RISE & SHINE, SUNSHINE!
How do you start your day? Do you wake to the alarm, hit snooze, pull the covers over your head then finally, at the very last minute, drag yourself out of bed to face the morning rush? Did you mentally prepare for your day ahead? How’s your energy levels?
Imagine getting up an hour earlier – it may mean going to bed before 10pm – and forming a new routine. One that starts your day with appreciation for your life, for wonder over the morning dew and the rising of the sun, yes, as it happens before your very eyes. Imagine how different your life would be if you breathed in the sunrise each and every morning with awe, if you took the time to sit within the sacred quietude of the early morning to centre yourself in peace and nourish your soul before the outer demands of the day set in. If you had the knowledge of a new routine that prepared your body and mind for the day ahead like that, would you use it?
It’s Spring time now, almost Summer. With the mornings heating up, it is easier to enjoy an earlier rise if you know what it may do for your life.
So, picture this. First, think about your current routine, and be really honest with yourself here – how does it set you up for your day? Is there room for improvement? No judgements, just reflect. Next, prepare yourself for change, for a routine that is endlessly life affirming and nurturing for you, so that you begin your day with sacred awareness and calm, gentle empowerment, aligned with the sun. Let’s get ready to relax upon waking and enjoy the gifts of a new day dawned.
YOUR NEW MORNING ROUTINE
• Wake up before the sun rises, and offer gratitude to the universal forces for your life before you even get out of bed. With your eyes closed, imagine a shower of golden light gently pouring over and into your body, the same golden light from the sun.
• Wash your face, eyes and mouth, then drink boiled warmed water with freshly squeezed lemon in it.
• Keep your mind focused on your breath, and single pointed attention on each task as you perform it. Move through this new routine with concentrated awareness of your body, your mind and of peace.
• Go to the bathroom and wash hands again.
• Brush your teeth, and scrape tongue. Overnight, there is a build up of toxins on the tongue that need to be removed in the morning, otherwise they will get reabsorbed. You can purchase a tongue scraper to remove this film on your tongue. In lieu of that, gently brush your tongue.
• Gently massage warmed oil into your skin. In winter, use high grade, quality sesame oil, and in the heat of the summer, use cooling coconut oil. Start with your head, and massage the oil into your scalp in circular motions. Massage your clean face, including the earlobes as there are marma points there. Work into the limbs, applying the oil in long strokes upwards towards your heart, circling around the joints as you go. When you get to the abdomen, massage your tummy in the direction of digestion – up the right side, across to the left, down the left. Finish by spending time lovingly massaging the oil into your feet.
• Put on a robe and head outside to take in the new day dawning while the oil soaks in. Breathe.
• Meditate. Drop your awareness into your heart centre now, and imagine a chord from your heart centre, right in the middle of your chest, energetically connecting in to the heart centre or core of the sun. Receive through the sun’s rays, a beautiful radiance deep into your soul. Keep this powerful connection and visualise another chord, from your heart centre, grounding you to the core of the earth, aligning equally with the sun and the earth to set your day. Stay in this awareness for a few minutes at least.
• Now, time for your shower. Keep the mind focused internally while you shower, and maintain peaceful thoughts.
• Next, stretch into your body with this yoga sequence.
THE WARRIOR SEQUENCE
Standing, step your right leg one leglength back on the mat as shown.
Turn right foot sixty degrees to left.
Inhale, raise arms above your head, palms of hands facing each other, draw shoulders down.
Square your hips to centre. Move slowly with awareness.
On your exhale, pull your abdomen back towards your spine, and pivot from your hips to fold forward with straight, energised legs.
Ensure you soften at the back of the knees while energising the legs.
Place your hands on the floor, or somewhere along your front leg.
On the inhale, press into both feet, and with a straight spine and energised legs, slowly raise back up to the starting position.
Continue folding forward on the outbreath and raising up to standing on the in-breath for a further five more times.
Step legs together.
Step the left leg back now to repeat the entire sequence on the other side.
Close by stepping both feet together and spend a moment with hands in prayer, expressing gratitude for your body and everything it does to support your life.
• Finally, before eating a health giving breakfast, express gratitude for your new routine, for your life, and the loving divine expression of all that is, all that was, and all that will ever be.
Enjoy the new day as it dawns, and the awakening of consciousness as you ease into the day’s events.
Kylie Terraluna is a yoga, health and lifestyle feature writer and health journalist. Kylie teaches private yoga and wellness coaching sessions, with home visits along the hills to hawkesbury region and sometimes beyond. She also runs private retreats. Kylie is the Health & WellBeing feature writer for the Hills to Hawkesbury Living Magazine. For more, visit kylieterraluna.com.au.
