Ever wondered how our yoga instructors (yogi’s) seem so bright and breezy in the morning whilst bending like a pretzel? Read more to find out how you can brighten up your mornings.
Morning rituals vary tremendously from person to person, culture to culture and also depending upon various situations within one’s life journey. As circumstances change so may your morning rituals to help coincide.
The View Studio’s amazing yogi Sarah, her morning begins with a caffeine kick to stimulate her body and mind in to wake up mode. Sarah also realises the importance of hydration so she combines her caffeine kick with an essential cup of hot water. Sipping both quietly, Sarah gazes into her garden and appreciates this tranquil time of day.
Restorative Vinyasa yoga is Sarah’s favourite personal choice of yoga practice. The deep focus on the breath and movement combined with the healing element is perfect for Sarah, and her favourite pose is Padmasana (Lotus Pose) as it makes her feel open and calm.
Sarah has a sweet tooth, so in order to try and satisfy her sugar cravings and keep it healthy, Sarah munches on dates. The dates also help to increase her fibre intake.
Sarah’s first passion is yoga, however if she could choose to do anything else, she would love to be a travel writer, with Tibet being a personal favourite place to start to put pen to paper.
Yogi Amanda on the other hand would love to have been a dancer on the West End stage, having parts in such shows as The Lion King, Chicago, West Side Story & Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat to name but a few. For Amanda, the adrenalin buzz to perform on stage would be fantastic and she couldn’t think of a better way to earn a living whilst staying fit and supple other than by teaching yoga. Amanda loves the theatre and pictures herself on stage whenever she goes to see a show.
Amanda loves Vinyasa flow where the movements are coordinated with the breath, providing a good workout as well as a yoga experience. Amanda finds it to be the best stress buster, a great immune system booster, which also helps her to become a calmer, more focused person. In Amanda’s words -“If you practice this type of yoga you will notice a marked improvement in your flexibility and stamina. There is no better addiction than yoga.”
Amanda’s favourite yoga pose is the fallen rock star. The pose allows for deeper breathing and opens up the hips and shoulders. The core, arms, glutes, neck and chest will all stretch and strengthen.
Amanda lived in Spain for a year, so it is not surprising that her favourite healthy meal is Paella. Despite sampling all the Spanish delights the amazing compact flavours of Paella still makes it a definite winner.
Amanda’s morning ritual usually means rising at 7am, apart from on a Friday when the alarm chimes earlier in order to make sure that Amanda arrives at The View Studio in time to do some early morning yoga with others as she teaches the ‘Rise & Shine Yoga’.
Routine for Amanda starts with a nice hot refreshing shower followed by a warm-up routine of yoga stretches that will often include sun salutation sequences. A healthy bowl of porridge with blueberries, blackberries, a banana and a touch of yoghurt all washed down with a delicious hot lemon juice.
Apart from on a Friday Amanda leaves her home at 8.15am to reach St. Andrews to work in the Alumni Office at the University of St. Andrews. Despite Fridays being an earlier start the yoga is definitely Amanda’s favourite way to start the day.
Go on start owning your mornings like a yogi. Need help, come and join Amanda for Rise & Shine Yoga or speak to any of our yogi’s (instructors).
