Ayurvedic Morning Rituals
[The importance of 𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 (especially when dealing with anxiety & depression)]
Creating a morning and evening routine is one of the best things you can do, for both your physical and mental health. Doing this creates end caps to your day, where you start and finish your day at 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳.
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐲 centered in 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟.
(TIP: Only add one new practice at time. And practice it until it becomes an effortless, built in ritual. Then, add another.)
𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 for the 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
(𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘯 / 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭, 𝘦𝘵𝘤.)
1. Tongue scraping
After you brush your teeth and wash your face, use a tongue scraper to scrape any buildup off your tongue. This gets rid of “ama”-cellular build-up/waste, and allows for a clean start to your day. This is very helpful for starting off digestion on the right foot.
2. Drink 16+oz warm lemon water
It’s time to hydrate! You’ve been fasting all night, your body wants water and to feel juicy and hydrated. (this means...before coffee!)
3. Eliminate
Making sure you poop everyday is essential. Ideally, this is done every morning when you wake up. Even more ideal is to eliminate before breakfast. This allows you to have a clear digestive tract before you add anything else in for the day (and so you’re not full of sh*t) :)
4. 20 min. of movement (yoga, walking, dancing, stretching, working out)
Get your heart pumping and your blood flowing in the morning so your body is awake and oxygenated for your day ahead!
5. Breath practices/pranayama (2-5 min)
There are plenty of videos on YouTube that can guide you in a simple short breath practice
If you tend to be more of a type A/ driver/ run hot/ or have a sharp mind, a cooling practice would be the way to go. Try shitali or sitkari pranayama.
If you tend to be more relaxed, lethargic, calm, run cold, feel heavier/sluggish in the morning, a heating practice is the way to go. Try kapalabhati or ‘Breath of Fire’.
If you tend to be all over the place, feel chaotic or anxious, or just want a more balanced state of being, anuloma-viloma or nadi shodhana are great practices for you.
6. Meditation /mindfulness practice (5-20 min. is a good place to start)
Remember this: your rituals don’t have to be exhaustive...something is always better than nothing. Start with whichever thing feels most exciting and expansive to you. Make it simple. Do it daily for a week. See how you feel. Evaluate if it is the right practice for you. If not, change it. If so, keep doing it!
Small shifts create big change.
Interested in getting one-on-one support with Ayurveda? Schedule a complimentary call with me or join my 6 week class: Ayurveda 101: Know Yourself, Heal Yourself