Holding a job that oftentimes keeps me in the office till evening has thrown my yoga schedules out of whack. There were a few times when I tried to keep my 7 PM class by getting out of the office by 5:30. But try getting out of the Ayala Avenue/Paseo de Roxas area around that time and you know that it is impossible to make it out of there with time to spare if you need to get to Ortigas area before 7PM.

At first, it was getting frustrating. Twice, I left the office only to get tangled in Makati traffic that made me hopelessly late for class.

Then I realized that I was becoming irregular because I insisted on joining the evening classes I regularly went to. I could be flexible enough to change that around. So lately, I’ve been experimenting going to the Thursday morning yoga class of Pio at the gym. Today, I decided on a whim to go to the yoga center for his 11 AM class.

There were only 4 of us. The other 3 were regulars of that time slot, including my long-time yogini friend Joy who, months ago, also shifted from our evening class to the mornings.

I was nearest to the window and what surprised me is how different yoga could be in the mornings. Sunlight was streaming in from the window, making our sun salutations truly apropo to the time of day. Pio led us through a routine that was not intense but nevertheless several degrees more difficult than a basic class. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Pigeon pose), Hanumanasana (monkey pose), spinal twists like Ardha Matsyendrasana, Revolved Seated Angle Pose, a deeper Matsyasana (Fish Pose)

and a more difficult Halasana (plow pose), were some of the asanas he put us through.

I always imagined that doing yoga in the mornings would make me drowsy and tired the rest of the day. Surprisingly, these morning sessions prepare me for a better, more alert day ahead. The only thing I am still grappling with is how to get my muscles warmed up enough before the start of classes to get that flexibility kicking in. With the cool weather, it is even more difficult to be flexible during earlier classes so I am trying out several warm-up techniques to speed up the waking of muscles.

I experienced one pleasant twist at the end of class today. As I opened my eyes coming out of Savasana, with the room still darkened, it was a visual delight to see a huge lighted candle in the middle of the shala. Somehow, that one glowing candle in the semi-dark shala gave a warm glow that heightened one’s emotions coming out of a good class and a restful, destressing asana. I know this is probably not going to be a regular routine but isn’t it wonderful when you get unexpected surprises like this from your teacher once in a while?

So it looks like I could be doing more yoga classes during the day. It has also changed my impressions. While before, I shunned the mornings for many reasons, I think yoga has its place at any time, whether during the daytime or at night. In the mornings, yoga prepares one by prepping up the body with energy and stamina; and yoga at night is calming, detoxifying, and prepares one for a good night’s rest.