Your first thoughts when you wake up will dictate how you experience the rest of your day. This means your beliefs about yourself will shift, as well as set the tone for conversations with friends, coworkers, etc. Having a basic, yet mindful, morning routine will help guide you with an open mind and a healthier mindset. As we adjust to the time change and the transition into spring, the sun is out longer which makes for a brighter start to the day.
Getting up early may not come easy for some. This is why establishing your nightly routine is just as important as your morning routine. As a guide, getting into bed before ten o’clock at night will help your body align with its natural internal clock. If you find yourself to be a late night goer, slowly adjust your bedtime back 15 minutes each night. This allows you to gradually adjust to an earlier bedtime, as well as getting up earlier. In the mornings use the same method and set your alarm 15 minutes earlier each day so that eventually you are waking within an hour of the sun coming up. This is a gentle, yet effective way of adjusting to the time change and transition to spring. Have you ever felt like you get an extra boost of energy at night? Our bodies have an internal clock so being awake after ten can cause you to feel that second wind. However, if you are in bed before that second wind hits, your body will go into a deeper more restful sleep.
As you start to wake earlier, you create more time in your day. Who doesn’t love waking up knowing you do not immediately have to be somewhere or do something? Once you are awake, your next thoughts will set the precedent for how your mind will see the rest of the day. This is why immediately going on your phone, reading emails, or scrolling through social media is not recommended. Experiment with waking up, taking a few deep breaths, and then journal about how you picture the rest of your day going. Or maybe splash your face with cool water then practice mediation. All of these things gently wake your subconscious, teaching it that you are not in a rush to get anywhere.
An example of a morning routine might look like this:
You wake up at seven o’clock in the morning. You take a few deep breaths and reach for a notepad or journal and write down an affirmation as well as what your intention is for the day. You then get up, use the bathroom, splash your face with cool water, then sit down for ten to fifteen minutes of meditation.
This routine is simple, however it can be highly effective in how your process information the rest of the day. That is the key here, setting you up for success by creating a positive internal environment in order to create a positive external environment! Ayurveda teaches us that we are what we digest which includes more than the food we are putting into our bodies. Creating abundance along with patience transforms your inner world and manifests into the real world. That is why these small, positive changes create lasting effects for everyone.
If you would like, here is a mantra for your mornings or just through your day:
Om asato ma sadgamaya “Lead me from untruth to the truth.
tamaso ma jyotirgamaya Lead me from darkness to light.
mrtyorma amrtam gamaya Lead me from death to immortality
om shanti shanti shanti. Om Peace Peace Peace.”
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर्मा अमृतं गमय ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
– Brhadaranyaka Upanishad — I.iii.28
Have a beautiful rest of your week!
– The Santa Cruz Ayurveda Team