My Morning Routine as a Practice and a Ritual
My mornings for the past 8 years have looked the same with the exception of work events and vacations. Those mornings when I’m home look something like wake up, take my dog for her morning walk, then come to the yoga mat to practice. What started out as a routine when I was in yoga teacher training, slowly turned into a morning ritual.
I consider this morning routine a practice and a ritual all rolled into one. Practice is defined as “the regular performance of an activity to gain proficiency, or the customary, habitual action of an individual or group”. Ritual is defined as “a structured, repeated sequence of actions or behaviors often performed in a specific, established order.” I enter into my space as is (usually in my pajamas) and set up. I roll out the mat, collect whatever yoga props I need and set them to the side. Gather my candle, lighter, journal, pen, practice and tarot deck. I place these things at the top of the mat.
In the morning silence, this is how I start my day, I light my candle and say a prayer to honor ancestors then I begin the movement on the mat. But I never know how I am going to feel after I arrive at the mat. There are days where I do the whole practice, some days my mind is a little bit more scattered and then there are the days where I come to the mat and all I want to do is go into child's pose and continue to rest. I end the movement with sitting practice and journalling. The whole practice typically takes me 30 - 45 minutes depending on how much time I dedicate to each part.
It’s a nice way to start the day, it allows me to connect and be present with the physical world before I head into the digital world where I spend most of my day.
The Practice:
Look at your morning routine through the lens of practice and ritual. What are some things that you do to get your day started? Do you make coffee or tea? Do you take a moment to step outside? Do you put on music? Greet your houseplants? Say hello to your partners?
Make a list of 3 to 5 things that you would want to start implementing into your morning. Then choose 1 to 2 to start doing.
Some examples could be:
Looking in the mirror and say positive affirmations to yourself
Saying good morning to your plants
Going for a walk outside
Take 5 deep breaths while your morning coffee or tea is brewing
You can start doing all of the things or just start with one to two and see how your mornings start to shift. It doesn’t have to be something as big as the practice that I described above. Just something that gets you into the present moment, and start with 5 minutes a day and work up from there.
