3 Morning Yoga Poses to Get You Motivated
– Tiffany Shelton, M.A. is a conscious lifestyle blogger and training to become a neuropsychologist in Los Angeles, CA. Her passion to elevate consciousness incorporates brain science, psychology, and spiritual philosophies. Her writing goes beyond the message of self-care or wellness, but instead consciously adds to these movements by demanding awakening and insight. Learn more about Tiffany Shelton by clicking here.
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“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” —Amelia Earhart
One dreary morning after one too many glasses of wine and not enough sleep, I dragged myself to the kitchen in an attempt to get my day started. As I made my coffee I was squinting, trying to see through my sleepy eyes, and push through all the thoughts in my head telling me “Just go back to bed girl”. At the time, I just so happened to be working on a blog about the third chakra, and I decided to see if I could activate my third chakra energy. Even though I was pretty tired, I figured I had two choices: 1) succumb to the overwhelming voice in my head that was giving me a thousand reasons why it was okay to go neglect my goals, or 2) at least take a shot at taking control of my mindset. Thankfully, I decided on the latter. In order to activate my motivation, I chose to do 3 yoga poses to activate the third chakra, and boy was I glad I did. In doing so I was reminded of the mind body connection, and how we can use the body to impact our minds and vice versa. Doing these third chakra exercises gave me the boost I needed to change my mindset and get motivated and all fired up!
Here’s the Deal
Let’s face it, we’ve all had those mornings that coffee just isn’t enough and we need an extra kick in the butt to get motivated. Why not use the mind body connection to get you pumped for your day?
The Best Part
It’s amazing how so many problems of the mind can be improved by focusing on the body. As a very insightful nutritionist once told me, before tackling any problems of the mind, first start with the body, then the spirit, then the mind. This is because working on our bodies is something tangible we can focus on versus the esoteric and puzzling mind space. By starting with the body we create an environment that makes matters of the mind much easier to deal with. Many therapists encourage their clients to do the same. For instance with anxiety, we focus on teaching clients to become aware of the body sensations and how to calm the body before moving on to process the underlying fears associated with their anxiety.
How Can I Actually Use This
So when you find it difficult to get motivated for your day or just finding it difficult in general to focus on your goals, first direct your energy to using your body to get motivated. This will allow clarity and uplift your spirit. Then focus on your mind. For motivation, the the parts of the body that you should focus on are those located in the third chakra:
- Your gut/stomach
- Upper abdominals and sides
- Middle back
- Area between your navel and solar plexus
Look
Today, I am going to share with you 3 morning yoga poses that will get you motivated by activating your third chakra. I will share 3 simple poses that you can use in the morning that will get you fired up and ready to act!
One: Side Plank
Benefits:
- Directly activates your core and specifically targets your side abdominals and middle back
Avoid if you have:
- weak wrists,
- weak elbows,
- or problem shoulders
How to do It:
- Start in a push up position
- Slowly place your right hand on the floor in front of your face, as you rotate towards the left wall and pivot your feet to face the left wall as well
- Now, you should be balancing on the side of your right foot, with your left foot stacked on top
- Slowly bring your your right arm to your right hip
- If you feel comfortable there, bring your right arm up towards the sky, opening the chest
- Lift your right hip and side muscles for a straight spine and to support the core and the back.
- Hold and repeat on the other side
How to Modify:
- Drop the bottom knee to rest on the floor, extending the top leg straight out
- Or, do the full pose up against the wall
Two: Hero III
Benefits:
- This pose works on your ability to stay balanced as well as activates the your third chakra core.
Avoid if you have:
- Gait problems that affect your balance
How to do it:
- Start in mountain pose with your arms raised above your head, hands clasped in your preferred mudra
- Focus on aligning your body (feet firmly planted, tailbone tucked, straight spine, shoulders, back, crown to the sky)
- Step your right foot forward
- Slowly start to bend the top portion of your body forward towards the ground,
- As you slowly lift your back left leg up behind you
- Find your dristi (a point to stare at on the floor that doesn’t move) to help keep your balance
- Slowly work your right leg to straight creating a T-shape with your body
- Hold and repeat on the other side
How to modify:
- Place your hands against the wall as you balance
Three: Modified Downward Facing Dog
Benefits:
- Integrates the the upper and lower body by using the core
- Calms the nervous system
Avoid if you have:
Wrist or shoulder pain
How to do it:
- Start in tabletop position all all fours
- Press into your palms
- Lift your hips into the air and lower your head down towards the floor
- Contrary to what many yoga teachers preach, in inversions you want to push your shoulders towards your ears to support your back and neck
- Have a slight bend in your knees
- Raise your right foot behind you up towards the sky
- Hold and Repeat on the other side
How to modify:
- Place a strap around the upper arms for help with alignment
Take a conscious approach to getting motivated and use the mind body connection to give you a head start. You have a fire inside you, sometimes we just have to work at fanning the flames. Use these yoga poses to help you get motivated and let me know what you think.
– Tiffany Shelton, M.A. is a conscious lifestyle blogger and training to become a neuropsychologist in Los Angeles, CA. Her passion to elevate consciousness incorporates brain science, psychology, and spiritual philosophies. Her writing goes beyond the message of self-care or wellness, but instead consciously adds to these movements by demanding awakening and insight. Learn more about Tiffany Shelton by clicking here.
Sign Up for the Conscious Lifestyle Newsletter for a Dose of Consciousness Straight to Your Inbox!
Click Here
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_tiffanyshelton/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/_tiffanyshelton
Watch my conscious life hacks on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3o0-fFDM-P1fU1d_Vr0cXA
Visit my store Conscious Life Shop: https://www.consciouslifeshop.com/
3 Yoga Poses for Motivation
