Anchor Your Day with a Morning Ritual

This week’s eZine article from Christine Kane is right in line with my own current practice. Use the gentle power of ritual to set the stage for your day.

Rather than letting the winds of chance toss you out of bed and into the world — where you can then react, react, react — why not set the table for your day, invite it in, and regale it with the feast you’re serving?

I’ve been deepening my commitment to what I call my “morning practices” for months. Today, inspired by Christine’s article (which you’ll find quoted below), I fine-tuned in into a ritual.

Even in the course of my ritual, I get easily distracted by things I see that need doing (Gotta change the cat litter. Oh, I got those little cushions to put on the bottom of the chair legs! What’s that spot? Better clean it up…) Having a ritual gives me an anchor to come back to when I get distracted. Read my own morning ritual after the article below. And share your own in the comments!

Here’s Christine’s article:

How to Create a Powerful Morning Ritual

by Christine Kane

It is said that your habits create your destiny.

I’d add that your habits also create your confidence, courage and even your creativity!

In other words, your daily choices, routines, and seemingly insignificant moments make all the difference in your results.

One of the best ways to generate great results is to create a morning ritual. A powerful morning ritual sets the tone for your entire day – and your entire year!

A ritual is personal. A ritual is creative. (Not reactive!) A ritual is what gets YOU on track to create your best day. (And subsequently, your best life!) It can be as simple as a 15-minute routine, or as intense as long-distance running. The important thing is that it becomes a HABIT.

My morning ritual combines a mixture of physical, mental and heart-centered activities to engage each of these human power centers!

Here are some ideas to help you create your own powerful morning ritual.

Hydrate First

Many Eastern health practitioners recommend chugging down at least a half-liter of filtered room-temperature water first thing. (Yes, before your coffee!)

Upon waking, your body has spent hours without hydration. Drinking pure water at this time triggers a series of physiological functions that keep your body super healthy. Some report that this one practice can actually heal many diseases. (I’m not a scientist – but I can attest to the amazing results!)

Get Moving

Exercise is called “The Number One Form of Preventive Medicine.”

It is also a prescription for happiness and a cure for depression! Getting exercise first thing sets your day off right. You can do a simple stretching routine, yoga or an all-out heart-pounding hour at the gym. Pick something do-able and do it.

Meditate

Many people don’t meditate because they find it intimidating. I say, start with just 5 minutes. Meditation connects you to your center, and to the deep silence that surpasses any drama that might be happening in the world of your personality. Don’t worry about doing it right. Just allow yourself the time to BE.

Set Intention

“Intention rules the earth,” says Oprah Winfrey.

It’s true! Your intention is a powerful force to engage.

Remembering your intention puts you back on track. You become focused again.

Reflect for a moment on your Word of the Year. Read a goal you’ve written down for yourself. Remind yourself of a financial dream. (If you’re one of my new students in Uplevel Your Business, read the intention you wrote down on the first day of the program!)

You don’t have to know the HOW. You just need to set the intention so your inner GPS can stay on target!

Be Grateful

Before I get out of bed, I silently create a morning gratitude list. When I begin my day remembering my “gratitudes,” (instead of my “anxieties”) my heart fills with extreme joy and deep awareness. I then bring that energy into everything I do – and to everyone with whom I connect.

Use a Netty Pot

(This one’s a little weird!)

For years, my acupuncturist told my husband and I to use a Netty Pot. We laughed at him. Then, in the face of acute sinus problems, my husband tried it and became a convert. He converted me.

A Netty Pot uses warm water and a special salt to cleanse your sinuses and clear your breathing. Google it, and let the idea sit with you for a while. (You might be a convert too!)

Eat Creative

Your choice of breakfast foods can set up your success with other meals as well. Start your day off in the healthiest way possible for you – and make it a ritual, not a chore.

Be Prepared: Create a Not-to-Do List

Everyone needs a “Not To Do” morning list.

Suggestions here include anything that brings up a “reactive” state: Turning on the local news. Checking email. Answering texts. Answering the phone.

Let these things wait until AFTER your ritual has been completed!

Your Assignment:

After reading this article, don’t just think, “Wow. Those are some good ideas. I should try one or two.”

Instead, deliberately create your morning ritual now. Take about 20 minutes to think about and write down what your ritual will be each morning. Start simple at first. Choose one or two items from this menu. Or come up with your own. Write out your Ritual in detail.

Begin first thing tomorrow morning, and let your habits create YOUR destiny starting now!

Performer, songwriter, and creativity consultant Christine Kane publishes her ‘LiveCreative’ weekly ezine with more than 11,000 subscribers. If you want to be the artist of your life and create authentic and lasting success, you can sign up for a FRE*E subscription to LiveCreative at www.christinekane.com.

Hi! This is Leslie again. Here’s my own morning ritual:

• WHILE STILL IN BED,
  • Touch in to GRATITUDE – Read the five things I’m grateful for that I wrote down the night before. If I didn’t write at night, do it now.
  • Attend to my INTENTION- Read phrases I’ve generated in recent work with my coaches. Reflect on my word for the year, DECIDE.
• GET UP. Go to the bathroom. Brush teeth. Wash face. Drink a glass of water.
• Light incense and walk it around the house, blessing and welcoming every corner of my environment, every direction of my world. Open the front door, ring the windchimes.
• Meditate for 15 minutes. (In other periods, it’s longer. Right now, I let 15 minutes be enough. Consistency is more important than quantity.)
• Shower (unless I’m going to the gym later).
• Make coffee or juice. Drink.
• Now get on with the day!

WHAT’s YOUR RITUAL? (Of course, if you have small children, you’ll have special challenges to protecting your ritual space. Have you found creative ways to approach the challenge?)