Ever since I found a morning ritual that worked for me, I truly can’t go a day without it. However, it took me some time to figure out what worked best. When I moved to Los Angeles, I really fell more in love with wellness and decided to devote more energy to taking care of myself. This is when I really dove into creating my morning ritual. A morning ritual sets the tone for the day and helps me feel grounded. It’s the only thing I feel in control of and plan on doing every single day. As long as I know I’ve done my few key rituals as soon as I wake up, I can go into the day feeling calm and ready to tackle anything I will face. Whether I am home or traveling, I have created the ritual so that it can be done anywhere.
My morning goes a little something like this:
No Phone
As soon as I wake up, I don’t check my phone. In fact, I keep my phone on airplane mode overnight in order to prioritize this time. I know everything on it will be there in an hour anyways, and I choose to focus on the present moment. I found that when I used to check my phone immediately, I’d get caught up in others’ lives. Why would you want to start your day so focused on other people? Jumping on your phone right away creates high stress, and the to-do’s start overflowing and overwhelming. So, just try to stay away from your phone for at least an hour upon waking.
Water & Probiotic
Because our bodies become dehydrated overnight, water is definitely a necessity in the morning. I aim to drink 32 oz. of filtered water when I wake up as well as take my Seed probiotic. I’ve been taking Seed for a few months now, and I absolutely love it. I have really seen a change in my overall skin and digestion. Seed is actually a prebiotic and probiotic, and it doesn’t need to be refrigerated, which makes it perfect for traveling.
Face Wash
I make my bed and splash my face with cold water (I don’t use face cleanser in the mornings so that I don’t over strip oils from my skin). After this, I brush my teeth and use a tongue scraper, which clears toxins and removes bacteria. This has been life changing for digestion and my overall health.
Meditation & Mindset
I then light a Grounding Bodha Incense set an intention, and meditate on either my meditation cushion or my bed, depending on the day. I tend to meditate for 10-15 minutes and will set a timer on my phone. I use the Peace & Quiet app for calming sounds or guide my own meditation. The silence in the morning is all I need – nothing fancy. I then write in my journal to get down any random thoughts for the day.
Movement & Sunshine
I get dressed and walk down to the beach for a stroll or jog in order to get my daily dose of morning sun. I usually try to do this for 45 minutes to an hour. On the days I’m not able to get a walk or jog in, I’ll do a yoga flow or Pilates at home. Before the virus, I thoroughly enjoyed going to Hot Yoga; it is so beneficial for the body and mind.
Breakfast
Then, I head back home for a shower and get dressed for the day. For breakfast, I’ll either make a bowl of fresh local fruits or a smoothie along with my elixir. Eating fruit first thing in the morning has improved my digestion immensely. My morning fruits are my vitamins. I top my fruit bowl with all kinds of superfoods: Cacao Nibs, Bee Pollen and Hemp Seeds. I’ll do a more in-depth post soon about why I eat fruit first as well as more of my smoothie and colorful fruit bowl favorites.
Even though this may seem like a lot, it’s what sets me up for feeling my best so that I can focus in on what I need to get done during the day without any distractions.
I go to bed every evening looking forward to these small pleasures. I believe everyone deserves to take a moment for themselves each day, and the morning is the perfect time to do just that.
x Emily