Look, I get it, morning routines are all the rage right now. And they have been for awhile. But the thing is that they’re popular to talk about for a reason:
BECAUSE THEY MATTER!!!
This doesn’t necessarily mean that works for me will work for you, or vise versa. But it is nice to get inspo from friends and strangers, alike, right? Keeps things fresh, new, and expansive. So, let’s dive into the essentials for your morning routine. A few simple tools that will help you feel as delicious as possible each day.
Morning Routine as Seen Through Yoga Philosophy
Knowing there’s a lot of yogis reading this blog, I thought I’d start here for relevance. Routines, whether they’re morning routines, evening routines, or daytime routines- are all EARTH ELEMENT focused.
Why?
Because, like the Earth, they’re stable, structured, and firm. Routines are predictable by nature. Not in a boring way, but in a way that encourages SAFETY on a physical, mental, and emotional level.
Traditionally morning routines with yogic philosophy would undoubtedly require Sauca (cleanliness), Tapas (discipline), and Santosa (contentment). In the modern day, we can still carry these principles with us, and implement them in a way that fits our modern needs.
Morning Routine Essentials:
Water:
Yes, I know you can get all fancy with tons of additives to your water (trust me, I definitely do this sometimes), but also good ‘ole fashioned H2O will also do just fine.
If you are on the fancy train, then a few fan favorites are: lemon, chlorophyll, herbs, or LMNT (get a discount with my affilate link).
A few quick tips and hacks here:
I always fill my water bottle (1 liter Hydroflask) with room temp water and LMNT salts (I love the watermelon and raspberry flavors the most) the night before. This way, it’s by my bedside, ready for me right when I wake up. Sets me up for success, ya know?
Room temp water or warm will be easier on your digestion ALWAYS, but especially first thing in the morning. I live in a hot place, I love cold water from time to time, but trust me when I say your belly DO NOT. If you can’t do warm, then at least room temp is a must.
Drink your water while you sit in Malasana (yogi squat) to get things *moving* on the digestion front. If you have trouble going to the bathroom in the morning, this will change the game for you. Promise.
Sunlight:
We’re basically giant plants. Okay, no we’re not, but we do have a lot of the same basic needs as our favorite house plants. We’ve already watered ourselves, so now it’s time to get some sunshine!
I know what you’re going to say, “it’s still dark where I live when I wake up!” And I know that different seasons will mean waking up in the darkness. If that’s the case for you, then highly suggest switching your bulbs to the warmest light as possible, investing in a red light, or a salt lamp to get you started in the morning. It feels SO MUCH better than harsh blue, overhead light.
Otherwise, open your curtains right away! Flood your space with as much natural light as you can. Or, actually go outside to drink your water, coffee, etc. Being in morning light helps to sync up our Circadian Rhythm for the day, and provides a juicy boost of natural energy.
Gratitude:
I’ve been using The Five Minute Journal now for YEARS. I started with the hard copy, but because I was living out of a backpack, it ended up making more sense for me to switch to their app instead.
Even though I now have a stable home, I still prefer the app, because it’s limitless, and you can add photos. Plus, it shows you timehops every morning, which is fun to see.
Now, if you’re someone who’s a phone addict and struggling to be off your phone in the morning, then maybe stick to the hard copy until you have more self control around this weird little device that rules our lives.
The most important thing to remember when you’re practicing gratitude is to actually drop IN to the feeling of gratitude in your heart, rather than just mindlessly listing things off. This helps the emotion to become easier to access during more challenging parts of your day later on.
Cleanliness:
This can show up in so many ways. From basic hygiene (think brushing your teeth), to making your bed, or tidying up your space. I’m not taking a deep clean situation, I’m saying literally pull the duvet over the bed and arrange the pillows.
IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE!
As for your body, brush your teeth, saline rinse your nose (you know I’m obsessed, because I already wrote a whole blog about it), and put on sunscreen (EltaMD is bae for me). I don’t have ten thousand steps, and tricks here. This is the most BASIC thing ever, but damn, it helps.
Movement:
This can look different for everyone. And will likely even look different for you depending on what else is going on with your life, your cycle, your environment, so on and so forth. Movement can be light stretching, or it can be a super intense weight session. And it can certainly be plenty of things in between.
The most important component of incorporating movement into your morning routine is that it’s coming from a LOVING, CELEBRATORY place, as opposed to harsh and restrictive. This means, if you’re feeling low energy, then you honor that energy and lighten up, rather than push yourself because you feel like you “have” to move in the morning. Try to celebrate your body’s capabilities in the moment, rather than make your body do something that doesn’t make sense for you and your energy at the time.
My classes are great for quick morning movement, which you can find unlimited on my app, or for sale with my No Time For Yoga bundle.
Morning Routine Simplicity
That’s literally it. I’m not going to shove five million devices and products down your throat. I just want you to take care of the most basic of your human needs. Let these little acts- from making the bed, to watering yourself- be little love notes to your body. Tell yourself that you’re worth the extra time, attention, and effort that it takes to feel good. Most of these suggestions are also free, or very low cost, FYI. Sure, we can spice it up with gadgets, and products, but honestly- simplicity is the lightest way to start the day. No matter what you choose, I hope it helps you feel amazing. You deserve it.
xx,
K
