Start Your Day Right with the Magic Morning Mindset

“What nine months of attention does for an embryo forty early mornings alone will do for your gradually growing wholeness.”Rumi

Most people would agree that self-care includes manicures, spa treatments, and movie night on the sofa. But I believe that it’s time—actually, beyond time—to go deeper and re-claim what self-care truly means. It’s also time to see self-care as imperative, and to move it from the lonely bottom of our to-do list and plant it firmly at the very top.

Self-care is my source of energy and fuel. If I make time in my schedule for self-care, such as play, sister time and reflection, it helps me stay in touch with myself. YesAnd Please enter noTo.

It’s about getting rid of the clutter in my head by journaling daily and working out at the gym. It’s about telling my husband, “I can’t make dinner for us tonight, my love; I need to go and have some time alone and take a bath after a long day.” And doing so without guilt.

The amazing thing about this is that the more time I take for myself the more I am able to give and be patient with the people I care the most. This is how it works. To give back to myself more, I am able to give to others more from a place where I feel full.

We would never dream of driving cross-country without stopping for fuel, snacks, and water—or trying to make the drive on an empty tank. Yet, we believe we can continue pushing on through our exhaustion with no consequences.

Looking back on my journey, from being physically and emotionally depressed to feeling reclaimed, it is clear that I made the decision to no longer care about others’ opinions and make my health, happiness and voice my priority.

It was obvious to me that I felt whole when I allowed myself to be myself, even though my voice was shaken, and that I left with no lingering feelings.

When I didn’t speak my mind, and held in my opinions and needs, I ended up at Best Buy yelling at the customer service manager because I had so much pent up sadness and anger from stuffing things down and being “nice.”

Being honest with myself regarding my self-care was a key to me being able to be fully myself around others.

All of this began more than a decade ago. My son had just been dropped off at preschool. After a while, I was unable to move from my car to the cafe where I intended to work.

I felt the tears start bubbling up, but they weren’t quite ready to flow yet. After all, I didn’t really have anything to cry about, did I? My son was well, I loved him, and we both had stable incomes from our jobs.

We had a warm, furnished home. Friends and relatives were always available. Although my mom and sister were thousands of kilometers apart, it was not surprising that they lived so close. Even worse, my closest friends resided on the opposite shores. But I’d thankfully found a few new friends to share the early motherhood journey with, and they were truly lifesavers for me. I’m sure I was that for them as well.

But, I was stuck in confusion and couldn’t get out of my car to go into the coffee shop. All I could think was, “Who the hell am I now? Is that where the Please send meThat I thought I was so good at? And who the hell am I about to become?”

That’s when the phone rang. It was my sister (i.e. It was my sister (i.e. divine intervention). She asked me how I was, and that’s all I needed to hear. It was then that the floodgates burst open wide and the torrent of tears started.

“What’s wrong??? “What’s wrong?” Are you OK??” she asked.

“Yes, no, yes… well, everyone is fine, I’m fine, it’s just…I don’t know what the hell I’m feeling… I’m just… sad.” There was some kind of relief in letting myself cry and saying it out loud. This felt almost like the valve had been loosening suddenly.

The truth was that a part of my soul had been hidden from me for some time. It was this part of me, that was slowly letting go. The parts of me I was used to having more freedom and more freedom to express my feelings and to not be restricted in my speech began to show up as I became a husband, mother, resident of a new country, and homeowner. This part of me became pissed and hurtful, was sad and prepared to flee.

But I knew that I couldn’t run back to who I was before I got married and became a mama. And I couldn’t run forward either because the ground in front of me had become uncertain; I didn’t know how I was going to step into all of these new roles while still maintaining a sense of myself. I was now focusing all my attention on the survival of another human being and my sole family member in this new location.

Instead of running, I just imploded, but it happened slowly, over time, so that I hadn’t noticed.

After years spent working hard to start a business and raise a family, as well as build a home and build it, my body took a backseat. After years of suffering in my stomach and exhaustion, it was now that my body is ready to receive my honor.

My sister and I were driving back to the house when she asked me what would change the course of my life. She wanted me to tell her if it was something that made me feel like attending a yoga class. She told me she recalled a time when I shouted my passion for yoga to the tops of my head. Although it was years ago that I stood up on my mat to hold my hands, my heart wasn’t there.

When I had stopped crying, she promised me that I would take her to class.

It was the very next morning that I found myself in the beautiful, azure-blue and golden studio which would be my anchor over two more years.

For six months, almost all of my yoga classes ended with me crying. Gradually, my body began to return to its natural state. It was easy to feel those parts of me I had hidden begin to reveal themselves and start talking to me. Every pose helped me to come back to my true self and mold me into who I had become.

Six months after I started my yoga practice, Deborah, my yoga instructor extraordinaire, suggested a 6-month intensive yoga teacher training program. Even though I didn’t want to be a teacher of yoga, it was something I found myself wanting.YesMy heart and my body.

Every Saturday, we met on Wednesday night. That was the first time that I had committed to not being with my son on an ongoing basis. It was a heavy guilt that I carried around with me. But I ended up being able to forgive myself. You already knewThis was what I needed to do. It was necessary. You already knewIt would provide me with the necessary tools to make my dreams come true. Please be Present If I could, I would be at home to give back to my family as they merit.

The yoga teacher training program required you to practice yoga each day. Specifically, I had to do yoga every morning. Even though I had a toddler, it was difficult for me to keep a consistent sleep schedule.

Deborah was my mentor and guide. Her guidance and mentorship helped me get to know my body better than ever before. By using movement, writing, meditations and breathing, she taught me to recognise my emotional triggers. She also showed how to let go of tension that had stuck in my body for so many years. I decided to give it a try, despite my reservations.

I thought, “I could give up five minutes of sleep and start there.” And that is exactly how it all started. It was those five first minutes that the magic began to happen.

After the first few days, something changed in me. I started to get up earlier, move more, meditate and take deep breaths.

It was obvious that I had a growing patience for my son. It was funny how things that I used to find frustrating turned out to be amusing. My son noticed that I became more calm during transitions. He said that I was happy, even at the age of three-four years. It was enough to motivate me.

Then, I made a commitment to do ten- to fifteen minutes each morning of the routine. On days my son got up early, I started leaving him a basket with books and toys to keep him busy while I was working. Some mornings he needed my cuddling or holding hand. It was perfectly fine.

I realized that this was truly an evolving practice and that he wouldn’t be four years old forever. It was not worth being rigid when it was supposed to bring me more joy and peace.

The Magic Morning Mindset was born from my practice of morning yoga over the next ten years. It is a combination of synchronicity with laughter and abundance that allowed me to experience the Magic Morning Mindset.

This is true for all. If you’re looking to take better care of yourself, mind, body, and spirit, the morning is where it starts.

Whether your morning mindset practice is short or long, includes yoga or dance, includes writing for an hour or for just five minutes, there’s always a benefit beyond the morning hours.

Start your day with the Magic Morning Mindset. This sets the tone of your day. Start your day with the Magic Morning Mindset to help you feel calmer, happier, more connected, better able and more capable of expressing yourself. By prioritizing self-care and putting it at the top of your to-do list, you’re telling yourself that your needs matter.

Is there a MAGIC Morning Mindset for me?

M – Movement
A – Alignment
G – Gratitude
I – Intuition (or Intention)
C – Connection

Where can you start?

1. Set the intention to have a Magic Morning Mindset.

2. You can make an effort to get up earlier if you are having trouble getting to sleep. Even a few minutes will help.

3. Find out what you are looking for in your mind, body and soul.

4. Set yourself up for success—lay out a yoga mat the night before, or have your journal and a few pens ready. (I can’t tell you how many pens I’ve gone through over the years.)

5. Begin with 5 minutes.

6. Try the Magic Morning Mindset and see how it changes your mood throughout the day.

These are just a few ideas that will help you get started

Mind

• Write down your dream.
• Just write without editing, even if it feels really weird and you’re writing nonsensical words. Simply write.
• You can write ten- to fifteen I AM statements. Ex.
• You can write whatever thoughts and ideas you have until your heart feels lighter.
• You can journal anything you encounter while practicing these techniques so that you can reflect upon your journey.

The Body

• Dance to your favourite song.
• Perform three to five Yoga Sun Salutations.
• Move in any direction that you feel good.
• Keep warm by doing push-ups, jumping jacks, and other exercises until you are comfortable.
• You can journal anything you encounter while practicing these techniques so that you can reflect upon your journey.

Spirit

• You can sit still for up to three minutes and just pay attention to your breathing.
• Try guided meditation.
• There are many ways to meditate.
• Begin with one minute of total stillness, and you’ll be amazed at how it feels.
• You can journal anything you encounter while practicing these techniques so that you can reflect upon your journey.

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Like all things new in life, it’s possible to feel excited about beginning your day with some magic. But then you might find yourself with less time than you thought. Over the last decade of practicing this Magic Morning Mindset, I’ve had long stretches where I’ve felt fired up and have woken up early enough to enjoy a luxurious sixty to ninety-minute morning practice. But on some days, I’ve only been able to squeeze in five to ten minutes.

It makes a difference in the quality of my day when you invest more in your morning. But I don’t give myself a hard time when it has to be shorter. It is important to be open-minded and flexible and to just take each day as it comes.

If you’re showing up every morning for yourself, it will be a sign that you believe in yourself, your happiness, your joy and your connection with your self.

This practice can be made yours and you will see the improvements in your day. YouPut it back at the top of your list.

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Tiny Buddha’s first post, Start Your Day Right With the Magic Morning Mindset, appeared first here