Morning Yoga: It Starts with Just One Sun Salutation

I used to surprise my students when I told them I didn’t practise yoga in the morning. I’ve always been a night owl, and I still am, given the choice. On top of that, I teach evening classes and sometimes don’t get home until nearly 10 pm. Getting up at 5.30 am to practise? That just wasn’t going to happen!

Things started to change a few years ago, during the summer. Like many people, I’m sensitive to light and prefer to sleep in complete darkness. So, in summer, I often struggle to stay asleep once the sun comes up.

And then there’s the age thing. They say we need less sleep as we get older. When I was younger, I could easily sleep all morning, but these days I rarely sleep for more than six hours.

So, I decided to make the most of my new sleeping pattern and tentatively started practising yoga in the morning. That was around 2018. It’s now 2026, and I’m happy to say that morning practice has become a regular part of my life.

The most obvious benefit is that I actually practise! Before, I always had to find time for yoga somewhere in the day, fitting it in around work and all the other things that life throws at us. Inevitably, there were days when it just didn’t happen.

Now, yoga is done and out of the way first thing in the morning, and I can get on with the rest of my day. There’s something rather satisfying about that.

One surprising discovery is that headstand and handstand seem easier in the morning. My body feels lighter, as though it naturally wants to float upwards. Is it because I’m less grounded in the morning? Who knows!

On the other hand, shoulder stand feels harder because of the restriction in my neck and shoulders. And, of course, everything else feels stiffer first thing in the morning!

But for me, the biggest benefit is the effect on my mood.

I don’t know about you, but my mood tends to be at its lowest first thing in the morning. Perhaps that’s another reason I’ve always been a night owl. When I wake up, I often sit on the bed and think about the day ahead: the long list of things to do, and all those hours before I can finally snuggle back into bed again.

These days, I try to think differently.

No, I only have to do one thing right now. I just need to stand on my mat and do one Sun Salutation A. That’s all I have to do.

And the rest will flow.

I find so much comfort in this simple thought. Suddenly, nothing feels quite so overwhelming. I don’t have to tackle the whole day at once. I only have to do one thing at a time.

And perhaps that’s one of the most valuable things yoga teaches me, both on and off the mat.

So, that’s me and my morning practice. As the mornings get darker and colder, it inevitably becomes harder to get out of bed. There are still mornings when the duvet feels far more inviting than the yoga mat!

But I try not to think too much. I get up, make my way to the mat, and begin.

Sometimes, all you need to do is take that first step.