3 Ways to Change your Life Before Breakfast
Now, more than ever, with the upheaval we're experiencing in the world, it's so important to find a way to stay grounded, feel connected, and to be able to process challenging emotions.
I'm working on making these 3 mindful morning routines a habit, for the sake of my peace of mind. I don't always succeed, but when I do, I notice a HUGE shift in my attitude and well-being during the day. So it makes it easier to do them the following day.
Starting your day feeling grounded and connected to your beautiful self sets the tone for an awesome, much more positive and productive day.
These 3 mindful morning routines will make a big difference in the way you feel about yourself, how you cope with stressful situations, and how you connect with other people during your day.
Guess what, though? They only work if you do them!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably tried several morning routines: stretches, meditation, running, whatever. Feels great for a while, then something happens and I decide to skip it and “do it tomorrow.”
Then something else happens tomorrow and soon, without really intending to, my spiritual practice is out the door.
Can you relate?
Like anything else that’s worthwhile, it requires commitment. Once you reap the benefits it won’t feel like a chore at all; instead something you love and look forward to because it makes such a big, positive difference.
Doing something great for yourself in the morning is an act of self-love. You’ll feel more peaceful and be more effective in all ways!
So, these 3 mindful morning routines you can easily do before breakfast will help you in countless ways. If you stick to them, they can change your life - so please make them a habit, ok?
Just like brushing your teeth. You wouldn’t go out of the house with morning dragon breath, right?
Before you start, two things:
1. Do your best to avoid emails and internet until after your morning routine is done.
2. Drink at least one 8 oz. glass of warm, filtered water with juice from ½ lemon or lime. (Two glasses even better…) You probably already know about this, but are you doing it?
Your liver will love you for it. It’s a wonderful way to tonify, detoxify and alkalinize your body. (If you have gastric issues, you may wanna skip the lemon if it bothers you, until you’re healed.)
Ok. Ready?
1. Get grounded. Literally.
If you have access to a grassy area in or near your house, walking on grass barefoot first thing, especially on the fresh morning dew, can literally "ground" you.
As the soles of your feet connect to the Earth, its frequency helps your body re-balance itself. Might sound woo-woo, but it works!
Silently walk on the grass a few moments, take some deep breaths, re-connect with the Earth.
If there are plants around, touch them, too. Talk to them and tell them how gorgeous they are. Connect to nature. These 2-3 minutes can change your life.
WHAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO GRASS?
If you live in an apartment building, or don’t have direct access to grass and nature, there are ways to get grounded while you sleep or work on your computer!
There are several grounding products that are very easy to install by connecting them to the third “ground” hole of a three-prong outlet in your house or office. Isn’t that wild?
Recently, I saw an amazing documentary called GROUNDED that really impressed me. People have been able to heal back and shoulder pain, and many tough physical ailments, simply by grounding with the Earth consistently. (Check out the trailer or the entire feature for free on YouTube.)
After seeing the movie, I bought a grounding pad that I place under my computer keyboard and mouse. I don’t know if that caused it, but the severe back pain I suffered from for many years is virtually gone. Seriously.
A few weeks ago I met a wonderful woman on a plane and the subject came up. She swears by the grounding half sheet on her bed. I haven’t tried it, but she assured me hers has lasted a couple of years, even through many washes, and she can feel a big difference in her life.
Whether walking on grass, or using a grounding product, please incorporate getting grounded first thing in the morning. You’ll be grateful for it.
After walking on grass, you may want to go take your shower. But make it memorable by turning off the hot water in the end!
Believe me, taking a cold shower every morning, even if for only 10-20 seconds, is incredibly invigorating! Scream, shake, rub your skin hard.... You'll get a boost of energy and a huge smile! As you get used to it, try to extend the time to 30-60 seconds. (I'm still working on it, 'cause I'm such a chicken!)
2. Set Your Intention:
Joseph and I are in the habit of setting our intention before a client meeting, or before an event or class. Recently, though, we started setting our intention for our day in the morning, and it’s very powerful.
Wouldn’t you prefer your day to feel calm, connected, joyful and uplifting rather than rushed, hectic and stressed?
By becoming clear and setting your intention before the day begins, you're much more likely to have it happen.
You can do it before you get out of bed, but I like to do it during a short meditation, after my shower.
Many people avoid meditation because they feel they’ve failed at it in the past. Truth is: what’s to fail? There is no way of doing this wrong!
Any time you sit quietly to reconnect with yourself, it’s a win. So, give yourself a break and try it again, if you’ve quit before.
There are many techniques you can learn, or if you’re really serious, spend time in an Ashram to deepen your practice. I keep it simple and intuitive.
Try this:
Give yourself 5-10 minutes, that’s it! (Or more if you’re loving it…)
Sit in a chair or on the floor. Close your eyes and connect to your breath, like the ebb and flow of the ocean.
Identify one thing your body might be needing at that moment: peace, energy, or calm. And one thing you want to release: anxiety, fear, or tiredness.
Breathe in peace, exhale anxiety. Repeat this calmly, visualizing peace particles coming in from the magical substance we call “air” around you, gathering anxiety particles inside you and exhaling them, where they become neutral.
Very soon you will inhale peace, and exhale peace. That’s when you know you’re “cooked.” Enjoy the wonderful warm feeling of inner peace.
Continue this delicious feeling for as long as you want to. You can incorporate some stretches at this time.
When you feel calm and connected, set your intention. It could be something like:
To remain positive all day and complaint-free.
To have energy and remain grounded all day.
To smile internally at everyone and remain free of judgment.
Remind yourself about your intention during the day if you feel like you’re slipping.
3. Connect to your Muse:
In her wonderful book The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron recommends writing three hand-written pages each morning. We’ve been doing it pretty consistently for years and LOVE the powerful results it brings.
I prefer to do this after my meditation, when I feel calm. And, it can work the other way, too; releasing the garbage in your head first, and then enjoying the peace of meditation after. Up to you.
Simply start writing. Anything, it doesn’t matter what. Don’t worry about spelling, punctuation, or whether anyone will read it or not. It’s just a way for you to let stuff out.
I usually begin with anything swirling in my head. Very soon after, wonderful wisdom begins to emerge. I write until I feel a deep sense of calm, or excitement, or creativity.
The best part is when I connect to my Muse! That higher-self part of me that knows the Truth. Many brilliant ideas have emerged during this process and I will share some of them with you from time to time in the pages of this blog.
And that’s it! Your life-changing morning routine is done! See? It doesn’t have to take forever and you will be a better, happier person because of it.
There’s always enough time to love and take care of yourself. Really, that is priority number one, yes?
We’d LOVE to hear from you at the comments below. What morning practices work for you? Sharing your ideas might inspire others, so please don't be shy.
Thanks!
Sending hugs, Eli
