Morning Rituals

One of the best ways to start my day is having a Morning Ritual which is a big part of my practice of Living HIPP (Happy Inspired Passionate Peaceful)—I have done this for a very long time and I have to say it has evolved (I have more time these days and because of that, I can really indulge myself some days and/or I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn anymore to make that happen (but I will admit I love early morning, I really do).

I think it is important to share with you that there are times that I don’t do a morning practice every single day (but I do them most often)—the times when I don’t do them are the times I am not doing my Living HIPP practice (my tracks to run on) or if my sleep is off, or when I am on that hamster wheel, so over scheduled and/or busy or distracted, so a practice like this is not about perfection, it is all progress based and every day is a new day. I have those mornings where I sleep in and am racing and responding and reactive to the morning—so those mornings happen for all of us, it is called life, and that is why we have the morning routine to turn to, to start a new day and to ground ourselves for the day. This is a practice and a tool to ground you, it is a framework to set yourself up with a strong foundation of intention, mindfulness, gratitude and to fill your spirit with words or affirmations that lift you.

I was asked recently what my morning ritual looks like, and let me share what is typical for me. As I shared, I have much more time now, but when my kids were little, I had to get up early if I wanted this time, so if you either work or have children that need your attention, you can just get up earlier, I promise you, it is worth it. I refer to my time as my magical mornings, there is nothing more magical than waking up early with a clear head, a full heart and taking time to reflect, renew, breathe and “fill your cup” with words that stir the soul and spirit. There are days I feel moved and there are days when things seem more distracted and that is life, right? Like anything else, the consistency is what matters, because the mornings when I am truly engaged, open, connected are the gift of this ritual, and truly a way to feed my soul. So, if you are new to this practice, or just curious, my advice is to keep with it, even if it feels weird, and not as magical as I describe here. You are peeling away layers of distraction and busyness, it will take time for it to settle in. Give yourself time, and let the words inspire you, touch your heart, move you and open up your mind and spirit to more. Sometimes just sitting still, breathing, and reflection are most beneficial, it is important to be present, to reflect, to just breath, give yourself that gift before you dive into the day.

Mornings are magical, mornings are also mundane—they are what we choose. Wake up in order to AWAKEN the spirit. Our world would be a better place if more people started their day with inspiration, and intention (and sometimes the reading might be less motivational and more healing). It all matters. Make your morning routine about spiritual time, a warm beverage, a warm heart and open mind, fill your spirit with hope, kindness, compassion and love . l XO