Start Your Morning Strong With These 4 Steps

Some people love mornings and some people don’t. They just tolerate those early morning hours and get up simply because it’s required.

Which of these are you?

Most of the time, I’m one of the people that isn’t so fond of the mornings. I’m happy to stay up late, get some work done and sleep in. It’s not always possible or practical to do that though. So what do you do when your schedule says you need to get up and start your day earlier than you prefer? You set up a morning routine that helps you to start your day strong.

I’ve found the secret to shifting my mindset about mornings is a consistent routine that’s easy to follow and is supportive at the same time. With a morning routine, I’m able to get a positive start to the day instead of grumbling about my alarm clock.

My four main ingredients for a supportive morning routine include moving my body, listening to my body, meditation, and journaling.

Begin your day by moving your body in some way.

I’ve practiced yoga for about 20 years.  During those years, my yoga practice has changed and then changed again, and sometimes it’s been more consistent than others. 

What does my personal yoga practice look like?

There are times when I’m tired and overdoing too much in my life and because of this my yoga practice is simply savasana.  In contrast, other times my personal practice is way more active.  Either way, each time that I step on my mat my body is in a different place.  I’ve slept or eaten differently.  I’ve been stressed more or less. I’ve been sick or healthy. The things that make up my daily life change my practice. 

No matter what is going on in my life though, the daily habit of practicing yoga has sustained me. So, I keep this as part of my morning routine.

Some mornings my practice is active and others very slow. Some days I practice asana for an hour and other days only 10 minutes. 

No matter how my practice looks, I’m moving my body, checking in with it and giving myself the start to my day that I need. The consistent practice is what’s most important anyway, not the length or the type of practice.

Check in with your body.

Asana (yoga poses) is not the only thing I do as a part of my yoga practice.  It’s important and I value the movement that comes with asana, but just practicing asana is not a complete morning routine for me. 

While I’m moving my body, I’m also paying close attention to how it feels and any messages that it has to share.

Why?

I’m a firm believer in the idea that my body has wisdom that it’s just waiting to share with me. So, each morning when I step on my mat, I ask my body what it has to tell me today. Sometimes, the wisdom is profound and other times it’s just a reminder of something that I already knew but was forgetting. Often the message can be as simple as I need to rest or move even more. It doesn’t matter what my body is sharing. What matters most is that I’m taking the time to check in with it on a consistent basis.

This has become one of the favorite parts of my morning practice. Giving my body the chance to share this wisdom can set the tone for my day. Often, the wisdom is just what I needed to hear to deal with what I’m facing.

Meditate Daily!

After I move and listen to my body, it’s time to meditate.

There are a LOT of different ways to meditate. I like to keep things simple and focus on my breath while I meditate, but if you have another favorite way to meditate, then that is the way to go. You might like to mix it up and try different types of meditation or do the same one every day.

Again, how you do it is less important than that you actually take the time to meditate and simply be with yourself before your day gets away from you. I often will meditate for just 3 minutes because of a busy schedule, but when I have the time I love to spend more time in quiet meditation.

So, stop and take at least a minute to be with just you and your breath. Allow your time in meditation to ground you and center you before you tackle that To Do list.

Keep a journal

Writing in your journal is a nice way to round out your morning routine. Again, there are many ways to journal. If you have a favorite, then stick with it. If not, then you can simply take a few moments to jot down what showed up in your morning yoga practice, any insights that came forward, and any other thoughts popping up. It’s also really nice to write down a few things that you’re grateful for each morning.

What does my morning journal contain?

When I journal I usually write a sentence or two about the insight that came forward in my morning movement, my current goals and 3 things that I’m grateful about. I like to have the gratitude practice to start my day in a more positive manner.

Allow the power of routine to get you started every day

This whole process of moving my body, listening to my inner wisdom, meditating and journaling has become my favorite way to start my day. I rarely miss a day and when I do, I go back to the practice as soon as I can.

If this routine isn’t quite right for you, that’s okay. Take a few moments to think about what you need to do consistently in order to start your morning off in a strong and supportive way. A good routine can keep you focused on what matters most to you and when life is going crazy or you’re trying to heal past trauma, that is extra necessary.

So take a moment to ask yourself what your morning routine look like? Does it support you throughout the day? Or do you need to tweak it to make it work better for you? I encourage you to find a way to start your day in a way that feeds you the rest of the day. If you’re not already doing so, try moving your body & then asking it for some wisdom. You might just be surprised what your body has to say.

If you need help in learning to listen to the messages that your body is sending to you, then schedule a free chat with me.  Let’s talk about how yoga therapy can help you to do just that.

And remember, it’s never too late to live healthier & happier!

Becky is a Yoga Therapist & has been teaching yoga since 2006. She loves to match people with a yoga practice that helps them to feel better every day & believes that there is a yoga practice for everyone. Click here to sign up for her mailing list & get all of the important news & tips first!