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The biggest irony of modern lifestyle is that our morning starts with panic, stress and immediately running our fingers on the mobile screen as soon as the alarm rings. The fear of office deadlines, children’s school, household chores and traffic makes the mind tired as soon as we wake up. Health and wellness experts believe that starting the day right determines your energy, digestive system and mental balance throughout the 24 hours. If you spend just 30 minutes ‘naming yourself’ every morning after waking up, this seemingly simple habit will not only keep you away from serious lifestyle diseases (like obesity, diabetes, high BP and cervical), but will also keep you fresh and focused throughout the day.
The biggest mistake that 90 percent of people make as soon as they wake up in the morning is to pick up their smartphone near their pillow and get entangled in social media, emails or negative news. By doing this, the stress-causing hormone ‘cortisol’ increases in the brain as soon as you wake up. Just sit quietly on the bed for 5 minutes in the morning. Keep your eyes closed, take deep, slow breaths and bring a feeling of gratitude into your mind for a new day. This short pause helps in smoothly bringing your nervous system from relaxed mode to active mode.
After 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night, our body is naturally in a dehydrated state. After waking up, sip at least one to two glasses of lukewarm plain water or water kept in a copper vessel in the first 5 to 7 minutes. If you want, you can also add a few drops of lemon juice or half a teaspoon of chia seeds to it. Drinking lukewarm water on an empty stomach in the morning naturally cleanses the intestines, ignites the digestive fire, eliminates the problems of constipation and acidity and removes the toxins accumulated in the cells overnight from the body.
The next 15 minutes in the morning are very important to keep the body fit. For this you do not need to go to a heavy gym, just be active for 15 minutes in the balcony, terrace or nearby park of your house:
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Full Body Stretching: Sleeping in the same position all night causes the muscles to become stiff. Do Tadasana, Tiryak Tadasana and Cat-Cow stretch for 3 to 4 minutes so that the spine and joints become flexible.
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Surya Namaskar or Brisk Walk: Do 5 to 7 rounds of Surya Namaskar, or take a brisk walk for 10 minutes in the fresh morning sunlight and open air.
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Balance of Vitamin D and Melatonin: When gentle morning sunlight hits the skin and eyes, the body produces Vitamin D and resets our brain’s circadian rhythm (biological clock), resulting in deep and restful sleep at night.
After physical activity, practice pranayama by sitting in Sukhasana or Padmasana in a quiet place for the next 5 minutes. Anulom-Vilom (Nadi Shodhana) and Bhramari Pranayam balance both parts of the brain, calm stress and anxiety and provide ample oxygen to the lungs. This 5-minute practice multiplies your mental focus, memory and ability to remain emotionally stable throughout the day.
Give your body some real nutrition on an empty stomach before taking your first sip of morning tea or coffee. Eat 4-5 almonds, 1 walnut kernel or one soaked fig soaked overnight. Dry fruits provide healthy fats (omega-3), protein and essential minerals, which prevent sudden spikes in blood sugar and provide sustained energy to the body till afternoon.
If you make these 30-minute small habits a part of your daily routine, within just 21 days you will start feeling miraculous changes in your weight, digestion, energy levels and mental peace. Staying healthy doesn’t require a miracle, but a little dedication to yourself every morning.