Although the word daily routine might sound boring, monotonous, and repetitive, choosing a regular morning ritual can improve mood and brain performances. Read how 15 minutes of your life can make your day a better one.
There’s a beautiful Paulo Coelho’s quote that recites: “If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. Is lethal”. I can’t agree more with that.
I am not a morning person at all; at least I wasn’t until I embraced a yogic lifestyle.
In my past business life, I didn’t wake up early enough to enjoy morning rituals or calmly have breakfast.
My daily routine was quick: after snoozing my alarm a few times, I woke up grumpy and already angry! A quick shower, getting dressed with the first thing found in the wardrobe, grabbing some biscuits – that I would have eaten directly at the office – and running to catch the metro.
Not even one hour had passed since I was awake, and I was already nervous and stressed.
Unable to deal with phone calls, morning meetings, and action plans, I was spending the first part of my day hiding between monitors, because I did not have energy at all.
Luckily this is my past, and I am so grateful.
When I started the practice of yoga and studied Ayurveda’s principles, I learned and experienced the importance of a daily routine.
Taking time for yourself every day, especially in the morning, is an ancient Ayurvedic practice, endorsed by modern scientific research, too. Researchers have found that routine can have far-reaching psychological benefits, including relieving bipolar disorder, ADHD, and insomnia.
Having a routine alleviates stress and anxiety, improves focus, increases productivity and endurance to stress.
A yogini daily routine
Spending time in Indian ashrams, where I was obliged to strict routines, made me realise how I actually feel great about daily routines, after all. This is because it is a sort of ritual that respects my body as a whole, and nourishes my mind.
Embracing a yogic lifestyle has completely changed my daily routine, and drastically improved my mood in the morning and boosted my energy levels.
This is what a yogi (me) morning routine looks like:
Alarm set at 7 AM (unless my cats have decided to have an earlier breakfast). First thing, I am grateful to the universe and thank it for being alive- Ayurveda’s dinacharya ritual! A few stretches in the bed and I am ready to start my daily routine.
Heading to the kitchen, I switch on the kettle and squeeze a lemon in a mug, adding some honey, and, when the water reaches its temperature, I add hot water in it.
Hot water and lemon is a refreshing and highly hydrating beverage that drunk first thing in the morning helps to purify the body.
While my detox drink is cooling down, I use some of the freshly boiled water with a pinch of salt in it, to pour into my Neti Pot and proceed to Jala Neti.
What is a neti pot? It is a small pot (similar to a teapot) used to practice Kriyas and cleanse the body before yoga asanas. Kriyas, according to the yogic tradition, are cleansing techniques, or actions, to clean the body from the inside, to prepare it for the practice of yoga, pranayama, and meditation.
Jala Neti is one of the kriyas that I practice every day. It is an easy technique to do, and you can do it everywhere. You only need to pour the slightly salted warm water (try the temperature of the water on your wrist before starting) in one nostril and let the water come out from the other – you can use a neti pot or just the palm of your hand. This kriya is highly beneficial for skin, sinus, and nasal cavities.
The next step in my morning routine is cleaning the tongue with a tongue scraper and gargling water before proceeding with oil pulling. I then wash my face and eyes with fresh water and apply my favorite organic moisturizer.
Finally, now that my oral cavity is clean, I can drink warm water with lemon and step on my yoga mat, ready for my morning yoga practice.
Now, how long do you think all these things took me? Very little! Unless you choose to practice yoga after your routine, which I highly recommend – it took only 15 minutes!
I know that 15 minutes can be a lot when you have kids to take to school, train to catch or emails to answer before your meeting but, trust me, such a short amount of time will make your day start more energetically and positively.
Remember that every time you gift yourself with time and compassion, your mind is more relaxed, happy, more energetic, and proactive.
A daily ritual it’s a wonderful way to remind yourself that you deserve the luxury of time, for your mental and physical well being.
30-Minutes yoga morning routine
Starting your day with a few rounds of Surya Namaskar – Sun Salutation – is an excellent way to introduce yoga into your daily routine. Or, if you want to give yourself 30 more minutes of time, please, watch this video where I share my morning yoga practice.
Make sure you practice honouring and respecting your body and limits.
If you want to share your morning rituals and routines, or you want advice on how to create your personal routine, write me a comment or a message.
Happy day. Happy life.
Namaste.