starting small, making our own rules & taking the pressure off
Welcome to week 2 of my self-proclaimed Mindful Morning Month – how’s it going?
(I’ve committed to taking 3 deep breaths before checking my phone or getting out of bed in the morning – it feels really refreshing, peaceful, and grounding.)
Like I mentioned last week – when we put intention into and give attention to our early hours, it can be incredibly physically and mentally rejuvenating – even if and when the morning doesn’t look or feel as mindful and precious as we might have planned (i.e. me, often).
Simply put: a nourishing Mindful Morning ritual is like a doorway that leads to a clearer, brighter day.
This is one of many reasons why I shared practices and recipes that can be customized to your needs and desires in my free Mindful Morning for Mind Body Planet ebook – so that even if the morning is out of whack, you have your own grounding tools at your disposal.
*Stay tuned for a fun, informative virtual Mindful Morning experience coming soon 🙂
I remember my frantic graduate school mornings: waking up at the last second, grabbing a bar or stuffing my face with cereal, and racing out the door – often still groggy from late-night homework.
Per the title (and no joke): I once scorched all 10 fingertips on a bowl of microwave oatmeal when I was in a rush to catch the bus.
(Lesson: rushing is not worth it, like Dr. Teitelbaum advised years later).
Unsurprisingly, my energy and attention span for class were… less than optimal.
Whatever fills your schedule, taking things slow in the morning isn’t always easy – all we can do is experiment and find what works best for us.
And regardless of what life throws at us, we can do our best to do whatever things nourish us as the fuel to our furnace for the hours ahead.
You can explore, for example:
- Meditating or taking a couple of slow, conscious breaths before the work day.
- Moving and flowing through a few sun salutations, or taking a quick walk.
- Eating as mindfully as possible, whether at home or on the go (try my maple tahini granola 🙂 ).
- Journaling a bit to clear your mind, or whatever works for you (one of my friends does watercolors every morning).
- Enjoying a long, leisurely movement session and meal when you have the time.
You make the rules based on what’s feasible for you – even if it takes a bit of gentle coercion and organization to get started at first.
If you’re short on time breakfast-wise: consider preparing overnight oats, granola, or smoothie ingredients the night before for easy assembly in the morning.
Or: keep a loaf of your favorite bread on hand – toast it and smother it with some butter, tahini, or avocado (or all three).
One of my clients used to benefit from journaling in the morning before starting her day; another preferred walking 60 minutes (versus taking a much shorter subway ride) to work so she could get in some nourishing movement while clearing her head.
Whatever you do, though, it doesn’t have to be a perfect morning seance.
While it’s important to be disciplined to some degree, don’t create expectations that can’t be met only to berate yourself for falling short.
Especially if you have children, pets, or other care responsibilities, schedules can be wildly unpredictable, and not every morning will be a glowing ray of sunshine – literally or figuratively.
By allowing for a little bit of messiness in experimenting with various practices, we give ourselves permission to not always have it all together.
This relieves a lot of pressure to do things “right,” right?
Have fun with it – you have the power to set the tone for your day (what a gift!).
What practice or meal might be part of your mindful morning regimen moving forward?
(My ideal morning regimen: wake up well-rested, take deep breaths and a moment of deep appreciation in bed, meditate, journal and move – even if brief, enjoy a meal and matcha outside, onward).
See you next week for a customizable Mindful Morning template to nourish the wellbeing of your mind, your body, and our planet (they’re all interconnected!).
Take good care,
S
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Mindful Morning Reminders:
- Don’t create expectations that can’t be met, only to berate yourself for falling short.
- By allowing for a little bit of messiness in experimenting with various practices, we give ourselves permission to not always have it all together.
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