Whether you are self-isolating or working from home, it’s helpful to create a daytime routine to help you cope better and ensure you are making the most of your days spent indoors. By planning out exercise, work tasks, household chores and time spent with the kids, you can re-gain a sense of clarity and control.
Fitting in a daily yoga practice to your home routine could give you a whole host of benefits, both physically and mentally. Your practice can be planned in at a time that suits you and it doesn't have to be the same time each day. You can vary your home yoga practice to fit around your other responsibilities, and also around how you are feeling that day.
To give you a bit of inspiration about the types of yoga postures that might give you most benefits during certain parts of the day, here is a sample daily routine to get you started:
Early morning yoga
Early morning yoga is a great caffeine alternative! If you often feel a bit sluggish in the mornings and need a bit of a boost, then a short 15-minute yoga session could really help. Practicing yoga early in the morning will also help to warm up your digestive system and help nutrients move more easily around your body.
Sample morning asana routine:
Mountain Pose. Start here, perhaps with some alternate nostril breathing
5 rounds of Sun Salutations. To create warmth and energy within your body.
Chair pose. Hold for five breaths. To build energy, stay positive and present in the moment.
Low Lunge (both sides twice). To open the chest and the heart space.
Warrior 3. Your daily vitamin dose to launch you into the day full of balance and mindfulness.
Pre-lunchtime yoga
If you’ve had a busy or stressful morning, and need a boost before lunchtime, then a few asanas could help. Before you prep your midday menu, take some time out to practice a simple sequence:
5 rounds of Cat/Cow. To calm your mind, warm your body and bring flexibility to the spine if you’ve been sat down at a desk.
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose. The twisting stimulates the internal organs, which will help to digest your lunch better.
Downward-facing dog. To lengthen your spine and stretch out the backs of the legs.
Wide-legged forward fold. For a glorious lengthening through the spine and hamstring stretch.
Evening yoga
When evening comes, and you need to switch off from whatever you’ve had to deal with during the day, practicing evening yoga is ideal to help promote a relaxed night’s sleep.
Here is a sample evening routine to promote relaxation and restoration:
Legs up the Wall Pose. To release fatigue in the legs, quiet the mind and refresh the heart and lungs.
Happy Baby Pose. Mimicking a happy baby can help to bring calm to your body.
Reclining Bound Angle Pose (with or without a folded blanket under each knee). To encourage a rest and digest response in your bodily systems.
Wide-knee Child’s Pose. To calm a busy mind from keeping you awake.
Here at Go Yoga Harrogate, we are currently running frequent Go Isolation classes in the mornings and evenings, which can be booked online and via the Go Yoga App. Join our lovely bunch of teachers for uplifting yoga lessons in the comfort of your own home.