Suprabhatam. I am a morning person. I wake up just before sunrise, eyes wide open. I greet the day, thank the Divine for getting me out of the night slumber. And the day begins.
Being healthy is so important to our existence. Yet we disregard the simple tools that enable us to be healthy. Habits and patterns that we have formed over the years could be the main reason for this. Studying late into the night, waking up late is the beginning of this pattern. Later, as we grow older, our social life, nightlife, the television shows, late night meals are causes for our health issues.
Waking early is crucial to keeping good health. Our body's metabolism works best when we sleep early and wake up early. The functioning of our organs is best when manage this. Nevertheless given the fact that we exist in a global market, people keep odd hours, and certainly experience the ill effects of acidity, blood pressure.
Here are a few of my morning mantras. These help me put my best foot forward everyday!
#1 Drink Normal Water
One of the healthiest things to do when you wake up is to drink a couple of glasses of water. The water helps to flush out the body of all the toxins.
#2 Exercise
The next thing that most healthy people will do is to practice some form of exercise. I’ve tried a couple of different exercise routines and find yoga the best suited for me. The Suryanamaskars (sun salutations) give a good cardio workout and the other asanas stretch the body, massage our inner organs and prepare us for meditation.
#3 Pranayama
After the exercise it's important to harness the energy or prana and so yoga or exercise is usually followed by pranayama. There are many different kinds of pranayamas. One of the simplest and most effective one is the alternate nostril breathing.
Sit still with your spine erect, shoulders relaxed, eyes closed, place your right thumb on your right nostril, fore finger and middle finger between the eyebrows and ring finger on the left nostril. Gently close your right nostril. Breathe in from the left nostril, close the left nostril, open the right nostril and breathe out from the right. Now breathe in from the right, close the right, open the left nostril and breathe out from the left. Continue this for five minutes. Make sure that your breaths are easy and natural.
You can read up on more pranayamas here
#4 Meditation
This is a critical aspect of one’s morning routine. Meditation clears the mind, the thought process, gives the mind the rest that even a night's sleep is unable to give us. A healthy mind will certainly help us to have a healthy body. A meditative mind ensures that the person's lifestyle is conducive to healthy living.
The intangible mind is what drives us ahead in our life. Our actions are driven by our thoughts. So, to care of our mental health is imperative and only possible with meditation.
There are various kinds of meditations. Sahaj Samadhi Meditation is a very powerful form of meditation that helps us to come out of the various patterns and habits we have formed. This can be learned for a qualified teacher.
If you have never experienced meditation and till you enroll for a program, you can use a guided meditation.
Alternately, as soon as you have finished with the pranayamas, you can sit with your eyes shut and keep your attention on your breath. Make a strong intention to remain seated for at least 20 minutes and watch your breath.
#5 Smile
A smile is contagious. The smile on our face reaches out to all whom we meet and influences their day as well.
#6 Breakfast
Healthy people will never skip breakfast. Healthy people are aware of the body-mind complex and know the effect food has on the mind. It also gives you the energy boost you need for the day.
Fruits are a good way to break the night's fast. A sattvic vegetarian diet, with a bit of knowledge of ayurveda helps will go a long way.
Have a great day ahead.
