Many people find it hard to get out of bed in the morning and spend the first part of their day checking social media or emails that came in over night – not a great way to start. Putting together a morning routine full of mindful rituals can make even the toughest mornings easier.
Why not replace that morning flurry of a quick shower, frantically throwing on some clothes and a few mouthfuls of toast with a sense of calm and intention? Taking time first thing in the morning to set a positive tone for your day can have a positive effect on your overall well being.
Outlined below are just some of the rituals that you can use to make your morning routine more supportive. Ease yourself into it by adding one at a time and practising them mindfully until they become your routine.
Note how your new morning ritual makes you feel. Do you handle challenging or stressful situations better? Are your food choices healthier? What is your body telling you?
Remember your morning ritual is as much about the benefits you receive from each practice as it is about the ‘me time’. Enjoy investing in yourself first thing in the morning and watch the change that takes place when you choose to do this.
Lemon Water
Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a cup of warm water. This is such a simple and yet effective way to prepare your body to digest your food. It also helps your liver eliminate toxins, keeping your skin clearer and smoother.
Lemons are high in vitamin C, a vital anti-oxidant and important nutrient for the production of collagen, our anti-wrinkle fibre. They are a great source of phosphorus (required for a healthy nervous system, brain repair and memory) and sodium, helping eliminate wastes and prevent hardened arteries and arthritis.
If lemons are out of season or you’re travelling, apple cider vinegar does a similar job for your digestion and can be taken the same way; one teaspoon in a cup of warm water.
Dry body brushing
Your skin is your body’s largest eliminative organ and is responsible for one quarter of the body’s detoxification each day. Dry skin brushing is a wonderful detoxification aid. Brush your skin every day before your shower or bath for approximately 5-10 minutes, starting at your feet and moving upwards. Brush towards your heart with a light pressure until your skin has a slight healthy pink glow.
Healthy Breakfast
We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day but most of us aren’t putting this into practice. An easy way to ensure your morning ritual includes a healthy breakfast is to prepare one of the delicious and easy recipes such as our new Matcha Granola! This sustaining breakfast is high in fibre and B vitamins, both nutrients help support a healthy skin.
Get moving
Gentle exercise stimulates our blood and lymph flow and calms our nervous system, all of which promotes and encourages detoxification. Whether it’s a run, walk or rebalancing, breath-based exercise like yoga or pilates, all of these promote health and clarity of mind.
Breathe deeply
When we breathe we inhale life-giving oxygen and exhale waste carbon dioxide. Deep rhythmic breathing is vital to the healthy functioning of our bodies, helping to regulate our pH balance and calm our nervous system. It also gives us an opportunity to practice mindfulness.
Deep-breathing techniques are extremely effective ways of flipping your nervous system from ‘fight or flight’ into ‘rest and repair’. Your heartbeat slows and a feeling of relaxation floods your body. All systems of your body will work much more efficiently when you are in a calm state, a great way to start your day.
Think tank
Different types of thought effect our bodies physically in different ways and a lot of respected scientists are starting to think that we attract what we think.
Starting your day reflecting on what it involves and setting clear intentions for what you wish to achieve allows positive affirmation. This is an insightful way to gather, audit and clarify your thoughts.
Let go of: Negative self-talk, comparing yourself to others, limiting beliefs, resisting change, dwelling on the past.
Make room for: Gratitude, positive affirmations, embracing challenges, finding inspiration in the success of others, reflection, goal setting
So take a moment to reflect on what your mornings currently look like and begin to make them over by adding the above routines to form a morning ritual that enhances your health and well being.
