Can you imagine the ripple effect a morning like this would have on your day? 3. Close with a 5-minute guided meditation on gratitude to remind yourself of all the good things. Then write a list of 3 things you would like to prioritize to help you focus at work. It may look something like this: Start with 3 yoga movements that make you feel energized. Implement what inspires, what feels good and what makes sense.

Take the time to design a ritual that is meaningful to you while at the same time practical for your timeframe. If you are consistent, you will eventually find a sleep rhythm that feels good to you that also supports a healthy morning routine. Start by going to bed 15 minutes earlier and waking up 15 minutes earlier. If you stay up later than you would prefer, make a gradual shift.

Turning off screens one hour before bed, avoiding stimulating TV, not exercising too late at night, dimming the lights in our home, these all are all effective sleep hygiene strategies that will make a difference. There are many simple lifestyle tweaks we can implement to improve our sleep. The quality of our sleep will determine how we feel in the morning. My personal morning ritual fosters a deep connection to something much bigger than my task list, my occupation and my daily life. This connection fuels how I make decisions, the quality of my relationships and the work I do in the world.Ĭurious what it can do for you? Here are four steps to making it happen and making it stick, and a go-to Morning Ritual to get you started: 1. Morning rituals are proven to decrease stress and anxiety, improve sleep and increase productivity and focus. Not annually, or monthly, but as often to daily as we can get. They are a potent and meaningful way to fill our cup. Morning rituals are about finding our own personal still point, our center. And it can happen in less than 10 minutes! A morning ritual is intentional, it is reverant, it returns you to a sense of calm and peace. A morning ritual is not waking up and immediately checking your social media for updates, running the espresso machine as you facetime with your friend, nor poring through emails over a hurried breakfast. Morning journaling, gratitude practice, seated meditation, breathwork, yoga, mindful walking – these all count and have proven health benefits. These practices run the gambit and are unique to you. So what would a morning ritual look like for you? Let’s start with a definition: A morning ritual is a collection of practices performed regularly that nourish your mind, body and spirit. This seems simple, but it can be quite profound. I keep in my awareness the idea that I am allowing my body to take all the time it needs to breathe in and breathe out.

I sit upright and take about 12 rounds of low and slow belly breathing. This is key for my morning, starting the day with a grateful heart.

The trick for me is to let appreciation really sink in, so instead of simply listing a few things, I choose to write about them, sometimes I even draw them. It’s a simple, energizing yoga routine that packs a punch, it’s my go-to. I begin with the Magic Three yoga sequence. There’s a short and sweet morning ritual I come back to again and again when I want to start my day with mindfulness and appreciation. And by far the most potent tool I have found is a consistent morning ritual. As a yoga therapist and wellness practitioner, I also have a dedication and devotion to living the tools of yoga to avoid burnout and chronic stress. As a small business owner with a life-long entrepreneurial spirit, I have always had projects that take commitment and long hours outside of the standard work week. This was my phase when I discovered just how powerful a morning ritual was in consciously slowing my life down. Sometimes it’s go-time and we need to stay focused on raising young kids, finishing an educational program or getting to the next stage of a business venture or new job. How do you start your morning? In a given week, do you create space to begin your day with intention, peace of mind and a connection to something bigger? Or do you find yourself starting out with a task list, immediate screen time and email replies? Maybe it’s a combination of both, some days filled with focus and ease, others feeling stressed, busy and constantly behind the eight ball.

Morning yoga sequence