The morning is one of the most wonderful parts of my day. It’s true “me” time… that is, if I get up early enough. It’s a time to indulge and treat yourself well; it’s a time to set your day in a positive trajectory and it’s a time to start your beauty routine, before you even pick up your cleanser.

It’s amazing what you can accomplish in the morning by getting up an hour earlier, even an extra fifteen minutes can do wonders for helping maintain your stress throughout the rest of the day. In order to keep stress at bay, I stick to a morning routine as best I can. Sticking to a routine – that suits your needs* – benefits both your health and evidently your natural beauty.

When I say “a morning routine that suits your needs”, I truly mean create something that works for you. I know that some of my friends are starting families or have already done so, but, it is even more important during this time that you sneak in just a little selfish “me” time. The routine doesn’t have to be perfect! Somedays you will be rushing out the door, but try to keep consistent whenever possible. I promise, wellness acts before 8:30 AM will do wonders for tired eyes, dull skin and stress lines.

Wellness Morning Routine

Here are my six wellness acts that I try to squeeze in every morning before 8:30 AM:

1. Between 6:00 & 6:15 – Wake Up Slowly, Dry Brush & Shower & Oil Pull

After awaking slowly, I get up and make my way to the bathroom where I dry brush and then hop into the shower. Dry brushing is a great way to detox and get the lymph nodes activated first thing in the morning. You can read more about the benefits of dry brushing in my previous post here.

2. 6:30 – Meditation

Meditation is the most important part of my morning. It helps me gear up for the day and prepare for what lays ahead. It relaxes the lines on my face and allows some balance in, regardless of last night’s quality of sleep. You can meditate on your own breath or, if you’re new to the practice, follow a guided meditation online. I ideally meditate for 30 minutes, but 15-20 minutes will brings great results as well.

3. 6:50 – Short Yoga Practice 

While on my mat after my meditation practice, I get in a few sun salutations and asanas (yoga poses). It helps to get my joints moving and my body feeling awake. A great “wake up sequence” includes:

1. Start in child’s pose (5 breaths)
2. Move through Sun Salutation A (4 rounds)
3. Move through Sun Salutation B (4 rounds)
4. Rest in Standing Forward Bend (8 breaths) and move through 1 vinyasa flow
5. Transition into Warrior I and move through Vinyasa (2 x)
6. Transition into Warrior II and move through Vinyasa (2X)
7. Make your way to the mat and move into Seated Forward Bend
8. Rest in Corpse Pose for 5 minutes

4. 7:20 – Lemon/Ginger Tea & Probiotic

Before anything else goes in my body, I take my probiotic with a tall glass of filtered water. I continue my hydration by preparing warm lemon water and ginger tea, and sip this throughout the rest of my morning. Some days, I drink a lovely herbal tea instead, in order to keep the lemon to a lesser quantity (you have to be mindful its acidity can break down your tooth enamel).

5.  7:30 – “Get ready” 

I use some of my favourite natural beauty products, natural sunscreen and get dressed. After I am finished, I head back to the kitchen.

6. 8:00 – Green Juice or Smoothie

Now its time to start nourishing. I love to start my day with a Green Smoothie, spirulina/chlorella/mixed greens drink or a green juice. It all depends on the time I have, or what I’m feeling that morning. My favourite recipes for a green smoothie can be found here and my favourite greens mix here. For a perfect classic green juice in the AM, try this combination:

• large bunch of spinach
• 1 stalk of kale (it’s cruciferous, so I tend not to juice it too  much)
• 1 apple
• 1/2 cucumber
• 1/2 lemon, peeled

Now it’s time to head out the door and start the day. Namaste, LPN’ers!

Hopefully this post inspired you to continue with your morning routine, or start your own. Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect, or look the same everyday; but do trust that you will find more balance and natural beauty by following a relatively consistant morning practice. Your natural glow will soon be undeniable.

Good Morning, Beautiful!

X
K