The Power of Sacred Mornings: How Mindful Ritual Transforms Your Day

Before we jump in, I want to give a little context to what I mean by mindful ritual, as mindfulness has become a buzzword over the years and I’d like to share with you my definition from a yoga therapy perspective. Mindfulness is being with what is present and wanting to be expressed, this is different from regulation which is focused on changing out state. Mindfulness doesn’t seek to change anything, only witness and observe. I really believe we can make any moment a ritual when done with intention, your morning coffee or tea can be a ritual, your morning walk can be a ritual, tending to your animals or plants can be a ritual.

It’s intentional time to sit with myself, centre into my being, before going out into a busy world. I personally prefer a slower morning, without 100 step routines and a check list for optimising my morning, which in reality just stresses me out. I like my mornings to be fluid, it’s a time to check in with myself each day and what I really need in order to start my day, which means it’s open to change. There are a few things that remain the same - making sure I’m hydrated, because I have a habit of forgetting to drink water throughout the day, this at least helps to mitigate that a little - it’s usually just plain water, if I’m feeling fancy I might put some lemon in it, I’m trying to get more consistent with adding mineral salt for electrolytes, but again this isn’t about perfection. I might also have matcha or some other herbal tea, this changes based on my mood and what my body’s craving.

Your morning routine isn’t about perfection, it’s about being present, not needing to do lots of things, instead giving yourself time to simply be. Witnessing what’s going on for you in this moment, what it feels like to be you right now, and if there is anything that needs tending before you begin your day.