Do you have a morning ritual?
In our busy lives, it can sound like something that might be a challenge or take too long. If you have young children in your home, often they are your alarm clock and as soon as they wake you are tending to their needs.
We don’t need to spend 2 or more hours, sitting on a yoga mat in meditation for a morning ritual to be beneficial. Even if you have a few minutes, it can help set you up for the day ahead, so that you can start your day from a place of calmness and positivity.
For decades I would start my day from a place of dread, looking at what was ahead of me, thinking of the to-do list and the deadlines. Within minutes (if not seconds) I would be in a state of overwhelm and my body would start releasing cortisol and go into fight or flight mode, inside of our bodies this reaction is the same as if we had to jump up and try and run away from a perceived threat to our survival! It can lead to anxiety and fatigue.
This doesn’t have to be the case, as it’s not very common for a lion or tiger to come sprinting into our bedrooms!
When we first wake up and also just before we go to sleep, our brains naturally go through a Theta state. During this state our subconscious mind is recording instead of playing. Science has shown that what we think about during these moments will automatically change our life because our subconscious mind creates about 95% of our life. So whether you say affirmations, meditate, just breath consciously or think positive thoughts. All of these things can have a huge and powerful impact.
A morning ritual, does not have to be exactly the same every day. It can vary depending on your circumstances, how you are feeling and how much time you have available. Also, for the mornings when you have been up half of the night with racing thoughts or just didn’t sleep well for whatever reason. If you are nursing/feeding a child and you just don’t have the energy, that’s ok too always be kind to yourself!
Suggestions for morning rituals:
- Water. Within the first 30 minutes of waking drink water, ideally as close to a litre as you can. Our bodies naturally dehydrate during the night. Just being well hydrated helps our bodies to get rid of toxins, have more energy, improves our digestion and mental clarity.
- Breathe. Take 3-5 conscious breaths, inhale expanding your abdomen fully before slowly releasing the exhale.
If this is all you can manage for now, congratulate yourself on taking the first step to developing you own morning ritual! Try it for 2 weeks and see if you notice a difference.
Below are just some ideas of how you might create your own morning ritual. Different things will appeal to different people and this is intended simply as a guide, a starting place. There are many free videos on YouTube:
Motivational speeches:
Like this one titled “Focus on yourself not others” (It’s about 15 mins and contains Ad’s)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBSeCp__xhI
Morning meditations:
Like this one from the mindful movement (about 10 mins)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GneKaqMdKyk
Meditations can range from just a few minutes to hours, so pick one that resonates with you on the day.
Breath Work:
Wim hof guided breathing (Watch the tutorial video first)
Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzCaZQqAs9I
Donna Eden’s Daily Energy Routine:
This takes about 10 mins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di5Ua44iuXc
Walking:
A brisk 30 minute (more if you can) walk outside or a swim, jog or run. – Getting our bodies moving activates out lymphatic system, which cleanses toxicity form the body through the four channels of elimination (Respiration, perspiration, defecation and urination).
You might also try some Yoga, Chi gong, Tibetan rites, Thai Chi… the list is long and it helps if you can find something that you enjoy doing, you might put on your favourite song and move/dance for a few minutes? Whatever you choose to put in your routine, it can really have a profound effect on shaping the rest of your day.
Wishing you a truly vibrant and positive day!