Cultivating a Morning Routine
We’ve all heard about the benefits of having a morning routine. But some times, in this real, busy, and seemingly chaotic world, it simply does not seem practical or perhaps worthy enough to deprive ourselves of those glorious last bits of REM and slow wave sleep that often overtake our snoozing bodies in the morning in those final moments before the alarm sounds.
Instead of thinking about what we are losing by waking up earlier (AKA, extra Z’s), I would like to invite you to think of everything that is gained in these precious moments fresh out of bed.
There are many aspects to what constitutes the “perfect morning routine”. However here I would like to take the pressure off, knowing that this sacred time in the morning looks different for everyone. For some, it involves more movement, for others it involves having a book in one hand and a cup of warm tea in the other, allowing the warm aromas to help rouse the body, mind and soul. Others might engage in a journaling practice to do a metaphorical “dumping” of all things not deemed advantageous to lingering within.
For me, I have found that I can set myself up for the most success in my day when I engage in some sort of movement practice fairly fresh out of bed. This is an easy, simple, and nonjudgemental practice that is just for me—no one else.
Today, we will focus on two main benefits of getting up and getting the body moving first thing in the morning.
Benefit #1: this is an opportunity to wake up the physical body, preparing it for a whole day of movement, social engagement, and adaptability. This movement practice can look any way that feels good to you. I’ve found that moving all of my major joints through their full range of motion coupled with some light stretching (think downward dog, light forward fold, shoulder, and hip openers) gives me a feeling of creating space within my body. When I feel an increased sense of space within, the same is replicated in my external world. As within, so without. Now who wouldn’t want more of that?
Additionally, these light movements first thing in the morning give the body a beautiful chance to synchronize with the breath.
Breath, prana, pneuma, qi—it all helps move stagnant shtuff through the body. Namely, it helps oxygenate the brain (goodbye brain fog!) and all of the body’s tissues, fueling all metabolic processes. The physical movement of the diaphragm acts as a pump moving lymph, which carries the yucky stuff that is produced in aforementioned metabolic processes, back towards the heart for elimination and detoxification. Breath is also key for moving stagnant energy in and through the body, allowing it to become “unstuck”.
Breath allows for a unification of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of ourselves.
Benefit #2: waking up just a little bit earlier is actually giving yourself one of the greatest gifts of all—a moment just for you.
WHAT! Just for me?!
Yes. Yes, I tell ya.
We are constantly pulled in a million directions, often “shoulding” ourselves left and right when we feel we haven’t done enough or we didn’t exert ourselves to our max. Not to mention the to-do lists dawned on us by our bosses, colleagues, partners, children, family, pets, etc. By setting that alarm just a tad bit earlier, we can offer ourselves refuge from these moments, and step into a self-inflicted ritual in which there is no right or wrong.
This is a moment before kids or partners need something something from you, before the to-do list of the day is unleashed, and perhaps even before the sun comes up. This is several moments of you time, to simply move the body, connect with your breath, and remember that all you really need in that moment is quite simple: it’s you.
This is your time to commune with yourself, to honor yourself, to love yourself, to be with yourself.
So today we just focused on two benefits of the physical practice of movement in a morning routine. This is something to be played around with, not taken too seriously, but know that some serious benefits do, in fact, lie on the other side of doing it. The same concepts can be applied to other aspects of a morning routine, such as reading, journaling, meditating, going for a walk…you name it.
This is not an all inclusive list, of course, but a short one that is simply meant to inspire.
Any questions about creating your perfect morning routine? Always feel free to email us here at Organic Family, or comment below with some of your favorite aspects of your own morning routine.
