7 morning rituals for self love
By Amalia May
Yoga | Massage & Bodywork | Ayurvedic Medicine | Travel
I can’t stress enough how important it is to have a morning routine.
Annndd… I can't stress enough how HARD it is to stay on a routine with daily rituals.
But, having a steady routine- doing the same things in the same order everyday does something magic to our consciousness. Rituals are a way to connect with ourselves, even if it’s only for a few quiet minutes everyday. For me anyway, ritual and routine create a sense of groundedness (is that a word?) and helps me feel anchored in my day.
I can go on and on but it's best you experience it for yourself to really understand how having a morning routine will benefit your day.
Okay Molly!! I’m ready to have the best day ever and I’m willing to do what it takes, where do I start?
I have some ideas for you. These self care routines can be done within 5-10 minutes; everyone has 5 minutes in their day to cut out for themselves. TRUST ME.
1. Waking before the Sun
You know when you wake up super early in the morning, everyone's sleeping but you..the house is so quiet. It almost feels different. You have your morning warm cup of tea while listening to the first of the birds singing...and you are..for a quick sec.. completely at peace. Ahhh. There is really something special about waking up super early by yourself.
In Ayurveda, it is known that waking up an hour and half before the sun rises helps you synchronize with the rhythms of Earth, which is a time of pure consciousness. It enables you to greet the sun with honor. I remember some mornings in my van waking up at 4 am SO excited to watch the sun rise over the mountains.
2. Water & Supplements
In Ayurveda, drinking warm water with ginger & honey sparks your agni, or “inner fire.” This drink will wake up your digestion & get your body ready for movement. There's all kinds of variations to this morning mineral cocktail (as Aubrey Marcus calls it). Try adding a pinch of Himalayan salt to hydrate your thirsty muscles & tissues, lemon for a vitamin C boost, or maybe a splash of apple cider vinegar.
If you can't stand the taste of ginger or apple cider vinegar (you're not alone!) try to take some kind of vitamin, supplement, nutrient, herb that benefits your personal health needs. I love my mushroom capsules & Ashwagandha in the morning.
3. Morning Meditation
One of my yoga teachers spoke about how your brain is in a different state when you first wake up. You are in a more dreamy and creative state. Meditation can be done at any time, but it’s best during this flowy state upon waking when consciousness can be best accessed.
4. Tongue Scraping
"Jihwa Prakshalana", or better known as tongue scraping, is an ancient practice of using a copper tool to scrape your tongue clean.
There are surprisingly SO many health benefits including:
Prevent bad breath
Improve sense of taste
Clears toxins/ama, bacteria, dead cells
Gently stimulates organs
Body awareness
Promotes oral and digestive health
If you’re not familiar with this Ayurvedic ritual, check out my post about tongue scraping.
5. Oil Pulling
Oil Pulling, or in Sanskrit, “Kavala Gandusha" is essentially the Ayurvedic mouthwash. In the morning, on an empty tummy, take a spoonful of coconut oil and put into your mouth. No really, this is a powerful practice. You wouldn’t think swishing oil around in your mouth would be so dang healthy.
A few benefits:
Promotes Healthy Detoxification and Cleansing
Boost Energy Levels
Reduces occurrence of disease and illness
Alleviates Arthritis
Reduces Headaches
Benefits skin and blood disorders
6. Switch your Coffee.
(Disclaimer I need this one just as much as you.)
I’m just gonna say it. Folgers is NOT the best coffee. There. I said it. So many brands of coffee consist of more chemicals and oils than coffee itself. When coffee enters your bloodstream, it’s basically like a slap in the face. It hits you and you are CAFFEINATED. I know this because I love that artificial energize, coffee makes me go fasssttt. But, After time and time and time of drinking coffee, it stops having that effect on you. It starts to consume you, and consume your gut. The acidity makes you bloated, the caffeine come down makes you anxious, and the Starbucks bill makes you broke.
There are PLENTY of yummy replacements. Try Matcha, Cacao or Tea. Be fancy and make it a latte with spice sprinkled on top.
7. Self Massage
If you haven't discovered the magic of "Abhyanga", or self massage, go grab some oil right now and give yourself a very much needed foot rub. Okay, but really. If you put moisturizer on everyday, you probably already do this. Just take a few more moments in the morning and put intention into applying your lotion or oil. Massage in the oil working from your feet towards your heart. Coming from a Massage Therapist, I can’t stress enough how good it is for you to have daily massage. It improves circulation, lubricates joints, and a way to connect with yourself and build self love. It’s a good time to do daily affirmations too, like “I am a badass” because you are.
I encourage you to mark out some time in the day to treat yourself with more love and respect. Write in your journal a list of what you will do everyday to invite a sense of balance.
There’s hope. By daily self care rituals, the goal is to spark a period of growth, resilience, dedication. Just know that if you do take extra time for yourself every day, life WILL get better. And I can say that wholeheartedly without doubt.
Namaste, Amalia May
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