I’m usually a morning person.  But six months ago my rise-before-sunshine-self suspended.  Turns out I had a case of Sleep Inertia: A repetitive cycle where deep morning grogginess kept me snoozing―despite all my best intentions. 

Sleep Inertia is a bit of a predicament; your body keeps producing melatonin long past your alarm, all while your prefrontal cortex (PFC) decidedly takes longer to “rev” up.

So, how to do you stop the impulse to snooze? My quick fix: drapes, movement, and aromatherapy.

Step One: Open the drapes/blinds the moment your alarm goes off.  Sunlight aggressively alerts the pineal gland to curb the excessive melatonin production you’re experiencing.

Step Two: Embrace the trifecta of energizing oils: eucalyptus, lemongrass, and tea tree. Place each essential oil bottle on your bedstand. When you wake up, open the eucalyptus bottle and placing it just under your nose. Slowly inhale (slow is really key here) and count to five as you breathe in. Then hold your breath for five counts. Then slowly exhale for five. Repeat this pattern twice. After breathing in your first oil, gently move into Wide-Legged Child Pose (Balasana). Let your forehead rest gently on the bed and hold the pose for 30 seconds. This Balasana pose can help you to breathe fully into the back of your torso, this type of conscious breathing can trigger your PFC.

Step Four: Come out of Blasana pose and grab your lemongrass essential oil bottle. Breathe in the fragrance for five counts. Hold for five. Exhale for five. Repeat this pattern twice. Then move into Camel Pose (Ustrasana) for thirty seconds.  This gentle inversion stretch increases blood flow to nourish those befuddled, sleepy brain cells.

Step Five:  Finish this routine by grabbing the last bottle (tea tree oil) and follow the same pattern. Tea tree oil’s sharp scent does a wonderful job as an energizing stimulate. After this last rotation of aromatherapeutic breathing,  move into Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) on your mattress. Hold for one minute.  This pose stretches the spine, shoulders, and hamstrings to bring more awareness not only to your mind but also entire body. 

Voilà. It’s one powerful routine. Go ahead and officially get out of bed. I’d love to hear how this works for you―and if you found anything else to add to this morning routine.

Cheers,

Hazel