Mojo magic tips: Rituals keep us focused and connected
I have been battling for months now to get my arse out of bed early. It’s the best time of the day for me to write and have clarity of thought, but the old tired eyes just would not open.
I tried for 6am but that never worked. By the time I got up, shuffled around a bit, meditated and sat down with my green tea, the girls were awake and I had not achieved much.
After my weekend at the Billabong Retreat I have been inspired to introduce rituals in my life to enhance my experience of the present moment. In other words inhabiting my body and retraining my mind. I’m working on forming new habits instead of trying to get rid of old ones. Our brain is pretty clever when it comes to forming new neural pathways.
Getting ready for yoga
Our instructor for the weekend, Paul, gave us a simple seven minute yoga ritual to perform every morning. I have always wanted to start my day with yoga, but my DVD’s go from 30 minutes to an hour and I just don’t have that time to spare. I also am clueless in creating a routine for myself.
So when he taught us the seven minute routine I knew straight away I could manage it and I committed to the new habit. I meditate every morning for 20 minutes anyway so this would be the perfect thing to add to the beginning. But, to make it work and get writing done before the kids wake up, I have to get up at 4:30am.
Each evening I place my alarm at the other side of the room so when it starts blaring I have to get up to turn it off. Once my feet hit the ground, I remember why I am arising so early and I wake up and move into mountain pose.
The seven minute practice gives me a little boost of energy and stretches me out into clarity. I no longer fall asleep when I meditate, something that happened quite frequently, even when I was doing it at 6:30am.
Once I am finished, I write down my 10 things I am grateful for and then I express my gratitude for the extraordinary results coming my way today.
I then make my cuppa green tea and sit down and write.
Green Tea ritual
I do not log onto the internet.
By the time 7am rolls around when the girls generally wake, I feel amazing. I have achieved so much. I am energized, refreshed, crystal clear and happy. I buzz around with them getting them ready for the morning and I do not feel stressed about all I have to do as I have already tackled a large portion of it.
I am achieving so much more and finally getting to that pile of work that I really want to do, but always gets pushed back because of time and commitments.
4:30am sounds like a sucky time to rise and while it probably is, I love my new morning ritual and how much it is enhancing my life.
Rituals help us keep focused and connected. When we are focused and connected life flows and magic happens.
What's your morning ritual?
Comments
Robben
I have to live and practice the dharma. I can no longer afford to buy spiritual healing. I must seek to resolve my conflicts from within.
Johanna
Thanks for an insight into your early morning rituals, and the encouragement to do something similar. Getting up at 4.30am must be the hardest part, admire you for that 🙂 I can see though how the 7 minute yoga routine is a good start, as you say, anything longer and it starts to seem impossible. I like to start my day with a cup of Rooibos Tea and a 45 minute Power Walk, but if I turn the internet on first, everything goes pear shaped!
Caz Makepeace
It’s much easier than I thought. I grumble for the first five minutes then I feel great. STarting with a walk is always a great way to start the day. I’ve been hearing so much about Rooibos tea lately, I must try some!
Kate - Canuckiwikate
The end of the school year, with 6 get ups left might be the wrong time to start such a ritual for myself… OR that’s my sleepy brains clever attempt at yet another excuse to just lay in my bed until the very last second before I’m borderline late for school.
My question is, what time do you go to bed when you get up this early!? I personally really struggle with early to beds, which then in turn hinders getting up early.
Im onto my excuses… I see new habits in my future to make me a morning girl!
I’ve just jumped on the Rooibos tea bus and am a fan more so than green!
Caz Makepeace
Oh end of the school year is tough!! Much too hard to get up so early.
I generally make sure I am in bed by 11. I want to be in bed by 1o and I aim for this most nights, but then, just like tonight, the clock has ticked past the time and I find myself trying to squeeze in one more task.
Rooibos here we come
Khristen Foss
I love this! (I also would LOVE to learn the 7 minute yoga routine! That’s why I don’t do it as much anymore…three kids, three different schools, three different schedules, and three jobs I do from my home, two of which I own!) I had forgotten how amazing it is to rise early (I used to get up at 4:30 as well). I stopped doing it after our third was born, but don’t know why. Back to that old routine I go! Thanks for the reminder!
Caz Makepeace
No worries. I know how hard it is. I’m finding this so easy to fit into my daily life and the early starts are fab!