The Morning Practice in 3 Steps
Morning practice has been one of the most transformational tools of my whole life.
What is a Morning Practice?
Most people wake up feeling stressed, anxious, tired, having ruminating thoughts about what has to get done and then let’s not forget the negative thoughts. Usually when we’re coming out of sleep we get going by thinking about what has to get done during the day. But what if there is a different, kinder, gentler way of unfolding into your day? A Morning Practice taps into the immense power of wholistic movement, meditation, and breathwork which brings energy and vitality to your day, calms the mind, and strengthens the body.
The best place to start your practice is the minute you get out of bed. Seriously. We’re still in our liminal space. We haven’t checked our phone yet to remember who we are and most probably the world is still in its peaceful slumber or at least not in a full roar yet.
Step 1: Pick a Place
Create a space, one spot where you live that you designate as your sacred space. You might want to put a small altar there with objects from nature or objects that mean something to you. Every morning when you wake-up you’re going to get our of bed and come to this space.
This space is going to take on a vibe of its own because you will be cultivating and moving energy in this space.
Step 2: Pick a Time
Set the intention that you will come to your morning practice at the same time every day so you can create consistency and flow.
Step 3: The 10 Second Ritual
As you’re going to bed set your alarm to get up early enough in your morning to have enough time to have an interruption free morning practice. Once the alarm is set lay in your bed and visualize yourself getting up the next morning and going to your morning practice space. Then say to yourself, “I am getting up in the morning and doing my morning practice.
So what do you do in a Morning Practice?
My morning practice looks something like this:
I get up. Go to the bathroom. Brush my teeth and head into the living room to start my practice.
First I do some Qigong, then some breathwork, meditation and then some journaling. All of this takes less than an hour. You can develop what’s in your morning practice and the amount of time you spend.
One of the important parts of Morning Practice is to not look at any electronics before you come into the space. Sleep has cleared you and so come as you are in the quiet and silence of the morning.
What does morning practice include:
Movement. Not a treadmill, or working out, but a whole mind-body movement system such as Qigong, Yoga, Tai-chi and so forth. In our morning practice we want to integrate Mind, Body, and Spirit.
Meditation: Meditation can be done in so many ways. If you’re just starting out, set the timer for 10 minutes and simply notice your breath. When your mind wants to think about what’s happening the rest of the day or what happened at work yesterday, simply come back to your breath. This is the simplest, easiest way to start your meditation practice. As you inhale, think very softly “In”, and as you breathe out think very softly “Out”.
Breathwork: Let’s begin our breathwork practice by inhaling through the nose filling your lower belly up like a balloon. Exhale through the mouth or nose and your belly deflates and moves back towards the spine. Elongate your breaths as your breathwork continues. In the beginning set the timer for 5 minutes and work your way out to 20 minutes. There are so many amazing breathwork apps out there as well which can bring you into a breathwork practice.
Don’t forget your journal: As we deepen into our daily practice little aha moments and ideas float up that we want to capture so we can look at them later. To close out my personal practice I usually journal for just a couple of moments.
Notice how you’re feeling. How energy is humming through your body. Starting our day out with our very own morning practice sets the tone for the day and creates the space for the day to unfold. You’ll find yourself less reactive and more centered. Here’s to you and your daily morning practice.
