Whether you wake up on the right side of the bed, or not, can really determine the tone of the day. We’ve all been there, fun late nights with friends that lead to an improper amount of sleep and feeling sluggish the next morning, but it’s not exactly something we want to get used to! A good start can go a long way with how you feel, your motivation, and your focus (especially with busy days ahead) that’s why setting a repetitive routine can set you up for a great day!

Simple planning and a few little tweaks to your morning schedule can help you feel sufficiently energized throughout the day. It Benefits your health in ways of relaxation and emotional relief. Being the person I am, I found it difficult to start a whole new morning routine (habits of course!) so I decided to put myself in a situation where I had no choice but to do these things I wasn’t used to by booking myself into an intensive 200hr YTT in Bali. Come along with me on this journey of reset, and don’t forget to take notes!

During my time away in Bali I started to put my phone away from arm’s reach. That way when my 5:30 AM morning alarm goes off I need to physically get out of bed to switch it off (smart right?). It gives me that extra push to get out of bed even though sometimes I don’t want to! But that doesn’t mean scrolling away on my phone watching yoga videos, I decided I needed to diminish all distractions to set the tone for a clear mind. I always start my day with a glass, or even a bottle of water, to boost my metabolism. We often wake up dehydrated after not drinking water for the 8 hours of our rest. After all, the staff at this retreat center make it super easy to do this as they always set up filtered water on your bedside table.

I decided that even though the staff at this retreat center can make your bed for you, why not do it yourself? I wanted to build the habit of making up my room every morning because a clean room is a clean mind! Fun tip; I typically avoid coffee 90 minutes after I wake up until after my first meal, that way I can avoid the dreaded afternoon crash. It gives my temple of a body time to wake up on its own, rather than relying on substances.

After putting on a comfortable sports bra and a pair of lulu lemons yoga pants, I was off to my first yoga class! This affordable YTT in Bali typically starts the day off with Vinyasa yoga. All types of stretching in the morning can do wonders for your metabolism and state of mind but seeing as I like to do some type of active exercise in the morning, I was ecstatic over the fact that Vinyasa came first. After all, I didn’t go on a yoga teacher training in Bali to stick to my old habits of not being active in the morning! It’s all about the willingness to change for the better.

Morning exercise or stretches is known to help you in many ways including improved sleep, boosted metabolism, and improved mental health.

The final thing on my yoga teacher training in Bali checklist was to eat a complete meal. Back in my everyday city life I usually just grab something small (and unhealthy) from my fridge and then I’m off to work. Little did I know how much that can affect my energy levels, gut, and metabolism throughout the day. Guilty pleasures taste amazing but are often filled with saturated fats and empty calories that don’t offer any nutritional benefit. During my YTT, a morning and evening plant-based meal is prepared every day by an in-house chef. That means munching on whole grain bread, fruit, yogurt, probiotic-rich foods, and a handful of seeds or nuts that provide the perfect balance of carbs, fat, and proteins your body needs to operate at a high energy level. Also, it’s coffee time (finally)!

Things I like to complete my morning routine during my stay are journaling, planning, and course the needed study, that way I set intentions and clear my mind before theory class. And there you have it, some little tweaks I started to incorporate into my morning during my time away on a YTT journey in Bali. I know this will have a domino effect in my everyday life too when I get back home so I’m looking forward to it!