Morning Rituals.

Putting yourself first so you can be your best and complete your daily purpose with ease.

Grounding the Body

Nourishing your physical body right away in the morning is beneficial for several reasons. It improves digestion and stimulates agni, helps prevent disease, reduces anxiety, and aids in concentration. These are just the benefits I have personally noticed since starting a morning ritualistic routine. Your rituals should take into account your personal Ayurvedic constitution and the climate you are living in if possible.

Morning Ritual Ideas:

  • Elixir

    I typically start my morning rituals with warm golden milk. I make a big batch each week with 7-8 cups of 2% milk, 1 Tbsp turmeric,and 1 tsp each black peppercorns, cardomom, and cinnamon (all whole spices if possible), and 1/2 cup raw honey. I simmer this for 20 minutes, strain it, and then warm 1 cup in a saucepan each morning. I have found that it reduces inflammation and skin breakouts and prevents stomach pain throughout the day.

  • Abhyanga

    How you decide to do abhyanga or self-massage depends on the amount of time you have in the morning and how you physically feel. For example, if you wake up with a headache, perhaps spend for time on the scalp. I typically only do my face and neck and sometimes my arms in the morning. Click here for a full body demonstration of Abhyanga.

  • Salt Water Rinse

    This is not a super common morning ritual, however I live in a very dry, arid climate and find that it reduces the amount of mucous accumulation in my nostrils and prevents nose bleeds. I take 1/2 cup of purified water and a tiny bit of salt (1/4 tsp). Then, over a sink, cup my hand and pour 1/6 of the water into it, breath it in immediately through my right nostril and let it spill out into the sink. I repeat this three times in the right nostril and three times in the left.

  • Oil Pulling

    This ancient technique of pulling 1 Tbsp of coconut oil through your teeth over the course of 5-10 minutes promotes oral care and hygiene, but I have found it to be a practice of patience as well. It is typically done before brushing teeth in the morning to rid the mouth of ama (toxins) or harmful bacteria. Click here for a simple explanation on how to do this.

  • Pranayama

    This is another word for breath work. There are several different ways to breathe that helps boost vitality in specific areas of your body, mind, and spirit. I like to do my pranayama practice right before my yoga asana practice. My Ayurvedic doctor recommended Anolum Vilom breathing for me, but other great options include Chandra Bhedana, and Sama Vritti

  • Yoga Asana

    Everyone will have a different yoga asana practices in the morning, but I recommend an awakening of the facia, ligament, and tendon systems. I recommend this because our muscles tend to get worked on a regular basis with normal movement, but our smaller and more intricate systems intertwined and surrounding the muscles do not.

    I typically search for tension starting with my neck and ending with my feet. I will move body parts side-to-side or back-and-forth in order to floss the irritated systems. This provides a strong basis for the body and brings consciousness to the present self.

Steadying the Mind.

Do you ever wake up in a panic? Or check your phone right away and begin thinking about everything going on that day? This typically creates anxiety, worry, or panic before even making it out of bed. Steadying and grounding the mind for the day can be quite simple and quick even if you are short on time.

Simply come to a cushion or blanket on the ground beside your bed, set a timer for 5-10 minutes and try not to think about anything. This is much harder than it sounds. When you catch yourself beginning to think about the day ahead or past events, take a deep breath and exhale them out and away from you. Try to keep your thoughts on your body, breath, and the sounds around you in the moment.

By practicing this every morning you are protecting yourself from becoming overwhelmed and anxious or depressed by disciplining your mind to focus on the present.

Nourishing the Spirit.

Within us all, lives three types of subtle energy that work harmoniously together and produce our unique dosha compositions. Prana, Tejas, and Ojas are found in different vital organs in the body and associated with everything from reproduction, to warmth, to endurance. By ensuring these three energies are balanced (not equal), we ensure connectivity to our surroundings, to others, and to ourselves.

Ask yourself in the morning how you feel on a physical, mental, and spiritual level. If something feels off, focus on this during your meditation and ask yourself which subtle energy might be out of wack.