Simple Mornings: A Simple Life Project

My simple mornings practice is a set of healthy habits I’ve established and I’d like to share it with you.

How we start the day has everything to do with how we interact with what life hands us as the day unfolds.It’s important to be intentional and creating simple rituals for your morning can make all the difference. I’ve listed below some suggestions based on my own simple morning routine.

Simple mornings lend to a day of self care focus.

1. Let your morning begin with the night before. Create a healthy and effective sleep hygiene.  It’s SO important to get a good night’s rest in order of have a purposeful morning experience.
2. Get up early. It’s important to have plenty of time to move through your morning with ease. Set a gentle alarm to go off. I use a soft chime on my phone.
3. Take time for some gentle yoga. It might be just stretching and breathing in your bed or you might want to have a dedicated standing practice. Here is a short video to a brief yoga practice that is a simple 4 minute flow I created for women over 40. That’s me demonstrating with my shoulder limitations and wobbly balance. Keepin’ it real!
4. Drink a big glass of water. If you like, add a squeeze of lemon juice for a little detox action. Hydrating and starting the day with a glass of water BEFORE you get to the next one is key.
5. Brew a simple cup of organic coffee or organic tea. Mindfully sip, taking the aroma, the warmth of the mug, the sensation of the steam rising up to your face.
6. Connect with nature. If you have an outdoor space, early morning is a wonderful time to soak up the crisp morning air, listen to the birds or gaze at the sunrise. If weather doesn’t permit, sit by a window and as you sip on your mug of hot coffee or tea, take time to see what you can see in the sky or the tree tops. Maybe go for a walk and keep your head up and notice what you see along the way.
7. Practice mindfulness in the bath or shower. Move slowly as you bathe your body feeling the sensation of the water on your skin, the scent of your shampoo, the sound of the water.  As you dry your body, take time to gently pat each area of your body with a towel feeling grateful for the body you are in and how it’s carried you this far in life.

I’ve discovered that committing to simple practices leads to a simple life is all about slowing down.

For so many years we moved so fast, rushing about in the morning to get the kids to school and to get to work that the day would fly by in a frenzy and it often felt life was a race resulting in exhaustion and often anxiety.

Starting the day with simple mornings mindful intention and a slow pace sets the tone for a much more peaceful life experience every day.