The Importance of Morning and Evening Routines
A solid morning routine doesn't mean it has to last for hours and be cumbersome. Beginning with a shorter practice and gradually adding techniques will help you get started quicker and lead to a sustainable routine. It is a whole body time of the day where you can connect to yourself before stepping into action. It is a holistic implementation, and it is vital to target your body, mind, and spirit to align them. Waking up gently and caring for yourself will charge your energies for the entire day. If you find yourself hitting the snooze button or running out the door after getting up in the morning, it's time for a change. Here are a few tools you can implement into your morning routine:
getting up early and easy after 7 hours of sleep
practicing gratitude
stretching your body or doing light yoga
cleansing (oil pulling, tongue scraping, tooth brushing, bowel movement, face washing, etc.)
hydrating (drinking 1-2 glasses of pure (warm) water) before morning coffee.
some exercise (preferably outside to connect with nature) like taking a walk or simply absorbing sunlight for Vitamin D
breathing techniques (pranayama)
meditation or taking time to plan your day.
Not only does the preparation for our relatively active time during the day significantly impact our well-being, but so does the practice of calming down and getting ready for sleep. Good quality sleep is essential to feel dialed in with your system, to be in balance. For best sleep results, you need to get off the phone, emails, social media, and other outside distractions at least 1 hour before going to bed. Ideally, we would revert to the ways of our grandparents and ancestors by turning off all lights in the house and using candles to prepare the body for sleep.
Gently preparing your body while doing something good for you will increase your sleep quality. For example, try a warm shower or some gentle stretching movements before turning in each night. Calming the mind with relaxing sounds, scents, or candles or listening to a podcast or ebook are good examples. After being physically prepared for bed (brushing your teeth, changing clothes, etc.), The bedtime preparation could even include expressing gratitude and mentally reflecting on the day and thinking about tomorrow, so you wake up flowing into the next morning's routine.
Morning and evening routines must fit you and adapt to an ever-changing lifestyle. If you invest in yourself, you'll find the holistic journey becomes natural and rewarding.