Known by nearly everyone around the world, sleep is one of the most important functions your body has to undertake. It’s essential if you want to live a happy, healthy lifestyle. Some of us sleep way too much, and some of us don’t get enough. Some of us get it just right but have you ever thought about how you wake up? We all have different morning routines. Some of us shoot out of bed as soon as we hear our alarms. Others will hit the Snooze button 50+ times before crawling out, and others will just keep on sleeping. So, here’s the Ayurveda guide to waking up!
Following Ayurveda practices and guidelines, here’s a morning routine you can easily follow to help you enjoy the best start to your day possible.
Preparation
Ayurveda recommends that you wake up before sunrise. Around ten minutes before sunrise is ideal as this is renowned for being the calmest, most peaceful time of the day. You can easily find out the sunrise time in your area by searching online. By getting up at this time, you’re giving your body the chance to synchronise itself with the sun, allowing for the best possible start.
The following steps will teach you the best way to wake up and to start your day. If you’re a heavy sleeper, it may take some time to get into the routine, but by trying your hardest to follow it every day, you’ll soon find it gets easier and easier. Then you’ll start feeling more and more positive benefits.
Step #1
Once you wake up, the first thing you’ll want to do is roll over to the right. Swing your legs over the edges of your bed and sit with your feet firmly placed on the floor. Physically, when your body is asleep, your body is operating at a much lower metabolic level. If you roll over to your left, you could be putting minute amounts of pressure onto your cardiac system. This won’t do any damage, but it’s a lot more beneficial to roll right.
Step #2
Once you’re sitting on the edge of your bed, rub your hands together as though you were cold. The place your palms over your eyes. This may seem strange and a bit surreal, but there’s a good reason. Since your body has been stationary for hours, rubbing your hands together will reactivate the nerves ending. By placing your palms over your eyes and rubbing your face, you’ll instantly feel more awake as all your nerves begin to come to life. Move your palms around your face to your forehead and your shoulders.
If you’re in doubt, try it now as you read this. Rub your hands together for 5-10 seconds and place one hand on each cheek. Now slide your hands up your temples, over your forehead and back down. Sit still for a couple of seconds, and you’ll instantly feel your face come to life!
Step #3
Now take a deep breath in through your nose. You do this to figure out which nostril has a better air flow. Let’s say your left nostril has the best air flow, you now want to kiss your left palm, and then your right palm. Kissing is renowned for transferring energy. If your right nostril has the best air flow, kiss the other way around.
Step #4
Now it’s time to get up. Whichever side your breath was strongest, put that leg down and stand up on that leg first. Now you’re up and ready to start your day in the most alive and productive way possible!
Once you start getting the hang of this routine, it will become second nature to you. You’ll instantly feel the effects throughout your day, and you’ll be amazed and how much more you can achieve. This technique will benefit your work flow, your social life and your overall happiness.
Have you tried this technique to get yourself up in the morning? What were your thoughts? Let me know your experiences in the comment section below!
