I swapped intense exercise for this morning routine from the Internet's favourite yoga instructor and I felt so much less stressed

I've been a morning workout person for a long time. You’ll often find me deadlifting my bodyweight or doing sprints on the rowing machine before 8am.

I like the feeling of achievement this brings along with the rush of endorphins—but recently, I’ve noticed that my stress and exhaustion levels are higher than normal after this morning blast.

So I’ve decided to start experimenting with gentle movement instead, prioritizing exercise that wakes me up more gently without stressing my nervous system.

I’ve been doing a lot of quick routines from my favorite online yoga instructor Adriene Mishler, better known to her 13million followers as Yoga With Adriene.

Mishler has been posting yoga routines on YouTube for over 13 years and her practices are always accessible and beginner-friendly, yet still interesting and challenging.

Her most recent video is a 20-minute early morning yoga and meditation practice and I decided to try it as part of my mission to start my days slowly.

How to do Yoga With Adriene's early morning yoga and meditation

Early Morning Yoga and Meditation - 20 Minute Yoga Practice - YouTube

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You don't need any equipment to do this routine, apart from a yoga mat.

The first part of the routine is done from a cross-legged position, so Mishler recommends sitting on a blanket or a block to support your hips and make this position more comfortable.

My experience trying Yoga With Adriene's early morning yoga and meditation

A lot of morning yoga routines I've tried focus on quick, challenging poses to wake the body up, so I was pleasantly surprised that Mishler's routine begins with five minutes of meditation.

Mishler explains that she believes early morning is the perfect time to carve out some space to listen to the body and reflect on how you're feeling.

I wouldn't usually make time to meditate in the morning, as I'm normally rushing around, but doing so helped me relax into the day.

The rest of the routine involved gentle stretches designed to mobilize the body, particularly the shoulders and the hips.

These are two problem areas for me, which are particularly stiff when I first wake up, so doing stretches like puppy pose and child’s pose helped them loosen up.

At the end of the 20 minutes, my whole body felt lighter and less sore, so I’ll definitely bookmark this routine for days when my mind and body need a gentle way to start the day.