Morning Rituals

SETTING DAILY INTENTIONS

Starting each day with some clear intentions about what we wish to achieve both short and long term, will help us to focus on the goals we are aiming for in life. The best way to to this is to set aside some time for some short morning rituals.

Waking Thoughts

If we get a restful night's sleep, the mornings can be our most productive time of the day. And, if we keep things simple, we are more likely to stick with a regular pattern. There are few things we can do from the moment we wake up:

To start on a positive note and to set clear objectives for the day, turn off your snooze function. When the alarm goes off (or you are well enough rested to wake before it does), follow these steps:
1 Take three very deep breathes. Getting fresh supplies of oxygen into our lungs will be a sure way to signal the brain it's time to get up.
2 With eyes closed, say out loud or in your mind: 'Today is going to be a great day. I am going to make the most of my time. I will not let anyone or any thing take this day away from me.'
3 Count out loud (or in your head) 3-2-1-UP!
4 Jump out of bed.
5 Splash some water in your face, clearing sleep from your eyes
6 Drink a glass of water
7 Look at your day's calendar and todo list then write down your planned objectives for the day

Once you've looked at your tasks, providing you've risen early, you should have time to get the body and mind up to speed for that busy day. Two great ways to prepare mind, body and soul are Qi gong and Yoga. The following 10-20 minute morning rituals should give you the necessary boost of energy to tackle whatever comes your way:

Qi Gong
For a gentle start to the day, with body movements for all ages and breathing, centring techniques, this is a lovely way to start the day. Lee Holden has a great 10 minute video which is for all levels of ability.

Yoga - Sun Salutations
Sun salutations are simple and an effective series of yoga postures that invigorates the whole body. These poses are a great way to focus the mind and gently stretch the body in the quiet moments of the morning and can also be practiced before sleeping to help quieten the mind and encourage a deeper, more refreshing sleep.

Meditation
Sitting or laying still for 10 minutes one or two times a day on waking and before sleeping, will help to centre us before or after a busy day. Allowing some time for ourselves, even if just 10 minutes, is a sure way to keep our minds quiet and relaxed. There are a number of apps for iPhone or Android that will help keep us calm even when we're on the go.

Positive Affirmations
It sounds simple....yet we are all susceptible to it - ie. the influence of other people and the power of words to lift us up or bring us down. It's been clearly shown that our mind and body are closely connected and will be affected by repressed negative feelings and emotions of guilt, anger and frustration etc. We can all be better at being aware when influenced by others but the worst offender is ourself. Tell yourself that you are ill or tired, you will be ill or tired. It's just negative affirmations. A friend of mine is always up for a bit more fun than we should be having on a school night and time again, have we listened to the birdsong on a Tuesday morning and had to go in to work after very little or no sleep. The key is to tell ourselves that we've had a restful 8 hours sleep. The amazing thing is that it really does work! So, to kick off your morning, find a mantra that works for you. Here's one my partner and I chant to each other every morning. ~ay it out loud three times (breathe in and out deeply between each) and really mean it when speaking aloud!

1 I draw unlimited energy into my body.
2 I feel more energised with every second
3 I feel AMAZING!

Create Your Soundtrack
Music is a great medium for lightening a mood, chilling us out or bringing back happy nostalgic memories. Stick on some happy, uplifting music in the morning and create a positive soundtrack for your your day.

Self Belief From Self Knowing

KNOWING WHO YOU ARE

Focussing on the self. At the centre of our being is an intangible force - something that drives, motivates, steers us and sets our intentions. This is our 'self'. It is the centre of who we are that needs to be kept in balance for happiness and harmony in our lives.

This 'self', found by practising meditation and discovered in quiet moments of self reflection is, over time, coated in 'ideas' - learned information, built up in layer upon layer. These chunks of information, nearer the core, are the first learned truths from being a child - fears and preservation truths - like knowing not to touch a hot saucepan. Layered over the top of these older layers and getting nearer the outer surface, are the more recently learned habits and traits. Things like being seen to do the right thing by a partner or friends, to fit into society. These are not our true 'selves' but they become entwined and set in a way - mixed up as part of the core at the heart of everything we believe in.

When we are following our true paths, it is our core identity that is strengthened and we feel satisfaction - a reaffirmation that we are fulfilling our true intentions. However, sometimes we get so layered in our 'ideas' and so mixed up with our identity, that we can't distinguish who we were once before this excessive layering occurred and what our true intentions really are. We become confused, 'lost' and doubts start to set in about what we are doing and the paths we are taking. This is where we need to get back to our truest selves and core intentions.

If we can take the time away from distractions, we get back to the true 'self'. This can only be attained through quiet inward-searching moments of solitude and via practiced meditation. We simply need to take this time alone, to best strip away the coating of hardened outer 'plaque' built up over time - and remove the set ideas & habits that block out who we truly are. This will, over time, help us to recognise what 'we are not' and enable freedom for us to live as the person we truly desire to be. 

Daily Intentions

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Watching someone like Lee Holden, who has inspired me to practice Qi Gong every morning - I can clearly see someone who is truly happy with what they are doing in life. Success has followed happiness and Lee, it seems, is becoming the ambassador for an ancient eastern art form that brings health and vitality to himself and into the lives of millions. 

Having partners, family, friendships and work commitments to maintain/keep, means we're compromising ourselves a lot of the time. This means our fun, companionship and family/work relationships and all the responsibilities they entail, can temporarily detract us from where we are aiming to go in our lives. 

Everyone has intentions, but for most, they are not clearly defined. They are led by desires and easily changed through lack of focus, manipulation from others, or lost through intoxication. It takes extra effort to stop ourselves from being pulled off the day's intended path. It's that feeling, waking after an unplanned, late night of alcohol-fuelled shenanigans that the things you'd planned to do, got thrown out of the window. It's these situations in particular that we all wish to be more in control of – always seems like a good idea at the time...

Letting oneself down, feeling weak-willed and a failure - these are very negative thoughts that need to be avoided. Fun is an easy detractor from a path of intention, so there have to be pre-thoughts for the day to make allowances for these times when we're more susceptible to losing track of the day. A simple few minutes to think through possible scenarios and levels of flexibility for the day is all is needed to avoid having those dreaded feelings of self-loathing. There's always going to be other opportunities for fun.

Every evening, I will look at the following day's calendar of proposed events, my intentions and what I want to get out of the day. These intentions will then be discussed with my partner to better understand her intentions for the day too and we'll look at the possible factors that could scupper plans. This way, we will know what it means if we fall too far from our intended paths and already have a plan B to fall back on.