Creating Magical Mornings

With our world being turned upside right now with Covid-19 and being quarantined at home, your first thought might not be on a morning routine. I too questioned it when I went to write this piece, but I reminded myself that “how we start our day is how we live our lives.” You have to set yourself up for success from the moment you wake up. I want to help you find the tools to create the energy, the mindset, and the routine to have you feeling your best—rituals to ground you, inspire you, and support you through this time we are finding ourselves in.

I find a sense of peace having a routine, a way to prepare myself for the day ahead and show up as my best self. I have found that especially during this time, my mind and body crave these steps that help quiet my mind, relax my body and ease my uncertainty.

My intention for this post is that hopefully you too will find the things that work best for you and begin to have the same sense of quietness, relaxed mind and increased insight and energy to take into your day.

Set Your Alarm

This might take you by surprise, but there is so much research around starting your day early. Set yourself up for success by allowing yourself enough time to get ready without being rushed. Set it a bit early so you can find some quiet time before your day begins.

• This one has a really cool design with LED lights and lots of other features.
• This has the ability to play natural music/sounds.
• Wake up to 7 different colors simulating the sunrise.
• Loving the wake-up with sunrise & natural sounds.
• So cute! Wood and personalized message!
• Silent Alarm Clock….. Say What?

Write in Your Journal 

Starting to journal has seriously changed my life. I have a morning journaling exercise as well as an evening to start and finish my day with gratitude. I love starting the day free writing—anything that comes to mind goes on the paper. This helps get ideas on paper after a night’s rest as well as clears the mind of scattered thoughts. I then move into a gratitude practice, writing down everything that I am grateful for. It can be something as simple as “I am grateful for this comfy bed.” “I am grateful for the sun coming up and hearing the birds singing outside my window.” This gratitude practice has me leaving my bed with an overwhelming feeling of love, gratefulness and a positive outlook on the day.

If you are needing some ideas or topics to get you started, here are a few that come to mind:

• What am I grateful for today?
• How can I be kinder to myself today?
• What am I needing to help fill me up?
• What are 3 things that I can do today to help me feel more like myself?
• List 5 things you love about yourself today.
• What could I let go of today? Limiting beliefs? Negative thoughts?
• How can I feel free in my life? My decisions?
• What can I do today to get me closer to my true desires?

Hydrate 

Although it might seem small and unimportant, this one alone will change your day. Our bodies need water to function to their highest capabilities, and when we get dehydrated, all areas suffer. Drinking water in the morning has become a ritual and routine within itself. I have a couple of different recipes that I go to that really help replenish and get my body going. I like to use warm water or room temperature water so that you aren’t startling your body with ice-cold water first thing in the morning. Maybe take note the first couple of days you start implementing this routine, tuning into how this makes your mind and body feel.

Spruce up your water with these options:

• Water with freshly grated ginger & a squeeze of organic lemon juice
• Water with a splash of organic apple cider vinegar
• Water with a squeeze of organic lemon juice, a couple of cracks of sea salt
• Water with fresh organic lemon juice & chia seeds

All of these taste so great and set me up to start my day. I like to chug at least 16 ounces of water first thing and then allow my body to absorb for 30 minutes with nothing else in my stomach.

Create a Mindfulness Practice/Meditation 

If you are only able to implement and take away one thing from this post, I would tell you to pick meditate. Well, that and drinking your water since we all need to survive and drinking water is a must. Starting a meditation practice has single-handedly kept me grounded, calm, and connected during these days of uncertainty.

Meditating allows you to create a sacred space for yourself. A time to quiet your mind, deepen your breath, and fill your lungs, feel your heartbeat and allow emotions to move through you. I really believe this is one of the main ways I create mornings that feel magical.

There are so many ways to meditate. You can sit in silence, be guided by someone else, walking meditation, etc. Here are a couple of resources if you’d like to have an app or a resource to get you started and help direct your mind, concentrate on your breath, be grounded.

MEDITATION OFFERINGS:

• Free Guided & For Sale Meditations with Oprah & Deepak.
• #1 Free app for sleep, anxiety & stress meditations/Insight Timer
• Waking Up with Sam Harris / Waking Up
• Mindfulness for Everyone / Headspace
• Practicing Mindfulness – 75 Essential Meditations
• LOVING this breathing book! Highly Recommend.

Creating Your Meditation Space

• Cozy, Comfy Blankets to keep you bundled & warm during these cooler mornings.
• Singing Bowl – I love using a singing bowl to begin and end my practice. There is something so soothing to feel the vibrations in your body.
• Meditation Cushion – As soon as I sit on my meditation cushion, I feel myself sinking into my meditative practice. There is something about getting everything set up to allow for you to sink in deep. I also sometimes just cozy into my couch when I want a bit more back support and to just relax completely.
• Candle – I love having a burning candle, incense, or sage; there is something about a flickering light that makes it seem magical. It has become a ritual to decide on a candle to burn and to have it lit and glowing while I meditate.

Mindful Movements

Movement is non-negotiable for me; my body and mind crave movement in any and all forms every single day. This movement doesn’t have to be level 10, killing yourself doing hill work or sprinting at max capacity. Mindful movement can be gentle stretching, restorative yoga or a vinyasa flow, a walk around the neighborhood, or hiking in the foothills. There are so many nourishing, wonderful ways to move your body, especially nowadays with so many free online services offering classes to follow along and flow with. Personally, I like to wake up and start slow, allowing myself to drink my water, get settled on my mat & wake up a bit before I start moving. I tend to always do some gentle stretches & yoga post-meditation just to get myself out of my seated position. This allows my body and mind to have time to wake up out of my delicious sleep slumber & to gently prepare to take on the day.

Sacred Skincare 

• Dry Brushing – I tend to like to jump in the shower in the morning to wash off my 8 hours of wonderful sleep, so before I jump in, I like to dry brush. You might wonder what on earth I am talking about, so let me quickly let you in on a little skin secret: Dry brushing has the ability to exfoliate, reduce the appearance of cellulite, and aid lymphatic drainage for more swift removal of toxins. Using a dry, natural bristle brush to gently brush your skin with strokes toward your heart, usually going over each area two or three times. On your abdomen, you brush in a clockwise motion. Dry brushing is typically done before showering and should be followed with a vitamin-rich moisturizer.
• A complete set of Dry Body Brushes
• Premium Dry Brushing Set.
• Darling Dry Brush with bag.
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Organic Rosehip Oil, smells so good!
• Jasmine Oil, one of my favorites!
• Blue Tansy Oil, tied for my favorite too!
• Get your Dry Bush, Bath Salts & Oil all in one Here!

I live in a very dry climate, so my skin is always needing moisture, my skincare routine now includes many different oils, mists & serums to help keep my skin looking dewy and ready for the day. These extra steps also allow me to take my time and really nourish my skin, my body & check in on my overall wellness.

• Cleansing Oil, what I wash my face with morning & night.
• Complexion Mist Collection, I use one of these to mist each morning.
• Organic Rose Water Toner, love anything rose!
• Clarifying, Soothing & Plumping Serum Trio, I choose one of these to use each morning.
• I swear by a little dab of this baby balm under my eyes.

Let’s talk morning facial tools.

There are two tools that I am obsessed with right now, and I like to alternate them on a daily basis. These tools are ancient but have started to make a comeback lately, & I am so glad they did. Facial gua sha is a massage technique designed to relieve tension in the muscles of the face, boost blood circulation, and encourage lymphatic drainage to banish bloat.

The second tool is the jade roller. I love the jade roller for many reasons, but the massaging motion might be the main one. It has been said the massaging motion can stimulate certain hormones and have a relaxing effect on one’s well-being and stress levels. So, I would have to say that could be a reason to include one of these tools in creating a magical morning for yourself!

• Gua Sha & Ridged Roller in one!
• Gua Sha Stone
• Rose Quartz Ridged Roller, my favorite!
• Jade Roller & Gua Sha Bundle Kit
• Gua Sha Technique Book

Nourishment

I think that nourishing your body is such an important step. How we feed and fuel our bodies is directly correlated to how we feel, the energy we have, and how we support our hormones. Personally, like to take the first bit of my day and morning to have a warming, nutrient-dense drink to sip on. This could be enjoyed during my journaling or right after meditation or could come once I am finished getting ready for the day. Everyone is so different from what they like to consume and when they like to consume it. So, staying on point with creating magical morning routines & rituals, I’ll share one of my favorite warm drinks I like to make in the mornings to start my day & nourish my body.

Golden Milk Recipe

• 1.5 – 2 cups Milk of choice you want to use milk or something that has a little fat in it to combine with the Turmeric for best nutrient absorption.
• 1.5 tsp organic Turmeric
• .5 tsp organic cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp organic ginger powder or a tiny pinch of fresh peeled & grated ginger root
• 1 drizzle maple syrup, honey, or my favorite organic coconut sugar
• 1 touch salt, this might sound weird, but just try it! I am loving this salt right now….
• A couple of cracks Black Pepper, this is a MUST! The black pepper is what activates & allows your body to fully be able to absorb all the yummy nutrients of Turmeric, so please don’t skip this step!
• Blend all ingredients minus the black pepper in a high-speed blender until smooth.
• Pour into a small saucepan and heat for 3-5 minutes only until warm, you don’t want it too hot, take off before boiling.
• Crack the pepper, stir to combine & drink asap!
• *** Be warned! Turmeric does stain. Don’t use anything porous or leave on a white countertop, touch white clothing or dishtowels, etc.***