Create a Mindful Day with 5 Morning Rituals

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” – Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist monk

Life can often feel like it’s flying by… 

It sometimes seems like your mind is constantly zooming off into the future, or dwelling in the past… 

But imagine having the tools you need to slow down… to really be present to what’s happening in your life… to find meaning in the simple joys… 

Practicing mindfulness can help you slow down, start to notice your breath, and invite a sense of happiness and contentment that you may not have noticed before. 

Mindfulness is something that you practice each and every day. And it’s best to begin practicing this state of mind as soon as you start your day. 

Creating Mindfulness with Your Morning Routine has Many Benefits…

As you start your mindfulness practice, you’ll start to notice your life changing in several ways… 

• Your stress will seem to melt away, leaving you relaxed and calm
• Your immune system will strengthen, helping you fight off illnesses
• Your mood will lift, decreasing symptoms of depression
• Your overall health will improve, making your entire life better 

Some people confuse mindfulness with meditation, but I want to make sure you know that they are two different practices. 

Mindfulness is the art of becoming more aware of yourself and your surroundings. Meditation is the act of focusing your attention on a certain thing, which can sometimes be your awareness. 

So while mindfulness and meditation are a bit different, they complement each other well. If you already have a meditation practice, I invite you to try my Reiki Meditations. 

These guided meditations can boost your connection to Reiki energy by 300% or more! If you’re interested, click here to find out more. 

The most important thing to remember about both meditation and mindfulness is that your mind will wander. There is no ‘perfect’ in mindfulness. There are always times where your thoughts might drift off to something else… that 4:00 meeting...the pile of laundry in the hall...the argument you had with a friend… 

Be kind to yourself, and remember to gently invite your thoughts back into the present moment. 

To help you strengthen your mind’s ability to focus on the here and now, I’ve listed a few of my morning rituals that set me up for a mindful day. 

Aim to spend about 5 minutes on each activity… and you don’t have to do them all. Try each practice out, and see which ones work best for you. 

But if you only pick one, I would suggest this first practice… 

1. Cleanse Your Physical and Energetic Bodies

Right when you wake up, direct your gaze to your hands… 

See and feel the powerful energy that resides there, then use your hands to cleanse your Aura. To do this, gently move your hands over your body starting at the top of the head and moving down toward the feet. 

This practice removes any remaining energy from the day before, or any energy that you accumulated overnight that may not serve your health. 

Once you’ve cleansed your Aura, be sure to wash your hands, or even your entire body if you’re brave, in cold water. The cold water helps to dissipate any negative energy you may have removed, and it also helps to ground you. 

I always wash my hands with cold water after performing Reiki for the same reasons: I want to be sure to remove leftover negative energy and re-engage with my connection to the earth. 

It’s important to remove the old energy so that you can start fresh each day. With the old energy removed, you won’t be distracted by thoughts or worries from the day before, and you’ll be able to bring your mind fully into the present. 

Now that your mind is clear, it’s time to cultivate a focus for your day.

2. Set Your Daily Intention 

Have you ever been to a yoga class where the instructor invited you to set an intention for your practice? 

If you have, then you know how this simple act can transform your experience on the mat. And the same thing can happen when you set a daily intention each morning. 

An intention is a word or phrase that you use to guide your day. Unlike goals, which are typically oriented toward actions and tangible results, intentions are meant to evoke a certain feeling or emotion. 

Focusing your mind on a daily intention helps you to cultivate your presence in each moment by stimulating your awareness. 

Intentions are also related to the Law of Attraction, which says that like attracts like. This means that creating an intention brings the feeling you hope to cultivate into the universe so that the universe can send that energy right back to you. 

If you’ve never set an intention before, or don’t know where to start, here are a few topics to inspire how you might want to spend your day:

• Gratitude 
• Letting Go 
• Inner Strength
• Opening Your Heart
• Releasing Judgements

Setting your intention is also an important part of performing a Reiki Healing session. And your intention often comes from the information you gather by listening to your intuition. 

There are many ways to strengthen your intuition, and thus help you cultivate an intention, but one of the easiest ways is with my Reiki Meditations. These guided audios will help you improve six different aspects of your Reiki practice, including intuition. 

If you’re interested in improving your ability to sense what’s needed, click here to check out these guided meditation. 

With your intention set, you can continue throughout your day keeping this idea in mind. You might even use your intention as the subject of your meditation practice… 

3. Meditate 

If you have never tried meditating in the morning, you may find that it’s much easier to do because your brain is fresh and a bit calmer at this time of day. Your thoughts may not be as distracted or scattered, leaving you to focus your attention on the object of your meditation. 

You can choose any kind of meditation that works for you, but I want to share one of my favorite morning meditations that I find particularly helpful for cultivating a sense of mindfulness.

Scanning your body from head to toe will help you take inventory of the starting point for your day. 

First, find a comfortable seat where your spine can be straight. Then take a deep breath in through your nose and let a sigh out of your mouth. If it feels appropriate, close your eyes. 

Starting at the top of your head, allow your attention to scan your body as you work your way down through the neck… the chest… the torso and arms… the legs… all the way down to the feet. As you scan, look for physical sensations such as pain, soreness, temperature, stiffness, or tightness. 

With this information, you are becoming more aware of your body, which sets the stage for cultivating a sense of awareness of physical sensations as you move throughout the rest of your day. 

While physical sensations are important to pay attention to, it’s also important to look at the more subtler thoughts and feelings that may arise… 

4. Write in Your Journal

Writing in your journal is almost like doing a body scan, but instead of focusing on physical sensations, you are now looking for thoughts and emotions. 

Exploring your mind and the state of your emotions allows you to form a deeper connection with yourself by strengthening your inner knowledge and self-awareness. 

Take a few moments to listen to your inner voice and hear the thoughts and/or feelings that come up. Perhaps your mind wanders back to your intention, and that’s a great place to start your journal entry. 

For a more guided approach in your writing, you might try one of the following journal prompts… 

• What are three things I’m grateful for right now?
• What are three feelings or emotions that I want to cultivate in myself and/or share with others today?
• What thoughts are speaking the loudest in my mind?
• Which emotions can I identify in myself at this very moment?

Just remember not to get attached to a certain thought. Simply be an observer and watch each one as it passes. 

After you finish with your journal, it's time to head out into nature... 

5. Go Outside 

Nature has a special way of pulling you into the present moment. It helps you cultivate a meditative state as you watch the beauty of nature exist in the only moment that matters: the one that’s happening right now. 

Many people have experienced the ability of nature to enhance their meditative awareness, even those who don’t have a regular meditation practice. 

Nature’s infinite beauty can have a powerful effect on your emotions and thoughts, and allowing yourself to become more aware of how nature influences you strengthens your mindfulness practice. 

Stepping into the peace and quiet of nature in the morning can help to clear your mind. There are no distractions from the world of technology pulling at your attention. 

Another benefit of allowing yourself to spend time outdoors is that it solidifies your connection to the earth. Surrounding yourself with nature helps you to feel more grounded, allowing your mind to stay present. 

Starting your day with a little time outside can set you up for feeling more grounded and mindful throughout the rest of your day. The energy of the natural environment is both calming and energizing, and immersing yourself in it helps you become one with that energy. 

The energy from nature is so powerful, and connecting into this energy can improve your Reiki practice. For a detailed explanation on exactly how to do this, listen to my Reiki Meditations. 

Just follow along with these 6 guided meditations and watch your energetic connection strengthen. Click here for more info. 

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