Welcome to the fifth and final article of my five-part “How To” series.
The dawn breeze has secrets to tell you. Do not go back to sleep.
-Rumi
Mornings can be wonderful! The key to enjoying them is practicing a few morning rituals.
Rituals are important. Their repetition provides a focal point from distraction. They give a level of comfort and familiarity, and most importantly, they provide a space and time for us to practice being in the moment, moment to moment.
In this article I share with you my top 3 favourite morning rituals that have helped me learn to love mornings!
How to start your day off right:
1. Japanese water therapy
Japanese water therapy sounds fancy, but it’s simple.
It’s just drinking water on an empty stomach. Six to eight glasses, to be precise.
Why?
The Japanese believe that drinking lots of water first thing in the morning has many health benefits. From improved metabolism, to reduction of inflammations and body aches, and better digestion, the benefits seem to far outweigh the effort of doing something we can’t live without anyway.
I’ve found that starting the day off with the water element really helps me flow throughout the rest of my day with ease.
Give it a try, and let me know what you think in the comments below!
2. (Wim-Hof) Breathing
Developed by the superhuman known as the Ice Man (aka Dutch athlete Wim Hof), the Wim-Hof breathing technique is about as simple as it sounds.
That’s right, after drinking, I’m now proposing that you breathe 😹
Jokes aside, Wim-Hof breathing is amazing. You breathe deeply for 3×30 breaths. At the end of each round, you see for how long you can hold your breath for.
The Ice Man developed the technique from ancient Tibetan practices, and has kindly adapted it for our often hectic modern lifestyles.
So much so that there is even a great free app you can download here, with full instructions and a handy tracker, so you can see your progress.
Remember, be gentle with your rigour! It’s ok to just drink your water and breathe in bed before you get up, if you’re not quite a natural morning person just yet. Respecting yourself also involves knowing your boundaries, and working with yourself in a way that is right for you!
3. Healthy breakfast
I used to never eat breakfast. As a teenager, I preferred sleeping in until the last possible minute and if possible even later than that. Skipping breakfast over sleep seemed sensible.
Oops.
Now that I’m a little older and wiser, I have learnt a lot about the benefits of eating breakfast.
I wrote about the benefits of nourishing yourself here. A healthy morning breakfast ritual is the key to unlocking this!
Why?
- It helps boost your metabolism.
- It gives you energy for the rest of the day.
- It balances your moods
It’s important to remember that not every breakfast is the best for you. A lot of breakfast cereals have hidden nasties, and they’re not giving you the right mix of complex carbs that both power you up and keep your blood sugars consistent for a long period of time. Or until lunch time, anyway.
I usually eat my chef husband’s amazing Inca oatmeal. The Very Secret Recipe goes as follows:
- Oatmeal
- Raw cacao powder
- Maca
- Salt
- Coconut butter
- Chia seeds
- Black seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Coconut sugar
Quantities are up to you. We don’t measure. Try it, see what happens. As he likes to say ‘it’s all about imagination in the kitchen’. And in life, too.
Keep dreaming friend. And when you’re done…good morning!
Namasté,
Kimberley
Xxx
The Light Lioness 