to wake up all the muscles of the legs to help get your heart pumping. You can repeat these two flows twice if you have time. The first time you move through it slowly and the second time you can move a bit faster to get a cardio effect. There is a four pose mini flow on the third row which flips your from the front of the mat to the back of the mat. The cool down includes a final twist and abdominal compression in the reverse table top to cosmic egg flow. You can take a regular savasana or you can add a bolster under your hips to get the benefits of a gentle inversion.

ALIGNMENT CUES
There is no specific peak pose in this circulatory system sequence. Focus on your breath to optimise the venous return on your inhale.

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

• 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 ‘-”.

• If there are specific poses that you would like to stay longer in, give yourself three deep breaths in those poses, and pick up the next pose with the allocated inhale or exhale as indicated by the sequence.

• For a longer practice add in a Sun Salutations at the start of each mini flow or repeat each mini flow.

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

Building focus

WHERE DID FOCUS GO?
Our concentration span has decreased considerably with the constant stimulus and distraction of the techie world we live in. We walk around with a little computer in our pockets with the answer to all our questions and a view into the lives of everyone around us. A concept that would have been unhear of prior to 2007 when the first iphone was released. As humans we crave social connection. When you pick up your phone and see a message it gives you a hit of dopamine and a sense of reward. The problem with this is that we get attached to this sense of reward and continue to check our phones more and more frequently. This constant checking breaks our ability to stay focused on even the simplest task and when there are no messages we feel anxious which also hinders our focus and concentration. Other factors that can affect our focus are stress, anxiety, poor sleep quality and a sedentary lifestyle which can all be improved on with movement practices like yoga. 

BUILDING FOCUS PATHWAYS
The brain works in a system of pathways. When we learn something new we create a new pathway, which the brain remembers and refers back to. But when we create negative pathways, like poor focus, this is the new pathway that the brain refers to. Yoga builds ‘focus’ pathways in the brain. These new pathways help to strengthen your ability to focus in your life off your mat on your everyday tasks. Moving, breathing, being present on your mat, and feeling the internal and external senses of the poses hone your attention on your practice. Practising with this single focus builds a shield against the distractions of the world. Yoga builds a strong connection between body and mind. When we find this connection we can build these focus pathways. When you are finding it hard to focus in your practice you have lost the body mind connection. Focusing on your breath will help you find the connection. The breath is the ultimate method for finding the ‘present moment’, there is no past or future breath, just the present breath. Consciously breathing as you flow will also tap into the parasympathetic, rest & restore, nervous system, which reduces stress, anxiety and improves your quality of sleep. All great ways to help you build a better ability to focus in life. 

EXPLORING BUILDING FOCUS IN YOUR PRACTICE
Turn your phone on silent and give yourself the treat of practising this sequence without distraction. Break the habit of checking your phone and build new pathways for focus with your yoga practice. This practice has plenty of standing balancing poses, which are one of the best families of poses to cultivate focus. When you are faced with a balancing challenge all your ‘to do’ lists are pushed out of your head as you focus on how to find the strength to stay upright against the forces of gravity. There are lots of ways to increase balance challenge beyond standing on one leg - like placing a soft blanket under your standing foot to create an unstable surface to make your muscles, and sense of where you are in space, work harder to keep you standing. Slow transitions are another very effective way of creating focus, it takes more strength, control and focus to move slowly from pose to pose than moving in a faster cardiovascular way in your practice. Pause in your poses and feel the internal sensations of the pose form your feet all the way up to the tip of your crown.

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.

• Although all yoga sequences will help you cultivate focus this sequence is particularly focused on this task. Repeat the sequence once a week to help your ability to focus.

• Notice the sensations in the body of the poses and as you transition, notice which muscles are contracting and which are stretching.

• 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