When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself. Tecumseh
Your mornings set the tone for your day, we all know this but how many of us grab our phones first thing in the morning? Only to read a work email or message from a friend that might put us straight into fight or flight mode?
We live in a society where stress is the norm, no wonder so many of us suffer from chronic fatigue or insomnia. Our nervous systems suffer from being on the run all the time and the only way we can combat this is with a dedicated morning practice or ritual. This allows space in the morning for you to connect to your higher self and it allows you to slow down and become more present, and to take this presence with you into your day.
What is a Morning Practice?
Depending on your belief system, it can be as simple as waking up with great gratitude or waking up and dance to your favorite song, do meditation or walk in your garden. There is no wrong or right, the act of taking time for yourself to reflect and be still is what is will help you carry this into your day.
I will share with you, my morning practice that I do on a daily basis, it opens up a pathway to the sacredness of my life. This is my relationship to the intimacy of my own being. Upon waking I start to stretch just gently move my ankles or wrists, as soon as my monkey mind starts to think, I bring it back to my breath and take a few deep breaths and offer my gratitude to the sun, my life and my body. You can offer your gratitude to anything in that moment. Gratitude is this magical magnet when we send out gratitude life supports us and brings more of the greatness into our life.
I then make a cup of hot water with lemon and honey (great detoxifier and helps with digestion), and either sit in my bed cuddled up or sit outside in nature to connect with nature and I drop into a meditative state. I also take the time to create my day in my mind, when we see, feel and imagine our day we call that forth and can manifest with ease and grace.
I then journal, anything that might come up during my meditation. I also journal about my cycle as a woman and my emotions, fears, and dreams. Writing out our thoughts is a great way to tame the monkey mind. I then move into a slow yin like a yoga practice, even if it’s just 20 minutes of rolling around on my mat. Moving the body helps to move the stuck energy, so if you want you can go for a walk, run or go to they gym but find something that really supports you and that will increase your vital energy. It doesn’t do you good to start the day with a stiff and sluggish body and an anxious mind so bringing balance to mind and body is key!
Building Your Practice
If the idea of a morning practice is new to you, then don’t design something super complicated, just start off with your breath and gratitude, this simple act will help calm the nervous system, unlike your phone that will stimulate your pineal gland and could make you feel anxious.
Try something new for 21 days, start off with 10 minutes of something that really connects with your way of living. It’s so worth it to start with just one small change TODAY! There is nothing like starting your day feeling energetic physically and centered mentally!
If you wish to find out more about how to practice presence and start a meditation and yoga practice you can find my offerings at www.FollowYourBlisscr.com
About Natashia:
Natashia is a holistic healing practitioner, life coach, yoga teacher, retreat leader and menstrual educator. She offers retreats and workshops in Costa Rica and online courses to educate women on their feminine design and how to align with their sacred self.