Mornings used to not be my most favourite part of the day.

For as long as I can remember, my mornings consisted of, several alarms going off (one was never enough to keep my eyes open longer than 5 minutes), rushed dressing and half-breathed goodbyes while running out the door in a panicked state.

Because no matter what time it was or where I was going, I was always late! That was, before my morning ritual. Now, I have my coconut oil and lemon water. Yes, you read correctly.

How do they help? I began something called oil pulling which consists of taking a spoonful of coconut oil and swishing it around in your mouth for twenty minutes. It removes toxins and has an array of benefits including whiter teeth and clearer skin!

Around that same time I also picked up the habit of drinking a warm glass of lemon water upon waking. Warm lemon water has been said to balance the ph level in our gut. Now-a-days most of us have less alkaline and more acidic gut system than we should, this is due to the types of food that we eat.

Interestingly enough, citrus fruits and veggies such as lemon (although acidic in nature) create an alkaline environment when ingested.  Learn more about that here.

Though I began these habits with the intent that they would be a healthy for my body, they ended up bringing me piece of mind. These first  thirty minutes of my morning allowed me time to be with myself in a calm state rather than rushing around the house trying to multitask several things before dashing out.

That calm and piece of mind that I got in these thirty extra minutes a day, probably did more good for my health than any drink concoction or oil pulling ever did. And maybe thats what we’re all really looking for when trying to create a healthy morning ritual.

A time and space that we create for ourselves, to connect back to us, without any external distractions.

After all they say how you begin your morning will reflect on the rest of your day. I recently read an article that interviewed several successful millennial’s morning routines. The most common thread that connected them was the waking up with gratitude. No matter what their physical routine was or wasn’t. They occupied their mind what thoughts of what they were thankful to have.

And that to me is worth more than any physical routine. So maybe out of all the routines we can begin our day with, the simplest and most effect one, is gratitude.

Relephant:

Morning Rituals Set the Stage for Your Day.

Author: Sarah Shawki

Image: pixabay.com, David Leggett on Flickr