How does Practyce Yoga teacher Trish Curling get aligned for her day? She takes it day by day, honors her needs, and envisions the day ahead to keep her yoga business and energy levels thriving.
What time do you wake up?
This definitely varies depending on my schedule. My creativity often comes alive at night, so I may have a good number of late nights when everything is flowing, and I continue working until I’ve expressed all that I need to in a particular work session. I’m usually up by about 8:30 am if I don’t have a late night. When those late nights hit, you better believe I’m not opening my eyes until around 10 am. I do my best to honor what I need and offer myself some extra rest depending on my demands for the day.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
My favorite thing to do is just take a moment to be still and recognize that it’s a new day with fresh possibilities, especially if the day before was challenging somehow. Doing this, I find, offers both clarity and recognition. If the day before was a great one and/or I have something exciting on the to-do list for the day, I like to recognize what I’ve been blessed with. If it’s a trying time, this moment of stillness offers clarity that this is what life is. It reminds me that there are lessons to be learned in the struggles. It also reminds me that challenging times come and go, so I always have something positive coming to me around the corner.
What does your morning routine look like?
My morning routine definitely varies. Being an entrepreneur, I value the mornings when I intentionally create time and space to write both my gratitude list and my affirmations. I would probably say that my favorite time for seated meditation and a movement-based practice is in the mornings. Still, again, I try to honor whatever I need throughout the day when it is possible. There are times when this is easy, and it just flows, and other times when I feel challenged to create the morning space I desire. Especially when I may have been up late the night before. I’m forever a work in progress.
Here’s a glimpse of my favorite mornings (not necessarily in this order):
- Light my Sage or Palo Santo
- Meditation & Journaling
- Warm lemon water and/or chlorophyll drops in water
- If it’s a haircut day, then give myself a cut
- Asana practice and/or lifting (probably Kettlebells)
Here’s a glimpse of what a more rushed, less desired morning looks like:
- I am straight to my laptop for emails and/or behind-the-scenes work for my yoga business, etc.
- Supply teaching at Elementary School (which usually means a missed morning practice)
Are you a coffee or tea person?
I’m definitely a tea person. Some of my favorites include Green, Dandelion Root, and Ginger.
What’s your go-to morning breakfast?
I’ll sometimes make a split breakfast, where I have pistachio nuts, green tea, and fresh juice (these days it’s mostly pineapple, cucumber, and ginger). Later, I’ll have old-fashioned oats with cacao, banana, and blueberries.
Is there anything else that’s a particular part of your morning routine?
I don’t start my day without a dose of Hip Hop – I must listen to one of my favorite tracks to get me going.
What does a day in the life of a yoga teacher look like after your morning?
Looking at my to-do list again and planning for the classes I have to teach that week. Returning emails…working on courses and/or my own practice. Most of my classes and offerings are online at the moment and I’m focusing on my own programs as well as content for a few different platforms.
Being that I’m in Toronto, Ontario Canada, we’ve only really just begun to have more in-person events with fewer restrictions. I look forward to the summer months and more in-person events combined with online.
Anything else you want to share about how you rise and shine?
As soon as I open my eyes, I start by looking at my vision board and saying how incredible my day will be and that it will be filled with excitement and opportunities.
May 17, 2022
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