Life is constantly unpredictable, uncontrollable and quite challenging. We have to go through some unpleasant situations in order to grow and learn. There are certain morning rituals that can help us to approach life challenges with lightness and flexibility.
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Morning Rituals for Successful Day
I would like to share with you different morning rituals that are helping me navigate through my daily challenges.
Each day starts with sunrise, our day starts with our first emotion, thought, action. Our morning rituals set the tone for our entire day.
Before you even start thinking of everyday errands and let thoughts flood your brain, just pause for a moment and think – I am so lucky, I got a free gift – twenty four hours of a new journey. Millions of people did not get this gift this morning. Yay, go celebrate it! 
You might say you don’t have time for these morning rituals, but it takes only 15 minutes for all them. If you are the person with “no time”, you are the one that really needs them. This is a magic ingredient for a productive and successful day.
You might say you prioritize your sleep and I totally get it. A good night’s rest is crucial for our body and mind. But you only need 60 seconds to connect to your breath, express gratitude and set the intention. Don’t even try to find an excuse!
Early morning is my very special time of the day. I love to smell the morning.
I’m sharing with you my 5 morning rituals that help me tune into morning energy and thrive throughout the day.
Detox your body
Water is an essential nutrient to our body. Cleanse your body with a cup of water. You can add to it a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Studies claim that this simple morning habit flushes toxins from the body, aids digestion and speeds up the metabolism.
Overall, it is a healthy morning ritual. I like to start my morning with a cup of room temperature water. It refreshens my body. Plus it’s my favourite drink.
Conscious Breathing
Where the breath goes, the mind tends to flow. Start your morning with conscious breathing. Give your full attention to your in-breath and out-breath, allowing yourself to be present in that very moment, in your body. Observe sensations of your breath- is it shallow, deep, warm, cold, choppy, fluid…
When we breathe consciously, we breathe smoothly and softly. Our breath becomes light, effortless and comfortable. Every breath tastes good. Connecting to your breath will have a long lasting effect for the rest of your day.
I’ve noticed that when I start morning with conscious breathing, my mind has tendency to come to it whenever it’s disturbed by external events.
“If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.”
In yoga, the practice of breathing is called Pranayama. It’s all about controlling the breath. By bringing awareness to our breath, we can “control” our mind. My favourite morning breathing practice is called Complete Breath.
This is an excellent practice for strengthening the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. Like any other breathing practice, it brings more awareness to the breath which calms the mind.
Let’s do it together
- Sit or lie comfortably with a neutral spine. Fully relax the belly.
- Place one hand on your stomach and one hand on your middle chest.
- As you inhale slowly, expand your stomach outward then let your ribs expand too. Inhale into the middle & upper chest keeping your shoulders and collarbones relaxed.
- Exhale slowly from the upper & middle chest towards the bottom. Let the breath flow smoothly without pausing. Don’t force the breath. You will feel more expansion in your belly and rib cage, but less in your upper chest.
- Repeat
You might find belly breathing awkward at first because you have the habit of breathing only with your chest. This breathing technique is considered a natural way to breathe. Breathe as deeply as you can and enjoy the feeling of expansion. Take some time to learn how to breathe deeply and it will serve you well!
Grateful Heart
Begin every day with a thought – What a precious privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to think, to see! Every moment is a gift. Impermanence is the nature of life.
Cultivating gratitude doesn’t cost any money, doesn’t take much time and has numerous benefits. It benefits not just the mind but the physical health too. Grateful people prioritize their self-care. They find time to take care of their well-being. When you start your day with grateful heart, you’re opening the door to new opportunities not obstacles. You’ll see daily challenges as a way to learn, grow and experience life.
Gratitude and anxiety can’t coexist. By expressing gratitude daily we cultivate other positive traits in us. Gratitude cuts across the negative thoughts. It allows us to see our life from the wider perspective, accept the reality and see the opportunity in every experience. Our perspective towards life is our final freedom.
Having missed the blue sky and the stars due to pollution in China, I learned to appreciate the weather. My morning yoga practice always starts by expressing gratitude to everything above me – sky, sun, clouds, rain, snow …
Simply take a minute to express gratitude in the morning. You can even keep a gratitude journal.
Jot down 3 things you’re grateful for each morning. Give thanks for most basic and essential gifts you receive each day but you take them for granted. Make it a habit and see what happens!
Set intention
We set intentions all the time. In the morning we have an intention to brush our teeth, drink a cup of coffee or tea, go to work…we set those intentions subconsciously.
By setting intention you are programming your day and life. Intentions are essential for creating the life you dream of for yourself. Setting intentions for the day ahead will help you to align them with your actions. It brings mindfulness to everyday life. When your intention is aligned with your action, your dream comes true.
Don’t wait for certain things to happen in order to feel the way you want to feel. You already embody all qualities you need. You don’t miss anything.
For example: you want to loose weight. Imagine how that will feel like. What’s the feeling you’re looking for? Is it a sense of self-love, physical well-being, confidence or freedom?
If you’re looking at that number on your scale, you’re focusing on the outcome. And what really matters is the journey. “When I have 55kg, I will be satisfied with my body.” You’re putting your happiness on hold.
Let your body feel it even before it happens. Then let that emotion guide you. Your heartfelt desires will create your actions.
What do you really want to manifest in your life? What do you truly want from your life? It has to come from the bottom of your heart.
State you intention positively and in the present tense. We humans like to complicate things. Keep your intention simple and clear so that you can recall it whenever you need it. You may not believe it right now, but let yourself feel it as though it were true. For example rather than “I want to lose weight” your intention could be “I feel healthy and light, I choose the food that nourishes my body.” Or rather than “I want to release stress” your intention could be “I feel relaxed.”
Direct your energy with intention but remember you’re not your success or your failure. You don’t quit, you don’t fail, you get yourself back on track towards your intention. I’m practising this attitude very single day.
It’s never about the material objects but the feeling they give us. Think about the WHY behind something you really want. Why do you want it at the first place???? Find your real WHY, then you can create the steps to get you there.
We need to be very intentional about our living.
Meditate
Meditation is a divine therapy to process emotions so that energy can move freely. Morning meditation is a great tool to reduce stress, decrease anxiety, improve memory, and get focused. Start every morning with 5 to 10 minutes sitting still. You’ll become aware of the thinking patterns in your head. They’re like broken records.
Practicing meditation is very simple. Sit your body, tell it to stay and do nothing. Quite simple isn’t it! You will be distracted by thoughts and that’s totally normal. The nature of mind is to think so the purpose of meditation is not to control the mind. What you can do is to acknowledge any thought with curiosity, label it and let it go. Don’t go with your thoughts just observe them. If you engage yourself in their stories, you will feed them and they will become charged with energy and power. Where you place your attention, you place your energy too. You decide not to give them your attention. Meditation is about changing your relationship to your thoughts.
I started practising meditation a couple of years ago. Starting my day with a morning meditation grounds me, balances my thoughts, helps me to focus my mind. I feel like I’m in control of my day. It brought mindfulness into my daily life. I wish I had learned this amazing therapy earlier. I think that every school should have meditation as a major subject.
I can’t explain the whole process. You have to experience it. How can I explain you how mango tastes, you need to try it.
Let’s experience together – free gift for you 🎁
“Let the water settle and you’ll see the moon and the stars mirrored in your own being.”
Morning stretch
Daily stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong and healthy which allows you to move freely. Stretching after a long hours of sleep is a wonderful way to wake up your body. It’s like morning yawn. You can do it in the bed too. A short stretching routine will energise your body, improve mental well-being and prepare you for the busy day ahead.
These morning rituals have power to transform our entire day.
Remember to set intention for the day, express gratitude, breathe consciously and move mindfully before the world comes out at you. You need 15 minutes for all of this. No excuse! These morning rituals will bring you back to the center when you get overwhelmed and stressed with daily life.
The more you reinforce your morning rituals, the more you’ll feel their impact on your day. You will begin to love them. They will give you power and motivation to thrive every day and live on your purpose.
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