HIIII! Monday is here again- and it is MARCH! WTF! 2018, you are a beauty but please slow down! Please? I’m actually not too upset with it being March already, that means spring and summer are that much closer! Shitty thing is, I have yet to get on the slopes. It has been over TWO YEARS! GET IT TOGETHER SHAN! Hopefully I can squeeze one or two days in this month before the snow starts to melt…or will it?

I wanted to talk to you guys today about something I have been practicing for a little while now. It has helped me, and I only want to return the favour and help others. There is really something to be said about mornings. Now granted, I was never really a morning person… “ewwww” is what I thought about them not too long ago. It was a few years ago where I decided I would be the 6am instructor at a few studios. I thought ” I WANNA BE A MORNING PERSON!” Nothing makes you a morning person then literally having to be somewhere early or you don’t get paid. 😛

So, I did that for a couple years… and it was awesome. The benefit was that I started to look at waking up earlier in a positive light. The crap shoot about it was, that I was working out in a hot room without replenishing my electrolytes properly, thus feeling so tired in the middle of the day (which resulted in a lot of naps). The second thing, I wasn’t owning my morning. What I mean by that is, if I had to be at the studio by 530am, I would wake up at the last possible minute before having to get out of my warm bed and rush out the door. So, I would press snooze until 515am and roll out of bed and go. Somedays not even brushing my teeth. Yep… I do that often.

So, what really am I talking about when I say own your morning? Well, all the successful people in the world do it. I want to be successful, so I copy successful people. Most wake by 5am, but some crazies wake up at 3am! That’s a little early for me, plus; it is witching hour then so… NO THANKS! However, there is power in waking up early, and sticking to a routine! Here’s what I have been doing.

The 5 Minute Journal
If you follow me on social media, you will have seen me share this before. I have been using this for over half a year, and I can tell you- it really works! Here’s the gist- Every morning- even if you are late, tired, or bitchy, you write in it! VERY first thing you do! Why? It allows you to start generating all the things you are grateful for. By giving thanks to everything you got going on in your life, the Universe responds, or your vibrations become higher, therefore creating more amazing things for you! You also start to think about the day ahead. The journal asks you, “What are you grateful for?” and “What would make today great?” By writing down some great things you want to have happen, again, it opens up your mind on how that is going to get done and the manifestation process starts! Last, it asks you for some daily affirmations. What do you tell yourself first thing in the morning? “I’m ugly, I’m fat, I’m tired?”. No offence, but if you talk to yourself that way, your day is going to be ugly, fat and tired too! Your body and mind really pick up on your subconscious thoughts and actions, so by saying something positive about yourself at the beginning of your day, it starts it off with a bang! The journal also gives you a daily quote, and a section to reflect on at the end of the day with questions like “3 amazing things that happened today” and “what could have made today even better?” Trust me , this journal is wicked awesome and has changed my mornings.

Make Your Damn Bed!
LOL, k this seems so dumb, but again… it works! I used to feel so unorganized and scattered and messy… and now I know why. I never made by bed. I don’t know about you, but one of the best feelings ever, is getting into a nice, cozy, freshly made bed. Anyone else?? Reasons why to make your bed? You can feel good knowing you accomplished one thing that day, and first thing right out of the gates. Seriously, sounds stupid, but it helps me feel less stressed and more happy to come home. It makes your room look neater too! There are tons of articles on why you should make your bed in the morning- I am not going to get into the science of it LOL, just know I do it, and it helps A LOT.

MANTRAS
Okay, so after I get my ass out of bed, and I have made the bed, I then walk a few steps to my door. There, I have a printed out a sheet of daily affirmations that I specifically chose to read aloud. I don’t believe all of them yet, and you aren’t suppose to. Again, this is me manifesting good shit into my life, and the more I repeat positive stuff, the more it is going to come. I read it out loud, then I go to the bathroom (where it is also posted) and I read it again. It’s in the kitchen too, and by the front door. It is everywhere. I am surrounded by it so it becomes ingrained in me. I am forcing myself to make new habits. I also read the mantra of the day from the book, Journey To The Heart– something that was recommended to me at  The Victoria Yoga Conference. If you see my insta stories, you will know what I am talking about. There is a little story for every day of the year in there, plus a daily mantra. Again, more positive brainwashing for me to put my awesome pants on and kill the day. I also gaze over my Vision Board. I make a board every year in January; the goals I want to accomplish, the lifestyle I want…all the things that make me feel good. Your thoughts create your life, so as I look at and read these things each morning, I slowly start to escape the prison of limiting beliefs.

 

 

Scrape Your Tongue
Alright, I’ll admit… this next one is new, and a little out there! But, I must thank TSC for this one.. and my boyfriend I guess :P. He would always clean or brush his tongue. I never really thought about it until I saw him do it. It makes so much sense though! We put pretty much everything into our mouths, and brush our teeth… but a lot of bacteria gets caught on your tongue! Go take a look at it now…is it white? Does it have film on it? Cleaning your tongue has major health benefits, and gets all that nasty shit out of there. Go invest-your breath will smell better… thank me later!

WATER, ACV, VITAMINS!
Ok, so AFTER YOU SCRAPE YOUR TONGUE, only then can you drink water! Why after? If you drink water before cleaning your tongue, your drinking down all that gross bacteria from the day before. Ew… So ya… drink after! Your metabolism needs to get going, and water will start to get everything flowing after a nights sleep. I make sure I drink at least 2 cups of warm water with a dash of Apple Cider Vinegar. I have talked about ACV before and its health benefits on the gut. Just do yourself a favour and drink it, okay? Also, if you wake up hungry…majority of the time you are just thirsty! Drink 2 cups of water, then ask yourself if you are still hungry. Even if you are, you will eat less because your belly is full. I also take my vitamins; B12, D,C, Caprylic Acid and some probiotics for my gut.

 Workout
After I have hydrated myself, it’s time to get that heart rate pumping! Yes, even if I teach that morning, you best believe I am working out for myself first. I move my coffee table out of the way, turn on my program and get to it. I never used to do this and now that I do, it makes me that much more productive and happier. Honestly, I am such a bitch if I don’t sweat everyday! I don’t understand how I had friends before workouts were a regular thing in my life. And yes, I work out on an empty stomach. Some people don’t think that is a good idea… it works for me. If you want to start small, here is a beginner flow that is perfect for your morning!

Headstand & Meditation
After I finish lifting weights, cardio or whatever is on the agenda for that day, I then try to mediate for 5-7 minutes. It is so hard for me to stay still, however, I relax my brain and my breath and sit there manifesting love for the day. Sometimes I do this in a headstand! This one is newer and I will admit challenging AF, but it is getting easier every day I do it. This was another little tidbit I picked up from the Victoria Yoga Conference. I wanted to try it to perfect my practice, but I also found out it has a ton of health benefits. If you wanna know more about those benefits, this blog post sums it up!

AND, last but not least… This is all done 2 hours prior of you having to get up. YUP thats right.
I talked about owning your morning, didn’t I? Well how can you possibly do all this shit if you wake up 15 minutes before you have to shower and get ready for work or whatever else you do in your day? The answer is GOOD LUCK. Yeah, I know…getting up before you HAVE TOO? WTF right? Well yeah, if you want your days to keep going how they are. Maybe you like that, and that is totally okay. A lot of people are okay with being comfortable. I look for ways I can be better and improve myself and doing these things has helped me tremendously. I feel organized, happy, and excited for the day ahead. I take care of myself first, so I can be of service to others for the rest of the day. The wakeup time for the past few months has been about 530-6am and it has been going swimmingly. If you are wanting to step it up, I really suggest getting down a morning routine that works for you and that you can actually stick to and enjoy! That is the main part- ENJOY! It might feel crappy the first few days, but if it continues to not feel good, it is probably not the routine for you. Experiment, and discover what will make your day amazing.

OH, one more thing. If you can get freaky in the morning, it is the icing on the cake 😉 

Until next Monday,

Namaste