It’s time to revamp your morning routine! Learn about how you can get the best out of your day.
A healthy morning routine is not a massive task. Pick one new habit at a time, and slowly you can shift the way you feel at the start of every day.
1. Gratitude. Even before leaving my bed practice gratitude by thinking of one thing you are thankful for. Someone You love, the awesome city You live in or the comfort of a good cup of tea. This will positivity really help shape your mood for the rest of the day.
2. Mindfulness. Mindfulness can leave you calmer, more focused and happier. Sit quietly, set a timer for 3 minutes and bring your attention back to your breath again and again. If you don’t have three minutes to spare, focus on just three full breaths sitting on the train on the way to work, or waiting at the traffic lights.
3. Movement. Roll out your yoga mat for a few rounds of sun salutations, or lace up your shoes and head out for a walk. Whether you have 2 minutes or 30, find time to get your body moving and stretch out after being still all night.
For most of us it's impossible to sleep-in regardless, but
rising with the sun gives you extra time in the morning to get
organised for yourself. This extra time allows you to fit
in the important things like exercise and organising your daily healthy
meals before rushing yourself off to work or the kids off to school.
However, do still try and ensure you're getting your 6-8 hours sleep a
night.
Laying idle for several hours in one position means the muscles begin to
stiffen up. Stretching as soon as you wake will help to realign the
body, ironing out all of those kinks you may have created by sleeping in
an awkward position. 1.
Rotational Stretch – Lay either on your bed or on a mat on the floor
with the legs bent up and the feet shoulder distance apart. Take the
knees over the one side and relax into the stretch, feeling the front of
the hip open and the spine naturally rotate. Focus on your breath,
holding for 30 seconds each side. 2. Arm Pretzel – Either sitting or
standing, bend one arm and place the forearm in line with the nose. Bend
the opposite arm, placing it underneath so that the elbows ‘lock’ into
place. Press the elbows together to stretch across the back and breath
deeply holding for 30 seconds each side. 3. Standing Rolldown – Start
with the feet hip distance apart. Inhale to prepare and
We’ve all heard it before; breakfast is the most important meal of the
day. Eating a variety
of different coloured berries will expose your cells to the multitude of
different antioxidants that they all have to offer. Invest in fresh
organic berries and add them to your juices, smoothies, breakfasts or
simply as a snack to detoxify the kidneys, cleanse the blood, and pack a
giant antioxidant punch that’ll delay the ageing process and decrease
inflammation.
Start your day with a complete facial
cleanse and body brush, followed by a beauty inspired shower to
stimulate circulation instantly. Rub some refreshing gel cleanser onto your face as soon as you enter the
bathroom, and massage it in with 30 seconds of circular movements so it
starts cleansing and waking up your face before you hit the shower.
Never have the shower too hot, as it strips away essential oils in both
your skin and hair. Rinse your face, then shampoo your hair- and take a
look at the products you are using. Leave
some conditioner on the ends of your hair and apply a face and body
scrub at the same time to stimulate your system and make you feel
energised all over and ready to embrace the day. And whatever you do,
always wear sunscreen on your face, neck and the backs of your hands.
Get revitalized in the morning by doing dry body brushing. It’s an
invigorating way to start the day, and the perfect excuse to pamper
yourself. It may appear to be a self-indulgent treat, but this simple
act provides some serious detoxification. It does this by activating the
lymph system; your body’s transit scheme for food and oxygen to be
transported through the blood into your cells, and the cells then return
waste back into your bloodstream. By dry body brushing daily, you are
increasing and improving the movement of the lymph so that waste is
eliminated and nutrients are delivered to the skin cells at a higher
capacity.
Profound physiological and psychological changes take place when we
meditate. Meditation teaches you how to
manage stress; in turn enhances your overall physical health and
emotional wellbeing. On a deeper level, it can add to the quality of
your life by teaching you to be fully alert, aware, and alive.
Colour is a very powerful tool which has been proven to affect our moods
and health. During the winter, people tend to wear darker clothing, but
the duller the colours you wear, the duller your mood is. The brighter
colour tones will pick your moods up and give you more energy &
passion, the dull or darker colour tones will have a more depressive
effect on you, while the pastel tones will lighten you up with a calming
effect. Colour combinations of vibrant yellow, green, orange, and red
are some of the best colors to counteract the winter blues, especially
sun yellow, yellow/green and yellow/orange. Yellow is cheerful, happy,
optimistic, and improves self-esteem and mental clarity. It immediately
cheers you up. Green helps bring in peace, harmony, renewal, and stress
reduction. Orange is joyful, playful, creative, social and energetic.
Red is vigor, vitality, assertiveness, strength, self-confidence and
passion.
