Master Your Morning Practices

Establishing a dedicated morning routine will allow expansion and connection to pulse through every moment in your life. Once you have consistently risen with the sun you will start to notice that it is easy to show up on time, there is more space for creativity and witnessing, you are emotionally + energetically stable, and you are more connected to your mind + body + spirit. 
In Ayurveda we wake up during Vata hours (2am - 6am) so that we can arise with the energy of movement and inspiration rather than waking up to the energy of Kapha sluggishness (6am - 10am). Vata time is such a potent time to connect with your higher self because portals to the ethers are open - this is why the power of meditation, journaling, and subconscious reprogramming is exemplified in the early hours.

Oftentimes we hear the vast benefits and research behind why waking up early is so impactful on your health and well being but we don’t exactly know what to do in all this new carved out space. Below is an example of a morning routine incorporating Ayurvedic practices and subconscious reprogramming so that you can Master Your Morning, and thus your life! 

Morning Practices 

5:00am - Rise 

Self-Care 

• Wash your face with cool water 
• Wash the eyes with cool water or real-deal rose water using eye cup 
• Massage your gums with sesame oil 
• Gently scrape your tongue The tongue is a mirror of your intestines. When there is a thick white coating on the tongue, it is indicative that ama (toxins) is present. Tongue scraping helps prevent diseases of the oral cavity, improves our ability to taste, gets rids of old food debris, and prevents bad odor in the mouth.
• Abhyanga (self-massage) is one of our greatest allies for total health. It's like putting on lotion but using oils instead and being more intentional with the act. It nourishes and soothes the nervous systems, stimulates lymphatic flow, and aids in detoxification. It also improves circulation, increases vitality, nourishes the skin, and promotes body/ mind balance. Pour the oil into your hand and massage it onto your body from shoulders to toes send every part of your body love and compassion for all it has experienced while being human. It only takes a few minutes and can transform your relationship with yourself.
      - Vatas: use heavy grounding oil, such as sesame or almond
      - Pittas: use cooling oils such as sunflower, coconut, or olive
      - Kaphas: use activating oils such as safflower and mustard

• Drink warm lemon water. This helps to wash the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, flushes the kidneys, and stimulate peristalsis. If you are Kapha or your digestion is sluggish, add ½ teaspoon ginger root powder.
• Nature calls- Typically after Abhyanga and having lemon water your system is activated. Going to the bathroom upon waking will help clear your digestive system. A healthy movement will have a soft brown log quality, little odor, and will be well formed (like a banana). Undigested food, foul odor, mucus, excessive dryness, or a pellet-like quality suggests digestive imbalance. Altering your diet and lifestyle and using herbs will help improve this.

Movement 

Movement is one of our greatest allies in moving toward balance, it boosts the immune system and is an excellent way to counteract depression. Below are some options for movement, pick the ones that make you feel excited! You can do your movement practice for any duration that fits your schedule, my movement practice is usually about 10-20 minutes depending on the day.  

• Body taping embodiment practice 
• Breathwork of any kind 
• Sun salutations 
• Spinal rolls / cat cows 
• Tai chi 
• Qi Gong
• Pilaties 
• Outdoor walk 
• Dance session 
• Intuitive moving, shaking, jumping 

Mindfulness 

After movement our minds are perfectly prepped for a mindfulness practice. I encourage my clients to take about 20 minutes to implement one (or a mix of a few) of these practices into their routine. This is where the big shifts happen

• Subconscious reprogramming 
• Meditation 
• Brain tap 
• Journalling 
• Reading 
• Listening to a podcast 

Nourishment

• Vata Pacifying: Incorporate warm, grounding, rejuvenating, sweet foods and herbs like oats, soups, mung beans, bananas, peaches, herbal lattes, ghee, almonds, cinnamon, ashwagandha, cardamom, maple, rose and lavender 
• Pitta Pacifying: Incorporate cooling, calming foods and herbs like amaranth, chia pudding, coconut, berries, avocado toast, cucumber, mint, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, fennel, cumin, cardamom 
• Kapha Pacifying: Incorporate cleansing, activating foods and herbs like green juices, smoothies, pomegranate, citrus, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, turmeric