Updated Morning Routine
A perfect way to start, this is how I start most mornings. I have always done some sort of mix of this morning routine for so long. I really do most all of these things everyday because that is what makes me feel best. But if there is something that slips, I don't fret--I'll come back to it the next day or even fit it in later the day. This is an updated outline of my morning routine that I love.
MORNING NON NEGOTIABLES:
Morning meditation/breath work
Journaling
Oil pulling and tongue scraping
Make the bed
Cold therapy
Hot water with lemon/ginger
Sun
Walk
Breakfast
Coffee
Pilates
Morning meditation/breath work - I switch up my morning meditations in phases, Right now I am back to Joe Dispenses morning meditations but I also love apps like Superhuman and Calm which have tons of meditations to choose from. Sometimes I'll even go on Youtube and find guided morning meditations. Breath work--I am usually practicing 4,7,8 or I will do Ayurveda breath work (single nostril breath work).
Journaling - I have about 5 of these journals filled out now. I always come back to them because its the most sustainable way for me to journal. I love the idea of morning pages and just free write journaling in the morning, but for me it's really hard to stick to. I love this simple outline of gratitude hopes for the day and affirmations. Even if I'm not using it, I have been conditioned to have gratitude first thing I think about when I wake up.
Oil pulling and tongue scraping - Another routine I have been doing for years. Oil pulling is so important to do in the morning because it pulls out all of the bacteria that accumulates when you sleep. Your body detoxes when you sleep, so you want to make sure you get that bacteria your body is trying to get rid of first thing so you aren't swallowing it and putting it back into your body to absorb. Oil pull, then tongue scrape, then I brush/floss.
Make the bed - After I brush, I go back into my room and make the bed then open the shades for sunlight.
Cold therapy - I usually don't shower in the morning, so I will use my ice roller every morning for cold therapy, something I started when I got my wisdom teeth out and I never stopped. Ice rolling instantly depuffs, wakes me up, and is good for my allergies.
Hot water with lemon/ginger - I will make these ice cubes every other week to have on hand and make morning seamless. Just add them to hot water.
Sun - Years ago I read a book by Aubrey Marcus which transformed the way I look at mornings. The biggest takeaways are wake and hydrate, light and movement, breath and cold. I since have always assured hydration, sun, movement, cold therapy and breath work are the first things I do every morning.
Walk - This falls under the movement umbrella. I like to get movement right away because it wakes me up better than coffee and feels like it regulates my nervous system first thing. I definitely notice a difference when I don't I feel more irritable and impatient throughout the day when I don't.
Breakfast - This one isn't easy for me, I'd love to fast and just have coffee for breakfast. But obviously this would destroy your nervous system, your hormones, and sky rocket your blood sugar. So I always try to have breakfast before coffee. Even if it's something small. I also try to have a savory breakfast to regulate any blood sugar, I find when I have a sweet breakfast I end up craving sugar more throughout the day.
Coffee - Obviously. I love coffee so much, often why I get out of bed in the morning. I do go through phases of cutting caffeine or solely drinking matcha to cut back. I'll do a whole post about cutting caffeine. I think it's really important to do a few times a year to reset your system and hormones.
Pilates - This is my movement of choice in the morning. I go straight to a reformer class or rent out the private one at my studio to get in a workout. I have been doing pilates since I was 10 doing at home pilates VHS and find that it's so good for my body. It feels like I was designed to enjoy this workout. I can't do high impact workouts, especially in the morning. I genuinely enjoy this part of my day so much and I've never dreaded going (unlike when I used to do barre or bootcamps in the past). Low impact workouts >
Shop all of my morning essentials
Photo by Cassdimicco
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