You Can Sleep When You’re Dead –
Aug. 26, 2019 – As a recovering over-achiever, I know the dangers of attaching my self-worth to how much I get done. I’ve worked hard to overcome my type A tendencies — so why do I still adopt one of the most salient habits of type A people? I’ve been on a steady diet of yoga and meditation for decades and yoga is the reason I wake up early. In yoga and its accompanying holistic healing belief system, Ayurveda, the time before dawn is called Brahmamuhurta, which means “the time of pure consciousness” or “amrit bela,” the ambrosial hours. This time period is estimated to be anywhere from three hours to 48 minutes before dawn, and it is considered — by those who believe in this stuff — the most auspicious time to meditate. It’s pretty ironic that uptight entrepreneurs and mega-chill yogis both agree on getting up early when their definitions of success tend to vary so profoundly. But wherever you might fall on the spectrum between efficiency-obsessed and super-woo, here are three reasons why getting up early can make you genuinely happier.
