Bringing Ritual to my Morning Routine
The alarm goes off and what is your first thought? If you are like most people, it is some version of, "ugh, five more minutes". I totally get this and until very recently, that was me too. If I am being totally honest, sometimes it still is me. I had a really hard time returning to work after maternity leave and just wanted to spend my days with baby. Even though I was able to cobble together more time than most (and I was abundantly grateful for that), my daughter is one of my favorite people and I am at my best when I am with her. I want to spend my days with her and it is hard not be able to do so.
In order to muster enthusiasm for our time apart, I decided to create some morning rituals. Things that I do just for me while the house is still quiet. My rituals allow me to start the day off on the right foot energetically and when my alarm goes off at it's ungodly time, I have my rituals to get excited about. Here are a few of them:
- Alarm: I set the name of my 5 different alarms (yeah, you read that correctly) to make me smile. For example, my first one at is "But, first coffee" and then my second one is "Gratitude". The gratitude goes off and I take about 30 seconds to say three things that I am grateful for in that very moment. It's a small and powerful way to shift my thinking to love and abundance.
- Move: I got this suggestion when working on the Fill Your Cup: Advice From Veteran Moms post from earlier in the week and it has quickly become a highlight. I practice some version of 7 sun salutations. I practice in whatever I am wearing with wild hair and on my living room rug. It's dark and I don't use a mat. It's perfect. Sun salutations are a full body energizer and they wake me up almost as effectively as my cup(s) of coffee.
- Meditate: Once I am fully caffeinated and energized, I sit in meditation. The length depends on which alarm got me out of bed but I spend at least 5 minutes in silence. It's a deeply grounding practice that I cherish.
What are your morning rituals? A ritual can be anything you do with awareness and reverence. Rituals, especially morning ones, don't need to be elaborate or involve a lot of props. Savoring a cup of coffee, preparing a delicious breakfast and taking your dog for a walk can all become sacred with the right approach.
