3 Morning Energy Boosts That Don’t Involve Double Espresso

Some of us struggle to muster up the energy to hit just a few fitness classes each week. This got us wondering: how do studio instructors gather the gusto to not only work out every day, but all day?

While an energy slump is nothing an IV of espresso can't fix, all that extra caffeinated energy can be a nightmare (or lack of -- thanks, insomnia) to deal with later when we're ready to wind down. We asked professional yogi and co-founder of Love Yoga studio in Venice,  Sian Gordon, just how she and her co-founding partner Kyle Miller power up before hitting the mat multiple times a day. Her gentle but effective solutions below might just be game-changers for reaching your fitness goals...

Kapalabhati
We use this ‘skull shining’ breath to wake ourselves up in the morning and to prepare for meditation. Sit up on a yoga block or blanket so that your hips are higher than your knees and you can maintain the natural curves of your spine. Take a deep inhale and complete exhale. Take a small shallow breath and begin to pump out your exhales, feeling your belly snap back as you exhale. Imagine you are blowing into a tissue. Don’t worry about the inhale, which is automatic. Beginners start with 20 and work up to 100 pumps.

Jump up and down
This isn’t technically a traditional yoga move, but it’s one of our favorite things to teach. Start by shaking out your wrists and legs, then just jump up and down for about 20 seconds and shake out the whole body like you were a beach blanket trying to shake off the sand.

Handstands
Even if you can’t get up into a handstand, it’s the act of trying to get up that will really wake you up. It’s a wonderful feeling to have your hands on the earth and to turn your perspective upside down. We recommend bringing your hands about six inches away from the wall. Lift one leg and make that leg straight. Square your hips and gaze forward so that hand, hand, vision creates an equilateral triangle. Kick with the bottom leg and swing with the top. Don’t let your elbows bend. Eventually you will find the wall. Take five deep breaths from the earth up into your heels.

Discover a few inspiring lessons on life, business and wellness that
the Love Yoga founders picked up on their journey.

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