Ever wondered about the snoozing habits of a yogi? As part of our Start Fresh series, yoga teacher and founder of Yogi Bare Kat Pither talks us through her morning rituals and nighttime routine, and tells us how she gives herself a big dose of self care every day.
rise and shine
- 5.15am I’m currently living at my parent’s house in North London, while I look for a home for my company. I’m a really early riser but luckily my parents and brother are too.
- 5.40am I’m really into Ayurveda and that quiet time in the morning is known as ‘Vata’ time which is typically creative, so I’ll spend 20 minutes doing some journaling and brainstorming ideas.
- 6.00am I used to bomb in and out of the shower in a rush, but since I’ve been trying to follow Ayurvedic principles – which encourage self-care and self-love – I’ll go a bit slower and give myself an oil massage after my shower.
- 6.35am I can’t do anything without breakfast and I’m such a cliché, I love avocado on toast.
- 7.05am I love hopping on the tube to work – I feel like I’m Love Actually, as if anything could happen. I’ll either head straight to meetings or find somewhere quiet to work for the day.
- 9.10am I go to yoga classes regularly. My favourite is Fierce Grace Hot Yoga, so I’ll often try and get one in, especially on weekends.
- 12pm If I’ve been sitting down sending emails or working on spreadsheets all morning, I’ll peel off to get some fresh air. We’ve got so many lovely parks in London. I suffer from anxiety and find having a good amount of outdoor time means I tend to be less anxious.
winding down
- 6pm My laptop gets switched off at around 6pm on a typical work day. I’ll usually spend my evenings supporting friends at launches or going to a yoga class to unwind.
- 6.40pm I try not to eat too late and eat light meals in the evening, otherwise I find it difficult to sleep. I’m not a massive drinker but I do like the occasional cocktail if I’m out.
- 10.00 Baths are a very special thing, I absolutely love them. I’ll make a ‘bath kitchen’ of sorts, using pink Himalayan salts with magnesium, coconut oil, lavender, rose petals or peppercorns. And sometimes herbs too – they have great healing properties. The magnesium is meant to be calming and helps to improve your sleep.
- 10.25pm Turmeric lattes are meant to be calming, so I’ll make one before bed. I’ve recently started taking zinc and magnesium, too.
- 10.50pm I can’t go to bed in a cluttered room, so I’ll hide away any books or things, and shut my drawers so it’s tidy. I’ll often do a bit of journaling – getting any thoughts and ideas off my chest.
- 11.05pm Adding a few drops of calming essential oils to my pillow helps me sleep better. I like my bedroom pitch black and sleep with my window open. I love my eve pillows too – you feel supported but don’t get too overheated.
- 11.15pm I’m a very light sleeper and am prone to waking up with ideas. Now, I sleep with a book next to my bed, so I can write things down if I wake up.
Fancy some more inspiring morning tales? Check out the routine of a commercial airline pilot or BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker.