I’m curious…at what time of day do you workout and where do you workout? Indoors? In a gym? Outdoors? In nature? Perhaps this will inspire you to change up your workout routine and get some zen and nature in with your daily workout.

Being outdoors early morning,  preferably before sunrise is magical and there’s many proven health benefits you’ll get from it mentally, emotionally and physically.

There’s a calmness and stillness in the air early morning, unlike any other time of day.  You won’t hear the noise of cars or engines. People aren’t out yet, heck most aren’t even up yet.  Don’t get me wrong, I love people, but being up and out before your neighbors allows you to tune inward and hear your own thoughts, have more clarity and head space. The weather is usually colder and more crisp (especially if you live in CA, it’s typically 15 degrees cooler early morning) making it ideal for movement and exercise.  And this is the best part….the animals are out:) The birds are chirping and singing beautifully making you feel like you’re in some sort of paradise. If you’re in the woods, you’ll see deer crossing! Wherever you are, the leaves will be swaying. The smell of nature is so strong and potent that time of day, you’ll feel you can almost taste it!! The air is crisp, it’s fresh and full of of various luscious scents of leaves, herbs, trees and more.

All this serenity and silence with just the sounds and scents of nature does something magical for your soul, for your spirit, for your mood. In many religions, early morning is known as one of the most spiritual and intuitive times of day and is a sacred, powerful  and special time for prayer, for connection, for bringing calm into your day and for letting go of any blockages or stress that may be lingering.  It’s a great time to move your body, to set intention for your day, to connect with the animals, the birds, nature, the elements, the wind the water, and any other connections you’ll want to form to set the tone for a fabulous day.

Your body will feel stronger, your mind will have more clarity, and you will feel calmer, benefiting everyone around you!  And hey, you’ll have your workout behind you too:)

You may not be a morning person, and getting up at 5 or 6 am for an early morning walk will seem daunting. Try and experience it once. The magic in the air at that time of day, you simply can’t get at 9 or 10 am when our surroundings become infused with the sound of cars, engines, and people moving about.

Did you know: The most successful people in the world get up before everyone else? Yup, it’s something I studied in The Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

Did you know: Your body functions better when you’re out in sunlight within 2 hours of waking? It aligns with your circadian rhythm and lets your body know that it’s time to “wake up”. It’s best for us to operate in harmony with nature and use nature rather than the clock for our cues about when it’s time to eat, to wake and go to sleep. Ya I know, you’re probably rolling your eyes cuz we live in a world with time constraints, schedules and time lines. But hey, this is the ideal…maybe do it on the weekends if your schedule is too rigid to bring nature in during the week:)

Now, to get all these benefits, you don’t have to be on some fancy hike or out in the woods. Simply walk outside your front steps and enjoy your own neighborhood. You’ll see it in a different light and in a different way early morn.

Above are some photos and videos of some of my recent early mornings neighborhood walks and hikes in Alaska, Vacaville and Grass Valley/Nevada City which by the way, don’t do justice at all cuz how you can you possibly capture true expansive beauty, the scents, the smells and the magic in an iphone camera lens. But it’ll give you a little taste and hopefully entice you to get out early sometime this week!

I’d love to hear about your early morning experiences outdoors in the beauty we’re so lucky to be surrounded by. Feel free to share and inspire others to do the same.

With love,
Rivkie