I recently did a week-long spring cleanse ("Ayurvedic Kitchari," for those interested). While the cleanse itself was wonderful, what has stuck with me since has been the morning routine I developed that week. The idea of a morning routine is nothing revolutionary, but it is amazing how easy it is to forgo in favor of hitting the ground running straight into our very full lives.
I like to start my morning with a big glass of hot lemon water. I juice half a lemon into about 10 ounces of hot water. This simple ritual has so many benefits! (Honestly, this is sometimes the only part of the routine I do; on weekends when I relax my routine, for example).
Next I do a bit of meditation and light stretching. If I'm pressed for time, I'll just do 15 minutes of meditation with my preferred meditation app (Insight Timer). On days when I have more time, I enjoy kundalini yoga classes on Yoga Glo.
That's the foundation of my morning routine. I keep it easy and flexible. In the past, my routines often failed because I was too ambitious. If I didn't do that hour-long walk and 30 minutes of stretching, it was OVER! Now, my routine is not a miracle cure. I still have good days and bad days like everyone, but a routine provides a peaceful touchstone to return to throughout the day. It also provides a domino effect. I've gotten better at cooking a solid breakfast, responding to stress in a less reactive way, and putting more time and attention into planning my day, for example.
As we head into the intensity of the hot New Orleans summer, I'm grateful for any tools I can cultivate to stay grounded. I've also been revisiting my favorite herbal beverage, Golden Milk (see my blog post a few posts back for the recipe!), and reading more this week ("Love Warrior" by Glennon Doyle--aka the best book on healing I've read in a while!)