My 5 favorite morning routines

I became interested in morning routines when I started my yoga journey and familiarized myself with yogic life lessons. Many of the yogis’ teachings are worth trying, some are amusing.

Here are some examples:

• Wake up before sunrise
• Sow daily
• Go for a walk after meals
• Eat slowly
• Fast one day a week
• Go to bed before ten o’clock at night
• Don’t drink too much water, it makes you fat
• About body hygiene:
• Do not sleep on your stomach
• Put sesame oil on the soles of your feet in the evening
• Don’t worry, it weakens the heart
• Don’t talk too much, it wastes energy

Consciously, I started investing in my own morning routines only a couple of years ago after reading Hal Elrod’s book; Miracle Morning. That book revolutionized my attitude towards the importance of mornings and I have since tested what kind of mornings make my days better.

Here are my five favorites at the moment:

1. Meditation
I have written about meditation before, for some reason it works for me as a grounding, calming and loving exercise.

2. Gratitude
I usually end the meditation with gratitude. It happens almost by itself and I like to write down three things for which I feel grateful at that moment. Often they are quite ordinary things, such as clean air, health, family, and friends. Of course, you can also include materialistic things, such as a new sweater or super yoga pants. I have tried not to judge anything and just listen to what I am grateful for.

3. Dry brushing and oiling of the body
This is a wonderful way to wake up the body and show it love. I firmly believe that healthy self-love enables the ability to love and be present to others. However, it is very common, especially among women, to focus on the superficial flaws of the body. I often wondered where this great attraction of women to their own appearance really comes from. Of course, I remember my teenage years, when I would have done anything to be someone else, but with age I have learned to appreciate myself just like this. I have two favorite oils, sesame oil and coconut oil. In winter, I almost always use sesame oil because of its warming properties.

4. Inversion
I don’t do a full-length yoga practice almost every morning, but usually, a few asanas and inversions that wake up and open the body. Inversion usually also challenges the mind, maybe that’s why it has remained a favorite for a long time.

5. Pranamaya – breathing exercise
Yogic breathing exercises are gentle. They can be used to calm the nervous system and strengthen the respiratory system. I also like the Wim Hof method and sometimes I have applied those exercises instead of pranamaya.

Happy mornings!