Our mornings are incredibly powerful times to set the tone of the day. It’s the start of something new, a chance to do things better and have a more fulfilling experience than we did the day before (even if that was a. good day!).

As outlined in the previous post, I begin my day with:

1. Grounding
2. Thoughts of gratitude
3. Self-enhancement

All the while, I am moving through the mundane parts of my morning routine, such as coffee, breakfast etc. Now, let’s dive into the next few things I do to help set up my day for clarity, calm and success.

The fourth thing – meditation.

I have two types of mornings: the ones when I cam wake up at around 0520 AM, and the ones when I wake up around 0710 AM. As such, I tailor my morning meditation to suit how much time I have.

If it’s dark and I feel like it, I do some time candle gazing (learn more here). But my usual go-to form of meditation is centring prayer / mantra meditation (learn more here).

Sometimes, I just set my timer and sit in silence or with incense for a short period of time. I use the Feng Shui directions sometimes for what I feel needs working on. It all depends.

When it comes to mindfulness and meditation, sometimes we need to delve deep inside to see what we need and take the next steps. This is why the first three processes in the morning routine are important – they set the tone for the greater actions we are about to take.

The fifth thing – movement.

Movement can be anything. If you are an outdoorsy person and have access to it, go out for a walk or a run, even if for five minutes. If you prefer movement on the mat, then do a quick morning yoga mat routine.

Morning movement can even take place on the chair (see my Yoga Lunchbox for some chair yoga) or just stretches by the wall or balcony (go to my Instagram account for some wall stretches in IG reels).

The final thing – get ready for work / commute.

The final thing I do is brush teeth, ablution, shower etc. before beginning virtual classes or heading out for personal training or yoga classes. However, there are loads of opportunity for mindfulness and intention-setting during this period.

For example:

• When you brush your teeth, try to feel the brush against the gums, the tongue, the sensation of the tooth paste in the mouth, throughout the whole cleaning process;
• Do a similar mindfulness process as you shower, the water and suds on the skin, the sensation of water running down the body etc.;
• Set your intention for the day as you dry off

There are many moments we can utilise to set the tone of the day. Plans and anxiety for the day can come later!

Mindful mornings.

By setting the tone of your day through mindfulness and yoga tools, you will have the potential to be present and in the moment, and disconnect from past worries or future anxieties, throughout the day.

Each of these six tools are independent of each other, and on some days, I don’t do all. In fact, on many days, I just do about three of them. So mix and match what works for you in the time you have. A little bit will make a lot of difference, especially over time.

Now you have these morning tools, discussed here and in the previous post, to help you manage stress. You now can bring clarity and calm for the rest your day with a little bit more ease.

To compliment these posts, sign up for the FREE Mindful Mornings Mini Course below. Keep practising these tools, and you will find you will be having smoother days. Comment below or email me if you want to learn more or have any questions.