No one wants to start off the day in a bad mood, and these simple morning yoga practices and tips can help make sure that doesn’t happen!

Start your day off on the right foot by trying these simple techniques first thing in the morning. After doing these morning yoga practices, you’ll find yourself calmer, less stressed, and better able to handle the challenges that your day brings.

Carry the peace and happiness from your yoga mat into your day with you, and see how much better your day is!

Here are 5 great ideas from YogaBasics.com that you can try today:

1. Meditate

Meditation is key to long-term happiness. It can actually permanently change your brain. A meditation practice boosts happiness by increasing positive emotion and decreasing depression, anxiety, and stress…

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2. Gratitude

How you feel in the morning can affect your whole day. Get your day going with gratitude because grateful people are happy people. During your yoga practice, think or even say what you are grateful for. Some days, I like to simply begin with, “I am grateful for this body. I am grateful for this yoga practice.”

3. Kapalabhati

Kapalabhati or breath of fire is perfect for the morning because it is energizing. It wakes and warms the body and brain. Kapalabhati is an invigorating breath that can help shake off negative emotions. It is characterized by an initial long, slow inhale and rapid exhales.

4. Yoga power poses

A boost in confidence and self-esteem increases your happiness. You are more likely to feel good about life if you feel good about yourself. Power poses are those asanas that energize and make you feel strong, confident, and ready to tackle the day. Get on your mat and practice the poses that make you feel like a rock star. Try some standing yoga poses for strength and an energetic uplift.

5. Challenge your practice

Knowing how to handle challenges can boost your happiness by showing you that the worst case scenario is often not as bad as you thought. When you face challenging poses on your mat, you’ll begin to see them as not so bad and may even learn to feel calm amidst the challenge. Add poses you aren’t fond of to your morning practice. Pick the pose you like the least, the one that makes you tense and maybe even stressed. Practice it, breath and even smile through it, and feel better able to handle what the day throws at you.

Find more tips at YogaBasics.com…