Morning routines set you up for excellence. Full stop. How I kickstart my day is how I choose to feel throughout the day. I instil in my morning routine what I also feed my mind on a regular basis. That is: I am limitless, I can and I will. Full stop. Give it a read. Adopt anything that resonates and please do share your routines. My curious soul will feel spoiled.
1. Wake Up, Brush Up And Make Magic Happen
You know those who rise easily, gently on a soundtrack from the Sound of Music tickling their ears while magic sparks unveil them and little birds dress them up. Not me. I need 3 alarms to get the job done and be up by 8 AM.
It became easier, though since I started being more mindful about what impacts the quality of my sleep. A few years back, a Buddhist monk told me morning starts the night before when you go to sleep. Evrika, I thought!
Now, my evenings look like this: hitting the gym for two hours, having a shower and consciously investing time and thought into letting go of the things that burned my skin, heart and/or mind throughout the day. I then cherish my body, offering it words of love and appreciation. Two hours before I go to sleep, I put I my laptop away and turn the WiFi off. I’m in bed by 24, spending the previous hour dancing, playing the guitar and then meditating.
I make a practice of recalling the things I’m grateful for as I drift into sleep imagining my ideal life, feeling joyous, excited and trusting since I know it will soon materialize.
2. Essential Wake-up Mantra
Truth be told, I love sleeping. Plus, I have these delicious, vivid dreams which don’t make it any easier to get up. Still, when I do, the first thing that pops into my mind is “Yuppy! I’m alive!” Tony Robbins stresses how important rules about what makes us happy are. He mentions this man, whose only rule for happiness is: ”as long as I am above ground, I’m happy!”
Now, that deeply moved me and I made it my rule for joy and happiness, too. Every morning, I pump up excitement for being alive and healthy and I ask myself “how will I serve today?” Contribution, being in service of people, is one of my driving forces. Having this question present in my mind helps me design my day with the goal of serving and being supportive of those who might need me. It also helps me tame down my ego and realize I am a tiny, essential piece of magic of this wonderful nebulous.
3. Water the Roots of My Body
Drinking water upon waking up is invigorating. As water fills my body, I imagine I become clearer and clearer, lighter and lighter, a white feather floating. Feeling light brings me joy. I open the windows and drink at least 500ml of water on an empty stomach, while the chilly, wintery air envelops my body. I connect to how I choose to feel throughout the day. I place one hand on my heart and one on my the side of my neck. In speech and feeling, I choose to ignite my personal power. Feeling purified, I’m ready to kick ass.
4. Om Shanti Om
I swear by yoga in the mornings. A day without yoga is a day when I’m not myself. When I am a tad anxious, my partner asks: “haven’t done your yoga today, have you?” Yoga teaches me to flow and breathe in life, be present to what is happening in that very moment of my existence. There is so much beauty in every single moment and being able to recognise it comes with loads of clarity and gratitude.
To end my yoga session I recite a prayer: “Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu,” meaning “May all beings be happy and free from suffering. And may the thoughts, words, and actions in my own life in some way contribute to that happiness and that freedom for all.”
And then I lay on my back, resting and breathing for some minutes, realising how blessed I am to have this moment of conscious living, another moment in which I can design the life I choose to lead.
5. EFT To Free My Mind
I use Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as tapping, for healing and releasing negative thought patterns. Depending on what you want to achieve, there are different EFT structures you can follow.Healing emotional issues translates into living a wholeheartedly, authentic and abundant life. I also tap when I feel triggered or unease. Yes, it is a tad awkward and I do try to be discreet as feeling self-conscious increases if I’m in a public place. But hey, at the end of the day, it works for me, so that’s that.
Healing emotional issues translates into living a wholeheartedly, authentic and abundant life. I also tap when I feel triggered or unease. Yes, it is a tad awkward and I do try to be discreet as feeling self-conscious increases if I’m in a public place. But hey, at the end of the day, it works for me, so that’s that. Plus it helps me get more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Double win.
6. Sing My Heart, Play My Soul
Recently, I took on singing and I’ve been teaching myself to play the guitar, too. I am in deep adoration of singing. I feel attuned to the love all around and so in beat with who I am. I feel young, fun and alive. So, yes, I pick up my guitar in the mornings to set the rhythm for the day. Two of my favorite themes sang at the top of my lungs, feeling playful, recharged and exhilarated. My whole body vibrates joy and if you haven’t figured it out quite yet, joy is my core feeling.
So, yes, I pick up my guitar in the mornings to set the rhythm for the day. Two of my favorite themes sang at the top of my lungs, feeling playful, recharged and exhilarated. My whole body vibrates joy and if you haven’t figured it out quite yet, joy is my core feeling.
7. Feed Me Love
I love morning foods, mostly in warm climates, where I feel I’m indulging in colours, textures, and scents like a goddess. I eat lots of fruits. Hit me with a freshly squeezed juices or smoothies with coconut milk, bananas, watermelon, moringa, spirulina, hemp seeds, cacao nibs, nuts and I’m set for the day. A bowl of fruits, nuts, and muesli offers my body the energy it needs to shine.
8. Goals With Soul
The last part of my morning is dedicated to the list of goals I’ll get through during the day. After writing down the tasks, I also write how I want to feel while carrying them out. It looks something like: having a soulful coaching session with joy, creating social media updates feeling energised, creating content for my upcoming course with clarity and playfulness.
For me, more important than what I need to do is how I want to feel doing it. Let positive emotions drive your actions and focus on what feels good and in alignment with who you choose to be.
So, that’s my morning routine that usually takes 2 hours. When traveling, I utterly enjoy taking a walk at dawn and see the sunrise out of the ocean. Sunshine makes me joyous and I get really excited about the wondrous colours. I use that golden, fuzzy feeling to set my creative mode. What about you, what is your morning routine?
Originally published at www.travelandcoach.com on January 6, 2017.
Originally published at medium.com