How to Create a Mindful Morning Routine
Morning sunrise, creating a mindful morning routine
Creating a mindful morning routine should feel inspiring and make you excited to wake up in the morning and do it over and over again. One of the most important things to remember when creating a morning routine is that this is a routine for YOU. Not your mama, not your best friend, no one else but you. The reason why I stress this is because not everything on this list will resonate with you and that’s okay. Also, you can start with just one habit to add to your morning routine and slowly introduce more. There’s no need to have 20 new morning habits you commit yourself to not even to do one by the end of the month.
Start with what sparks joy or makes you feel like, I can TOTALLY do it, this is easy! Start with those. Easy is good, easy is repeatable, and easy will stick. Making these new habits stick is what matters. And again this is your wellness journey so customize it however you like (as long as it’s still healthy)
What to add to your morning routine?
First, before we add, let’s look at where you are. What does your morning routine look like currently? What time do you wake up? What’s the first thing you do?
Get as detailed as possible, if it’s not a long list that’s great, if it is a long list that’s great too.
It’s important to be realistic. If you can only add a 5-minute routine don’t overshoot for a 20-minute routine that will make you late to work and stress you out.
Now that we have audited your existing morning routine, here are some Ayurvedic habits to add to your routine:
Warm Water with Lemon
Detoxing with warm water with lemon. Photo credit
When you’re sleeping your body is going through detoxing and repairing cells. Your body is an amazing machine and by using the liver and kidneys it can flush out any toxins in the body. It’s important to help those organs flush out those toxins by drinking warm water first thing in the morning. Warm water with lemon helps detox and hydrate the intestinal lining along with the organs.
2. Oil Pulling
Oil pulling routine
If you are not familiar with oil pulling, it is the act of swishing oil in your mouth before brushing your teeth. Engage in oil pulling, an Ayurvedic technique that clears out harmful bacteria and toxins from your mouth, cutting down on plaque and inflammation. This practice supports strong gums and teeth, banishes bad breath, and cleanses your taste buds, amplifying your pleasure in every bite.
One of my personal favorite oils is the Daily Swish from Bayan Botanicals.
3. Tongue Scraping
Copper Tongue Scraper
This is another oral detox. Your tongue also harbors many toxins and bacteria, especially after sleeping. The act of tongue scraping properly cleans the tongue and massages the tongue at the same time.
Personally, I like to use copper because of its properties. There are many on Amazon that work.
4. Meditation and/or Breathwork
Morning meditation
Meditation and breath work balance and reset your nervous system. Starting the day from a balanced and grounded place gives you more clarity throughout the day. Meditation doesn’t have to be for hours and it’s not a contest, even 5 minutes a day is better than an hour of distracted meditation.
This app is great for getting started into meditating—Miracle of Mind By Sadhguru
5. Eating Before Coffee/Caffeine
Avocado Toast, eating before coffee.
There are numerous studies now that talk about the importance of eating before drinking coffee. This is due to many factors; weakening your gut lining, disrupting hormones and sleep patterns, etc. In Ayurveda, it's a huge "no, no" to drink coffee on an empty stomach. Eating protein or healthy fats before coffee protects your gut lining from the strong acidity coffee has.
Feel free to add all of these to your morning routine! What you will notice is a new way of life, one with more clarity and balance.
Share which routines you currently are practicing or any ones I may have missed! Thank you all for reading, if you would like to learn more about Ayurvedic routines you can schedule an Ayurvedic consultation here!
xoxo,
Meera
