Category: Early Morning Class

Science says: 6 reasons to yoga in the AMs

9/22/2021

As a mom of two (and 2 businesses too!) I know my day may not always (understatement alert!) go exactly as planned.

That's why I'm a big proponent of "gettin it while ya can" -- which often means being up before the sun (and the son) in order to squeeze in my daily practice.

Did you know that traditionally yoga was practiced in the morning?

Maybe it had something to do with avoiding the hot sun of Indian afternoons, but really it just makes sense. Your mind is at its most relaxed in those wee hours, and the rest of the world hasn’t sent you any emails yet.

There are fewer distractions and there just seems to be more... peace. Physically, stretching is a body's natural urge in the morning, helping loosen up your joints in preparation for movement as you start your day.

It turns out modern science is also a huge fan of movement in the morn!

Here are just a few of the reasons (and the research that supports them!) to wake up early with us and yoga:

Science backed reasons to do early morning yoga

Feel less "bleh." Yoga improves blood flow, oxygenating the body-- which increases energy levels and reduces fatigue. Plus, the release of exercise-induced hormones dopamine and seratonin will mean you start the day feeling high on life. Especially good if you don't identify as a "morning person."
Wake up your brain. Morning workouts have been shown to improve cognitive function including decision-making, throughout the day.
Eat better. Sweating it out in the morning results in reduced food cravings and helps curb emotional eating. Yummmm.
Burn more fat. Overweight men in this study who exercised before breakfast burned 2x the amount of fat than those who exercised after. This had ‘profound and positive’ effects on their health because of improved insulin response, which keeps blood sugar levels under control and potentially lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Be happier! Yoga has been found to have even more mood-boosting power than other forms of exercise. Participants who practiced yoga for 12 weeks in this study experienced greater improvements in mood and anxiety, as compared to the participants who followed a walking regimen.
Avoid diabetes. This study found that early morning exercise on an empty stomach resulted improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity (translation: reduced risk of diabetes, yay!) to a greater extent than doing the same exercise after eating.

You deserve all of the above in your life.

So sign up for an early Zoom class today, or pick a recording from our library.
And if you're not a member yet (wha??) click here to join. See you in the morning!!

1 Comment

Misty Scores High on Fitness, Heals From Surgery & Increases Patience

12/2/2017

2 Comments

"I signed up for Bikram yoga after seeing BYSJ's booth at the Farmer's Market in spring of 2016, and the timing could not have been more serendipitous. Deep down I knew I needed to do something to get back into a consistent exercise routine. The very first big difference thing that I noticed after a few weeks of practicing regular Bikram Yoga was the skin on the back of my upper arms/tricep was no longer bumpy (a very common skin thing)- - it was smooth!

Being in the military (at the Oregon Air National Guard in Portland - our F-15 airplanes share the runway with PDX) we have a PT (physical training) test each year. I had found recent years that I 'crammed' for it-- going into 'beast mode' about 6 weeks or so before the test (which comprises of timed situps & pushups-- 1 minute allotted for each-- not to mention waist measurement and a mile & a half run.

In June 2016 (about a month or so of getting into Bikram yoga) I scored the highest PT (physical training) score ever (in my 20+ yrs in the military) with a 96.9 (out of 100). To score Excellent, one must get 90 or above. Fortunately because of my regular yoga practice, i don't have to worry about not passing.

"Cramming at anything in life does not help anybody! I wanted a regular exercise practice that I liked and that give me great benefit and to also be a role model to my kids for a picture of health. Many career military folks lose their dedication to their health and I think it's so important to set the example but, more importantly, to live my best life (like Oprah says.) I was looking primarily for physical benefits; toning & flexibility appealed to me. My high school and college days of track and volleyball are far behind me, and now I have fallen in love w/ Bikram Yoga particularly. It's easy on the joints, non-competitive, and the benefits, as I've learned, are far more than physical: my practice has increased my patience and motivation in other areas of my life.

"The greatest benefits in the last year in particular are: 1) healing a fresh back injury! With physical therapy, I took a short break right after the injury and then got back into it right on time for January 2017's 30-day challenge! I took it very easy and did very little in some postures and it healed me 98%! The other 2% was just time. Today I am 100%. 2) I credit Bikram Yoga for the remarkable healing following an ovarian cyst removal surgery in early October 2017; after 3 days I felt restless and was ready to drive to my doctor's appointment. In each class when it's mentioned that we receive 100% of the benefit for every attempt we do, that really speaks to me. I have learned to really listen to my body since regularly practicing (I aim for 3x/week.)

"I love putting my energy into Bikram yoga. The 5:30am class is great for my work-life balance. When I get home after the early morning class, my husband and 2 kids are just getting up (so I don't miss family time) and I'm still able to get to work on time. I LOVE that our cozy St. Johns neighborhood has its own Bikram Yoga studio and I am proud to be part of it! "

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Science says: 6 reasons to yoga in the AMs

You deserve all of the above in your life.

Misty Scores High on Fitness, Heals From Surgery & Increases Patience

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