Good morning rituals can not only help you have a great day but also a happy life and thus a peaceful, technology free morning routine and some time for yourself is important before you go out and work for 9 hours for someone else or yourself.
The first three hours of the morning are vital, by that I don’t mean the first three hours from when you wake up but the time before sunrise and after sunrise. According to ancient Indian scripts it is firmly believed that man must act or perform any actions according to the nature/sun. Brahma muhurat (the creator’s hour) is the time which starts 1 hour 36 min before sunrise and ends 48min after sunrise. It is the most appropriate time for yoga and meditation. This morning routine can be divided into three parts/three hours according to Ayurveda.
First hour:
Start your day two hours prior sunrise and the first thing you do when you wake up is to think about what happened the previous day. It helps you build your memory, visualize, prepares you for the day, helps you welcome the day with a grateful heart and carry the aura of positivity.
The second thing to do in the morning is to hydrate yourself, drink at-least three glasses of water, have small sips of water and hold it inside the mouth for the next few seconds, slowly breath in and out and then swallow, continue doing this for the next 20 min. This neutralizes the PH level in water, when naturally the body is more acidic in the morning this method will help alkalize your body (add a lemon wedge to the water). Stress and other factors like lack of sleep will also make your body acidic so it’s important that we also work towards these factors too. Do pranayama (practice of controlling the breath, Prana- life force/energy, yama-to control) for just a couple of minutes and how does this help you? It is a great solution for stress, helps you build strong will power and control your mind.
Second hour:
Take a good shower after a light exercise. Use soap on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and anything natural like coconut milk, essential oils on the other days this also works as aroma therapy, give your morning a great start by using an essential oil with a fresh and calming smell .Don’t use very soft towels after the shower.
While you are done with all this the sun is ready to rise, so get outside feel the fresh air and let the brand new sun rays touch your skin ,IR-A rays will make your skin ready for the mid-day sun which is harmful for the skin. This will also help you gain some amount of vitamin D if you are working indoors all day long.
Many people in India pray to the sun god by doing surya namaskar (sun salutation) which is a great form of yoga routine which consists of simple sequence of different asanas of which each asana is good for each part of your body like neck, wrists, back, stomach, knees, spine, thighs, intestines etc. It takes only 10min and is the best yoga practice you can have.
Third hour:
The important thing to do at this hour is to have good breakfast and in two parts or small portions containing cereals, sprouts, soaked nuts, fresh fruits locally grown which reach markets, home soon which are less likely to be preserved. Have tea or any power packed drink containing herbs which detoxify the body. Never ever overeat, leave some space in your stomach for easy digestion but have more for breakfast than lunch and dinner. Have little less for lunch than breakfast and dinner should be usually light.
For these three hours avoid using your phones, checking your emails and using any technology. Although there is no “one size fits all” routine that suits everyone, pick up some habits from the above to go through the day with more energy. From your busy schedule take time out for yourself sometimes-STOP and BREATHE.
How about we meet Ms. Suchi, Therapist and Wellness coach on how she starts her day. She says that morning routine sets the tone for the whole day and if you do each day right, you’ll do life right. She believes we are guests in this world and must show gratitude to the universe for every new day we get. She also quickly clarifies here, “I drink 2 glasses of water to cleanse stomach, a half cup of tea with jaggery, shower rose water and rub the face with ice cubes to make my skin glow. Followed by 1 hour exercise”. She has oats, nuts fresh fruits for breakfast followed by a drink with ginger, lemon and cumin seeds sprayed with lime.