Successful Morning Rituals
Ritual: (n) action performed in a customary way
A morning routine centered around wellness and self-care has proven to have incredible transformational effects. They are very powerful as well as empowering. Start your day on a positive, calm and healthy note, ultimately lead to a healthy and balanced lifestyle, increased happiness, a calmer baseline, a feeling of purpose and overall improvements throughout your day.
If you are not a morning person begin with incorporating one new routine into your already existing schedule. Consciously carve out the time you need each morning - even if that means setting an alarm 15 minutes earlier - and commit to doing this for at least 21 days. Be you accountability partner, keep a list and tick off your achievements daily to keep track until your new routine weaves in with the rest of the day.
The key to reaping the benefits of wellbeing rituals is to be consistent.
Below you find suggestions of successful morning rituals to include in your morning routine:
HYDRATE
Whilst sleep requires us to be less hydrated as our bodies go through a different process during rest, by the time we have had 8-9 hours and awake in the morning, our bodies should be immediately hydrated. Drinking a couple of glasses of water, or warm water with lemon upon waking is a great way to hydrate, wake up, and invigorate your body ready for the day ahead. It’s also a beautiful way to kickstart your metabolism and digestion for the day, signaling to your body that it’s time to shift from sleep mode to wake mode.
PRACTICE GRATITUDE
Gratitude turns what we have into enough and shifts our vibration to call in more into our lives. Gratitude fills up your heart and energises your soul and there are so many physical and emotional benefits associated with this practice. Start your day by writing 3 things you are grateful for in your journal. Allow yourself to feel a powerful shift of energy which moves into your day with positivity, calm and love.
MOVE YOUR BODY
Movement is a beautiful way to wake up your body and ease it into the day after resting and rejuvenating. Slow, mindful, conscious movement allows your body to wake up, strengthen, and connect with your mind. Stretching and moving your body at the start of the day upon waking offers a host of health benefits and is a powerful routine to implement as it ultimately ‘switches on’ your body into day mode, boosts your energy for the day ahead, and supports mood and focus. Yin Yoga is a beautiful morning movement practice, discover the benefits for yourself, and join our virtual morning PJ Yoga classes here.
CULTIVATE SILENCE
Enjoy waking slowly in silence. By carving out time, it can literally be 5 minutes, to breathe, meditate or simply sit in silence it allows you to set your pace and framework for the day ahead, it reminds you to connect with your breath and use it, and offers a conscious reminder that your breath, your meditation practice and stillness is available to you whenever you need itBoth breathwork and meditation allow your lungs and respiratory system, as well as your brain to wake up, warm up, and perform at their optimum level for the day ahead. Of course, there are various breathwork practices and meditations you can do, some offer peace and calm whilst others inspire and invigorate, but no matter what direction you take it means you’re resetting your internal gauge, nervous system, and inner compass to prime yourself for the day ahead. Find out more about the benefits of and how to meditate as well as breathwork exercises on The Journal.
BRING IN AFFIRMATIONS
Affirmations are a truly wonderful way to start your day, they allow you to set yourself up for success by leaning into your day with positivity, inspiring thoughts and powerful messages. By starting your day with positive affirmations you’re already setting your baseline as positive, it allows you to instantly shift negative thought patterns into positive ones and the flow on effect from that is that you have a higher tolerance for things that might usually frustrate you - for example missing the train and having to get the next one, you view your day through a rose coloured lens, you vibrate on a higher level which the Universe matches, and you subconsciously train your mind to access, focus on and manifest.
USE THE POWER OF SCENTS
The power of scent is immediate. Scents awaken, invigorate and energise your senses and have the ability to immediately transform you into a space of calm, positivity, energy and readiness for the day ahead. Scents transform your mindset in the morning as you begin your day but also have the very powerful ability to allow you to pause and tap into a moment of mindfulness whenever you need it throughout the day. Uplifting suggested morning scents to diffuse: peppermint, mandarin, rosemary, grapefruit.
These are just some suggestions to get you started centered around wellness and self-care. Try new things, new way and compose your mornings in a way unique to you, your needs.
Remember you don’t have to face challenges alone. Join us on the mat, move and breathe and get inspired. We’d love to know what your morning routine looks like, what wellbeing rituals do you incorporate and what benefits do they bring?
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Abi’s Journal is a place where Abi shares the stories of people she meets, tips about wellness, and rituals. She lived 15 years in Japan and currently lives in Paris. Abi created The Abi Method, membership access to a 24/7 library of yin yoga, power yin yoga, meditation, and breathwork videos. By enrolling, you will be part of a community of forward-thinking women, dedicated to working on themselves, to feel happier and in better health.
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