There's an old quote often attributed to Abraham Lincoln:
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."
Whether Lincoln actually said those exact words is debated, but the idea has endured for generations because it rings true. Preparation isn't wasted time—it's often the most important part of the process.
The same principle applies far beyond chopping down trees. Think about the moments in your life when you've performed at your best. Chances are, those moments weren't the result of scrambling at the last minute. They were built on a foundation of thoughtful preparation. Athletes warm up before competition. Musicians tune their instruments before a performance. Pilots work through checklists before takeoff.
And yet, many of us begin our days by immediately reacting to whatever demands our attention first. We reach for our phones, scan emails, check the news, or mentally race through the day's obligations before we've taken a single intentional breath.
It's a little like trying to build a house without checking whether the foundation is level.
It's tempting to think of a morning yoga practice as simply another healthy habit to squeeze into an already busy schedule. But its value extends far beyond stretching tight muscles or checking off a workout.
A thoughtful morning practice gives you something increasingly rare: a chance to choose how you enter the day instead of letting the day choose for you.
The difference may seem subtle, but it has a profound effect. When you begin with movement, breath, and presence, you're less likely to spend the rest of the day feeling as though you're constantly catching up. Instead, you create a sense of steadiness that travels with you, even when the unexpected inevitably happens.
Preparation doesn't eliminate challenges. It changes how you respond to them.
We often overestimate the impact of big decisions and underestimate the influence of small, consistent ones.
Research in behavioral psychology suggests that the routines we establish early in the day can influence decision-making, attention, and even our likelihood of maintaining healthy habits throughout the hours that follow. Morning rituals create what researchers sometimes call a "behavioral cascade," where one positive action makes the next one a little easier.
Yoga fits beautifully into this idea because it doesn't ask for perfection. It simply invites you to begin.
Twenty minutes of mindful movement won't guarantee a perfect day. It won't prevent difficult conversations or unexpected detours. But it can change the mindset and energy you bring into those moments—and that often makes all the difference.
This week's classes offer two different ways to prepare yourself for whatever lies ahead, helping you build strength, focus, and presence before the day gathers momentum.
Most of us can't control what our day will bring.
Meetings run long. Traffic appears out of nowhere. Plans change. Life has a way of reminding us that certainty is never guaranteed.
What we can influence is how prepared we are to meet those moments.
That preparation doesn't always require hours of planning or a perfectly organized calendar. Sometimes it begins with something much simpler: rolling out your mat, taking a few deep breaths, and giving yourself twenty minutes before the rest of the world starts asking for your attention.
Your yoga practice isn't separate from the rest of your day. It's the way you introduce yourself to it.
And more often than not, how you start becomes how you show up.