How We Start Our Day

How We Start Our Day

February 29, 2024
 

Why do I believe that how we start our day -- our Daily Morning Ritual  --  can be a game-changer and transformational in our lives? This is my Big Why: 

How We Start our Day, 
Is How We Live Our Days.  
And, How We Live Our Days, 
Is How We Live our Life!  

I passionately believe how we start our day is vitally important to managing stress and raising our energy frequency, at the get-go, every day. I know it has changed my life  … slowly, incrementally, progressively, persistently. 

For those who do not yet have a Daily Morning Energy Ritual, I hope you will start small. Just take one step. When I started on this journey, I began with thinking of 3 morning gratitudes when my eyes first opened.  And, the practices and commitment, grew slowly and naturally over time. Be patient. Be true to what makes sense to you. 

If you are already a member of the "5 A.M. Club," congratulations. I hope this Blog may give you a few new ideas. I am cheering you on as you continue to re-create, re-energize, or strengthen your own unique Daily Morning Energy Ritual. 

Over the years, my Daily Morning Ritual has morphed into my Daily Morning Energy Ritual. It really is all about setting our Energy for the day.

In my research on morning rituals of leading professional development coaches, top-level academicians, and global meditation teachers, all contain the same 4 building blocks. The specific recommendations on practices and exercises may differ. The recommended time allotments may differ. The order of the essential elements may differ. There is no one size fits all program. However, almost every holistic and proven framework embraces the following 4 building blocks. 

1. Physical Energy: movement; exercise; nutrition; sleep; rest; relation; hygiene; hydration. 
   
   
2. Emotional Energy: healing; patience; emotional intelligence; releasing toxic emotion; self-confidence; self-regulation; empathy; gratitude.  
   
   
3. Mental Energy: mindset; positive self-talk; productivity; creativity; reflection; meditation; visualization; reading; learning; growing.
   
   
4. Spiritual Energy: connection with our High Power; connection with out Higher Self; simplification; compassion; character; integrity; honesty; courage; faith; trust; passion; service to others.  
    

How each of us incorporates the specifics will vary. The resources available are immense, the possibilities are infinite. We each need to decide what 'suits' us -- what we will come back to every day. Personally, I like the variety of journaling, meditating, reading, researching, and exercising. We also each need to decide time allocations -- it must fit our life style and individual circumstances.  

There are 3 overarching guidelines. It is important to commit to:   

1. I  AM  # 1!: We must make ourselves the first priority of our morning. Do NOT read your emails and text messages first. Make the start of your day focus on you and your agenda. Make this time sacrosanct for you.
2. Consistency!: Be consistent in your daily practice -- do your Morning Energy Ritual every day, without fail. To be honest, I do get thrown off track and overwhelmed, from time-to-time. I hear you. I have been there, too. However, I always make 10 minutes to do some portion of my Morning Energy Ritual. And, when I can return to my 'normal' Morning Energy Ritual, I find it welcomes me home to mySelf. 
3. Make it fun! Keep your Morning Energy Ritual alive and growing with you. Remember 'Neuron's that fire together, wire together'! Over the course of the weeks and months, introduce new exercises, vary the practices, do what motivates you, and is aligned with the challenges of the moment. 
    

My Evolving Daily Morning Energy Ritual 

My Daily Morning Energy Ritual can vary between 10 minutes and 2 hours, depending on the demands of the day, my priorities, and whether it is a weekday or a weekend. Personally, I favor prayer and meditation for self-reflection, and journaling to imprint gratitudes and lessons learned. 

I offer my practice as an example of what works for me. This is a launching pad for you to create, refine, expand a Morning Energy Ritual that will work for you. And, when you discover... as I did … that something doesn't work, I adjust and experiment to find what will work for me.  This is a dynamic process -- and we are in charge.    

1. As I awake, I smile, turn on the coffee maker and drink a cup of water to detox. Then I walk, mindfully to my meditation room and light a few tea candles and incense. I create a sacred space to start my day. 
2.  I stretch and do a few yoga poses, usually starting with a Sun Salutation, shoulder rolls, neck stretches, flowing on down through my hips, legs ankles and feet. I am waking-up my body – gently. The time varies depending if I am going to the Fitness Center later for a more intense workout. I find that generating energy improves my positivity and self-confidence. 
3.  With my coffee on the stand by my lounger (My apologies, I am not a purist.), I select 1 or 2 meditations or pray from The Bible and other Wisdom traditions, to set my energy for the day. Every day is a new day and an opportunity to begin again. I use this time to release, renew, refresh, and recharge my energy with prayers and meditations, which change every day. When the Spirit takes over, I easily spend 60 minutes in this space. This helps me set my intention for the day.  
4. Then, I open my Gratitude Journal and record my gratitudes for my experiences the day before and the opportunities which lie ahead. I also record my challenges -- and what I am learning. I know that my daily gratitude practice has transformed my life. I also know that journaling about my challenges and growth is also a time to reflect on what I want to stop doing, what I need to learn and how I want to grow -- mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This helps me set my energy frequency for the day to the frequency of gratitude and love.    
5. Now I am ready to tackle the world. My initial focus is to affirm my intention for the day. 'Energy flows where focus goes.' Next I focus on the 3 things that are most important to do this day. No matter the meeting schedule for the day, I will tackle the most important items first.  I also ask motivational questions, such as: Who can I surprise today? Who needs me on my A-game today? What situation is likely to stress me out today and how will I deal with it from my best self? I close with a favorite Mantra, such as 'Have a Splendiferous day' or 'I deserve, everyone deserves, all Joy.'

I trust you will see how these 5 simple steps touch all the building blocks and fuels my spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental energy for the day. This is how I have ordered the building blocks … and it reflects what works for me. 

You may choose a different order for the building blocks. You will choose your own practices. BRAVO!!   

Wishing you joy, fun, and great Energy on your journey as you change a few habits and continuously keep your own unique Daily Morning Energy Ritual fresh and alive.     

It feels right to close with a blessing from Sarah Blondin's Morning Ritual on Insight Timer: "May you rise each day from your bed to to touch and feel the life you have been given, with new eyes and new hands. May you let yourself be born anew each day that opens. … May you smile most at what is simple, at what is ordinary. May you squeeze drops of joy …. from the moment you open your eyes.... May you hear the light calling your very name."      

With love and blessings, I trust your Daily Morning Energy Ritual will change your Life!  This practice has … and continues to... change my Life. 

May you be happy now and always,  Alison 

    P.S. Here are the links to a few previous  Blogs on creating a Morning Ritual:

 https://www.alisonlanzafalls.com/blog/why-a-morning-ritual-is-important. 

https://www.alisonlanzafalls.com/blog/energy-rituals-to-start-the-day

https://www.alisonlanzafalls.com/blog/Create-Your-New-Morning-Ritual