The 15-minute daily habit that lowered my blood pressure

I never thought I would be the type of person to drag myself out of bed before absolutely necessary. And I never thought I would be saying this either: but I’ve got a new habit, and it’s changed my life. 

Doing just a quarter of an hour of yoga each morning has become the highlight of my day. 

As I step outside onto the damp grass and place my mat down onto the floor, I hear the birds sing and inhale the fresh morning air. 

I start with a child’s pose, a downward dog or with what yogis call opening up your heart centre. And the moment I step onto that mat, I start to breathe more deeply and feel more grounded. 

And the best thing is knowing that I only have to do it for 15 minutes for it to make a difference. 

I know it’s not exactly groundbreaking, nor what you would call a new trend (the yoga industry is reportedly worth more than £70 billion, and the term “yoga” is one of the most searched terms on Google) but it’s made a huge difference to my equilibrium and general wellbeing.

It has helped me to sleep better and turned me into a calmer person. And it’s helped with my backache, especially my shoulders, which are often tense after a day working on my laptop. I think, dare I say it, it’s made me a less shouty mother too. 

Perhaps most remarkably, it has lowered my blood pressure from too high to a much healthier level – without any chemical intervention.

I used to feel tense from the moment I woke up, rushing to get myself ready before getting the children up, and would often find myself shouting to be heard among the rabble – but not anymore. Having some precious time to myself before the chaos of getting three children up has been a game-changer. 

It’s made the usual frantic mornings – packing the kids off to three different schools during term time or coaxing them out of bed over the summer, emptying the dishwasher, getting ready for work and so on – a more relaxed affair. 

I try to get everything ready the night before, laying out my yoga clothes, washing my hair, and setting my alarm 20 minutes earlier. By the time I’ve got dressed, boiled the kettle and headed outside (if it’s not raining), the day has already got off to a good start. 

After 15 minutes of stretches, deep breaths, Warrior moves and resting my forehead on the ground, I feel ready to face the day, and my kids.

I’m not completely new to yoga. I used to try and do a weekly class during term times, which I would always look forward to. However, when our middle child, who is autistic and has special educational needs, was put on a reduced timetable at school, I had to give it up. 

Then at a health check with my GP earlier this year, he found my blood pressure was raised. The stress of having one child off school for half the day alongside trying to juggle work deadlines and the daily demands of our two other children, was taking its toll. 

I knew I needed to do something to help balance things out but there weren’t enough hours in the day as things were.

I decided that 10 minutes of yoga each morning was manageable and started setting my alarm 15 minutes earlier at the start of April. I soon extended it to 15 minutes and it’s now become a sacred ritual, especially since, as long as the summer weather lasts, I can now go outside in the garden while I’m doing it. 

I’ve tried lots of different activities in the past – a weekly spin class, the gym, pilates to name but a few – but I have always struggled to stick with them. But doing a bitesize amount of yoga each day is a much more achievable and less daunting undertaking than committing, paying for and signing away a chunk of time to another activity.

All I need is my mat (which I bought for less than £20 online) and my phone, and I’m all set. I have several different accounts I subscribe to, including Yoga with Kassandra, Yoga with Adriene and SarahBethYoga. 

They all present the yoga moves in a manageable and achievable way, which I find easy to follow. It doesn’t matter if I make a mistake either as no one is watching.

I don’t have to feel self-conscious in the shade of my garden or bedroom, and I have complete control and flexibility as to how and when I do it – so it’s a win-win. It matters not a jot that I’m not exactly what you would call a pro. It makes me feel better.

I think tuning into my body, feeling where it’s a bit tense and the simple act of noting my breath has helped me reset from the adrenalin-pumped, snappy mornings of the past to a calmer mum and person. 

I’ve always rolled my eyes at the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga and Madonna, professing to love yoga so much, but I finally get it. 

It may not sound like much, but starting small has worked for me. As Aadil Palkhivala, one of the world’s top yoga teachers, says: “True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but the shape of your life.” 

Those 15 minutes a day have helped shape mine. Now I just need to make sure I keep it going after the summer holidays.

Do you incorporate yoga into your daily routine? Has it improved your health? Let us know below