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Join me for some extreme self-care this January. Get the details here.

Less than two weeks ago, I gave birth to my second child. Julian Bronson Aquin-Haase (sorry kid, about that long and impossible last name) joined our family on November 14 after a few sleepless days of back and forth to the hospital.

After a long recovery for me and a big adjustment to our lives when Audrey was born two years ago, Steve and I decided "winging" our first few weeks as a four person family might not be wise.

We did a LOT around our place to make it feel more comfortable. We turned our storage room into an artroom so Audrey would have a fun spot to play in, we decluttered a full carload of stuff, we asked my mother come and stay with us for a few weeks (thanks mom, you are a true saint) and I made the decision not to teach or do much work until January.

I told myself that after months of insomnia, heartburn and general pregnancy malaise I would use these first few weeks to rest and embrace any of the physical aftermath of labour as a chance to hang out with this new little person.

In short, I was going to be the postpartum self-care queen.

The thing is, this time around was different.

This article was originally published on Oct 15, 2013. It has been updated AND a free yoga audio has been added. Please enjoy!

Poor sleep doesn't happen all at once.

It may begin with a few late nights here and there. Perhaps you are sparked by an interesting idea or conversation or have loose ends to tie up from the day. At other times, the late nights and restless sleep may be a symptom of having too much weighing on your mind—an attack of the dreaded late night stress monster.

In fact, so many people have sleep issues that we as a culture, have begun to normalize them. Every time I read a study about how copious amounts of coffee are suddenly good for you or that getting less sleep might help you to be more alert, it makes me want to scream into my chamomile tea.

Personally I know that my own sleep cycle has swung out of control when I wake up exhausted, and keep hitting the "snooze" button until I am left with the least possible amount of time to get ready. 

Perhaps you can relate.

If you are ready to redirect yourself back on the path to quality sleep and better health, I have some tools for you.

The first key is to develop better habits or proper “sleep hygiene.” Granted, this is simple common sense stuff, but most people find that bad habits are a huge culprit for poor sleep. 

When it comes to spring cleaning, many yogis and health conscious people jump on the first juice cleanse or herbal detox they find. But:

• Are cleanses and detoxes actually good for you?
• Are they necessary?

It makes sense that while you are cleaning out your closet, purging drama and negativity, and creating space for reflection (yoga retreat anyone?) that you would want to make sure your insides are cleaned out too. 

In theory this makes total sense, but when it comes to extreme cleansing and detoxing, most people I know are not set up to do it in a way that is truly healthy, and today I want to share with you an alternative to the common cleanse. 

"Good Morning!"

To these words my usual response is an unintelligible grunt as I pull the covers over my face.

I am not a morning person.

Thankfully at this point in my life, I have the luxury of making my own schedule which I assure you does not pull me out of bed for anything before 8am. This is in stark contrast to the many years I spent conditioning myself to get up before 6am to practice and teach yoga.

Still, I know that many of you probably need to be awake much earlier than you would like to be, so I want to share with you my personal morning habits that will benefit you whenever you rise. If you are ready to wake up and be a kinder more productive human being read on.

Need a kick start this Monday morning? Today is the day I launch the Ulitmate 30 Day Challenge (if you haven't registered yet there are still a few spaces). The focus for this month is on better sleep and optimum nutrition and with the holiday's beginning very soon it is the perfect time to get these two important aspects of our lives under control. 

Better sleep and a healthier diet are key ingredients if you want to have more energy. Another way to help brighten the day is of course, yoga. Sun Salutations are a great way to get energy flowing first thing in the morning. As I promised last week, here is a flow I was working with in Hawaii while on vacation. Enjoy!