Does your morning ritual support your wellbeing and set a positive tone for your day? Or, does it leave you rushed and frazzled? What we do first thing in the morning affects our wellbeing and energy for the day.

My morning ritual began many years ago. Less than 15 minutes long, it prepares me for the day ahead, helps me center and connect with the Universe, offer gratitude and set my intention for the day. On days when I have more time, I also work in some yoga stretches.

Each morning on the way to my barn, in the dark, cup of coffee in hand, I pass under three very old and wise cedar trees. These trees offer strength and comfort and are home to squirrels, birds and a plethora of insects. Spending a few quiet minutes under the cedars, I connect to the earth and nature. The rustles, chirps, trills, flutters, hoots, crows and songs of the creatures waking around the farm feel light and happy. The smells of the seasons are strong – honeysuckle in spring, mowed grass and fragrant blooms in summer, my tea olives in fall, wood smoke and dried leaves in winter…

A few steps out, I am in an open space. Here, I stop to gaze at the sky, feel the air around me and the earth beneath my feet. I spend a few minutes in quiet meditation and breath work, connecting to the Universe, expressing gratitude and grounding to the earth.

I imagine the air around me dissolving away tension, worries, negative thoughts and feelings. Often, I receive a message from an animal, the trees, the wind, or the Universe. I recite the Reiki precepts and set my intention for the day as I bid the world “good morning”.

These few minutes of quiet awareness and mindfulness set the tone for my day. If I am ever in a rush and skip this ritual, I feel my day is missing something.

What is your morning routine? What tone does it set for your day? How does it make you feel? How can you incorporate a few minutes of mindfulness and connection with the universe into your morning rituals?

Laura Thomas
3Cedarsreiki.com