How to create magical mornings that transform your day

How do your mornings usually go? Is it something like: alarm goes off, hit snooze, alarm goes off, hit snooze again, realize you way overslept, but you still scroll social media, run out of bed, hit your shin, guzzle some coffee, jump in the shower, get dressed, run out the door, start your day?

Perhaps not quite like that, but maybe?

It’s alarming how many people start their day completely unaware how paramount this time truly is.

You might hate them, but mornings are the most sacred time of day. What we think, see, and do sets the tone for the rest of our day. If we wake up wishing we were still sleeping or uninspired about what’s ahead, our day will feel challenging.

Instead of dreading mornings, what if we learned to love them?

Instead of waking up grumpy, what if we could wake up with ease and joy and gratitude? What if, dare I say, we could actually look forward to this sacred time of day?

It’s possible.

In Ayurveda, an ancient science of life brought to us by wise sages of India, we believe that everyone is a morning person.

Why?

Waking before 6:00 am is governed by something called Vata, one of the 3 doshas cultivated from the 5 elements (Ether, Air, Fire, Water, Earth). The time between 6:00 am and 10:00 am is ruled by Kapha. Kapha dosha is characterized by sluggish, heavy feelings and is the energy of Earth and Water.

Vata, in contrast, is the energy of Air and Ether. The qualities of Vata are lightness, creativity, and expansiveness.

When we think about the times of day in terms of qualities and energies, it makes sense that we’d want to rise early and with intention.

Creating a morning routine

Up until a year or so ago, I never cared much about a morning routine. Even though routines ground me, they are super challenging for me to create. And even more challenging to stick with.

I dabbled with various morning routines in the past promoted by different teachers and successful people, there’s even an entire website dedicated to famous people’s morning routines. None of them really stuck with me, though, because they weren’t mine.

We can’t copy what works for one person and expect to become more like them or experience similar success.

We need to create our own way and the only way to do that is by going inward and asking ourselves what we really need. We know.

Routines are important

They aren’t always fun, but they serve a purpose. Routines provide earthy structure to our chaotic lives. Struggle with anxiety, lack of focus, depression, etc? I invite you to find a routine that works for you.

Routines act as guideposts for us so we can creatively explore outside of our lines. Once we have anchor points, we are free to move in whatever direction we desire.

We are also more efficient throughout our day because we form the habit of creating a plan. Most importantly, we stick with it. Adhering to our routine sets us on the path of committing to action and opens our day with purpose.

So, here it is. My morning routine. This is exactly what I do most mornings:

Around 5:30 am, I wake up and silently say “Thank you for another day. I am grateful. May I be of service today.” This alone has changed my world. Starting the day with gratitude rather than focusing on what needs to get done or carrying the baggage from yesterday allows me to begin my day from a place of appreciation and reverence.

While in bed, I mindfully wiggle my fingers and toes and stretch as if I was coming out of Savasana. I pause. Next, I give my partner a tiny good morning kiss (because he’s sound asleep!). Every morning I do this before I get out of bed. It’s beautiful and really signals to my brain that it’s time to start the day.

Next, I brush my teeth and scrape my tongue. Might sound strange, but tongue scraping is also from Ayurveda and has amazing health benefits. Look it up.

After that, I put my kettle on the stove to boil water for coffee. While the water is boiling, I set my timer for 10 minutes and meditate. Meditating in the morning never used to happen, at least not consistently. It was challenging to find a clear space for it. Finding this purposeful 10 minutes has really helped me stick with my meditation. I look forward to it now.

Once the water is boiled, I make my coffee–such a treat every morning–and move my body with some simple yoga. I like doing a few rounds of cat-cow, cobra, down dog, and some lunges or whatever else my body is craving in that moment. Simple, slow movements.

After I have my coffee, I sit down with my journal and write. For 10 minutes, I write about anything that pops up for me. If I could only do 1 practice ever again, it would be this one. I usually start with a writing prompt like “What am I grateful for today?” or “If fear wasn’t present, what would I do?” and let it pour out. Sometimes it’s gibberish but often so many insights sprinkle the page.

I love quite mornings for clearing space and writing.

After I’ve meditated and written and caffeinated myself, then I get to work creating. I also usually make a green smoothie around 8 am and will have something else light for breakfast. I like to eat light in the morning as my body and digestion is waking up and easing into the day. Mid-day is for bigger lunches because my digestion is at its strongest.

In a nutshell, I start with gratitude, meditate, move, clear space. All in all, this routine takes about 30 minutes (give or take) depending on how I feel.

Here are a few other ways to add beauty to your morning:

1. Wait 30 minutes to check social media/look at your phone.

This has transformed my day. I used to get sucked into the world of Instagram or Facebook or emails right when I woke up and before I knew it my day was anchored in a lens of comparison and disconnection. Now, I wait. I wait until I feel grounded and have committed to my practice and myself before I dive into anyone else’s world.

2. Read something inspiring before you begin your working day.

I could spend the rest of my life surrounded by books, but it’s really hard for me to read them. Once my day begins it’s go, go, go. When I carve out time to read before I dive into my day, I actually make progress on reading these books. I’m currently reading The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer and The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath. Highly recommend both.

3. One minute of breathing.

When you’re first starting out with meditation, take it slow and start small. If 10 minutes feels like a lot right now, that’s great. Set your phone’s timer for 1 minute and breathe. Take deep expansive breaths that kind that make you feel your ribs pull apart and seat ground into the Earth. Be still with yourself for 60 seconds. See what happens.

4. Take a walk around the block.

Walking is my favorite form of exercise. It slows down our mental chatter while keeping our bodies moving. Walking in the morning is a beautiful way to ease into your day. Be present during your walk and leave your phone at home or put it on Airplane mode. Really soak up all of the beauty during your walk. The sweet chirping of birds, the garbage cans being picked up, the color of the sky, children going off to school, the smell of morning dew. The beauty is limitless.

Your sacred morning is the path to an inspired and fulfilling day.

I encourage you to begin waking up earlier (even a few minutes!) and creating your own morning routine. Find one thing that makes you feel good in the morning. Just one. And stick with it. Do it every day for at least a month.

You’ll see that a lot of the excuses for why you can’t do something and resistance to even trying will start to melt away.

Get ready for your days to shift into an endless well of joy and possibility.

Already have a morning routine or just getting started, comment below and let’s hear about it!