1. Wake Up Earlier
This is priority one because in order to fit in a fantastic morning you’re going to need some extra time compared to your current routine.
2. Dry Brush Your Body
Dry brushing the body is an Ayurvedic practice that helps improve your circulation and slough off dead skin cells. Brushing towards your heart is essential, and you’ll want to start at your extremities and work your way in, covering all of your parts before hopping in the shower.
3. Listen to Uplifting Music or Audiobook
Starting your morning with music you find beautiful, or a book you find inspirational or motivational, is the perfect way to set yourself up for success. It can give you something to look forward to in the morning, and sets you up with the right mindset to greet the day.
4. Tea meditation
This is what I do when I first wake up (on most days). For a long time I wrestled with the difficulty of meditating immediately upon waking up. When you do that, you essentially sit down and go back to sleep. It’s really difficult to have just woken up and sit down to meditate because you’re just dozing off the entire time.
5. Write
Being a writer, this is what I do with most of my time in the morning. But I don’t want to talk too much about my writing practice, I want to talk about the benefits of writing in general.
6. Hot Water with Lemon
Simply add a slice of lemon in a glass of hot water and drink one every morning. This is a very simple ritual I follow faithfully every morning. Apart from being a good source of vitamin C and a great way of flushing out toxins in the morning, it balances and maintains the PH levels in the body, reduces pain and inflammation in joints and knees and helps nourishing brain and nerve cells. Here are some more benefits of drinking hot water with lemon.
7. Jump
The lymphatic system is a part of circulatory system, containing a network of lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph, which is essentially recycled blood plasma. The lymphatic system plays an important role in removing the toxins from the body. However, it’s not pumped by an organ, unlike a heart pumps blood. So we need to move in order for our lymphatic system to be moved, so we can benefit from an efficient detoxification process.
8. Do yoga or exercise for 15 minutes. (15 min)
You don’t have to go all the way to a studio or pay for a membership to enjoy the nourishing benefits of morning yoga. You can find a free 15 minute video no Youtube, or sign up for a membership to a yoga site like MyYogaOnline.com. Find a suitable routine that supports your physical goals (flexibility, strength, mobility) and practice every morning. If you have more than 15 minutes, that’s great too! The trick is to stay consistent in your routine.
9. Have a cold shower. (3-7 min)
Before you say “Heck no!” hear me out on this one. Having a cold shower in the morning can be an alternative to taking stimulants. The cold water will increase your heart rate and increase your body’s oxygen intake, resulting in more energy throughout your day. A cold shower is also helpful for reducing stress, burning fat and easing joint and muscle pain! If you’re washing your hair, use cool or even cold water and you’ll notice your hair is less frizzy and more silky when you step out. Showering in cool or cold water also helps your skin retain its moisture, which can be especially helpful for dry skin types or the winter months when skin needs extra love and care.
10. Spend time in silence
Be grateful for what you have. Mentally or on paper, plan the day out. If you don’t do the previous night, write out your to-do list of the most exciting and important things.
Sources:
A 7-Step Morning Ritual to Create a Balanced and Healthy Life
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-18025/5-morning-rituals-happy-healthy-people-do-every-day.html
http://buddhaimonia.com/7-morning-rituals/
http://bembu.com/healthy-morning-rituals
http://myhealthoc.org
