Some Rituals That Get My Day Off to a Good Start - A Responce to @EcoTrain QOTW...
@EcoTrain Question of the Week - "What rituals do you have, and why are they important to you?" got me thinking...
When I wake up in the morning, how important it is to shake off the grogginess from sleep and get my energy flowing, ready to greet all the kids in the "Play and Exploration" program.
If I'm not up to meeting the kids with energy and enthusiasm, they pick up on it real quick and it makes for a not so pleasant day. I love working (or playing) with the kids, but as you can imagine there can be many challenges with having a group of sixteen 3 and 4 year olds with only 2 adults.
My Routine to get my day started and myself ready and energized -
It starts the night before - I prepare a cup of chocolate orange tea to have ready to hydrate myself first thing in the morning.
Upon waking I want to get moving - I do some stretches (combination of simple yoga poses and other stretches for my back.) Once my muscles are stretched I get my energy going with gentle sit bouncing, moving on to standing bounce on my toes then onto the rebounder for a few minutes.
Next, I get outside in the courtyard between the house and the meditation studio and I do some earthing (being barefoot on the bare ground) and do a modified version of "Sun Salutation", leaving out the prone positions and incorporating a more swinging action when standing upright. This really helps me feel the energies of the earth pulsating through my body.
Now my energy is flowing it's time to get myself into a peaceful and joyous (well, as close to being joyous as I can be) state with an hour of meditation ( doing Anapana and Vipassana). I usually enter my meditation looking for the strength and clarity to know my own good and the good of other, for my own welfare and the welfare of those around me.
One last thing I need to start my day is some fuel for my body. Something with ground cacao nibs in it, for an energy blast.
Chocolate Blueberry Mint Smoothie
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
2 Tbsp ground cacao nibs
a good handful of hemp hearts
a few drops of peppermint extract or use peppermint tea instead of the water
1 1/2 cups water
Honey or stevia to sweeten to taste
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy!
Chocolate Cherry Chia Porridge
3 tbsp chia seeds
a good handful of hemp hearts
ground cacao nibs
1 cup coconut milk (warmed)
1/4 cup chokecherry juice (optional)
Stevia or honey to taste
Stir all the ingredients together in a bowl and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to let the chia seeds swell and turn to gel.
With a hug and a wave goodbye to my husband I am off for a marvelous day with the kids.
Image source: Sun Salutation
Sun salutations are SO good for you in so many ways! Is it getting a bit cold for bare feet now?
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I love my modified version of the sun salutation to greet the rising sun (at the right time of year or just greet the day at other times). That along with going barefoot (earthing)really seems to tune me in to Mother Nature. It's funny when I go out barefoot there seems to be some heat built up in my feet so I don't feel the cold the same. Also it just feels very stimulating with all those nerve endings at the bottom of your feet so I identify it more as stimulating than feeling cold. We have a big overhang on part of the courtyard that we keep the snow away from so I will still go barefoot for a bit until it gets to like 30 below Celsius than it's more of a mad dash to get into the meditation studio. I have a sand floor in our root cellar so I will often go there to do some earthing in the winter, feel the enerrgy rising up through my body from the earth.
ahaa! the first food ritual! and a great balance with some yoga.. I could Never get my head around the sun salutation for some reason.. i would always get it wrong! ;=_ xx
I use to do the full Sun Salutation before but now I do a modified version that seems to fit in better with my morning routine and the goal of getting my body moving. That is why I added a sort of swinging motion into it. As for the food I really do love to have some raw cacao nibs in some sort of recipe, to give me a burst of energy! I don't drink coffee but this works well for me.
I’ve forgotten how good a short routine of sun salutations are. Thanks for the reminder.
I need to start some ritual for physical health, this could be what I need to help kickstart that. 😊🙏🏽❤️
I had forgotten about the Sun Salutation for awhile too, then I wanted to get my body moving in the mornings and it fit in well with a little modification. I put more of a swing action into it. Glad I tweaked your memory and I hope it works out well for you.
This is the best wake up ritual I have ever read about! I can barely manage coffee and brushing my hair right now - I really need to rethink how I start the day! :)
I found it a necessity to get my energies flowing so I was in good shape to work with the kids. The first set of stretches I actually do in my bed, just starting to get things moving. I'm fortunate too that I live in the forest so it's great to get out, breathing the fresh air and feeling the energy from the earth raising up through my body. I'm not a coffee drinker so I turn to my cacao nibs to give me an energy boost. Hope this inspires you to get up and moving and to greet the day!
I love Sun salutation, one of my often used yoga thingies and I love those chocolate recipes. Your mornings look amazing with such a natural way of starting your day. Much love 💚
If it wasn't for the fact that I work with young kids I probably wouldn't be so concerned about getting my energies going but right now it seems a necessity and I really like how I feel when I get up and moving, greeting the day with Sun Salutations!
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I love the sun sulatation ritual altho I haven't used it for a while, seeing this has reminded me I need to reincoperate it in my morning routine!