Yoga teacher Dionne shares her morning practice routine ahead of Rise and Shine in the Royal Pavilion Gardens
Creative coach, yoga and meditation teacher, DJ, writer, and spacemaking event maker Dionne, will lead a free early morning yoga session in the Royal Pavilion Gardens set to live Indian classical music for the first of our two Rise and Shine events. Here Dionne shares her own morning yoga routine.
People often ask me if I practice every day. I do, however I know that can sound really annoying to people so to that, I’ll say what I usually say. It took me years to establish a home practice. My first yoga class was in 2000. You can read about it here along with some noughties anecdotes! I had a regular home practice from 2010. That’s 10 years babes! Really, if you’re struggling even with the idea of keeping anything up on the daily, remind yourself that a practice is just that. It doesn’t have to look perfect. There’s been days I’ll be laying over a pillow weeping. Or days when I’m really enjoying a more physical practice. That’s the beauty of it.
My yoga practice is really about my relationship to myself and how I show up in the world. It is a time of day I cherish, as I get a chance to really create my day, going into it the way I choose. That’s not to say yoga fixes anything. But making that time helps me create space around everything else, whether it’s simply listening to what I need during the day, or creating something that’s meaningful or going out into the world and meeting others. Anyway. That said, If I’ve been teaching the night before, I tend to have a shorter “physical” yoga practice and focus more on restorative stuff - meditation, laying on the floor with my legs up on the bed/a chair or a wall . It all depends and I try to stay responsive to what i need.
On a normal day at home, I’ll usually spend the first part of my practice simply tuning into my body and observing my mind. I might use some incense and make a small puja with things that feel meaningful in that moment. I tend to practice with a notebook so that if I get that annoying yoga teacher brain of starting to plan sequences during my practice, I can jot down any idea or alternatively, any to do that floats in my face. If it’s a busy mind day, I’ll probably take something more physical and vice versa with body. I like to do yoga classes online or if I’m feeling some kind of way, simply start with one posture and see where things go. I like to mix it up with yoga and various kinds of movement, and lately I´ve really loved doing short and strong core work in the mornings as i feel really integrated afterwards. I also like to do a bit of work with tennis balls under my feet which helps me feel more rooted. In the summer, the heat can often take energy up in our heads and literally make us hot headed- so sending energy in the opposite direction feels really good.
Here are some yoga videos I made for the morning if that floats your boat!
To find out more about Dionne visit her website or YouTube channel.