Dear friends, I hope you’re having a lovely season so far. The arrival of the winter always gives me a feeling of serenity. For me, winter is not just a season, it’s a way of life. Every year, during this time, I always feel like going back to my good old days that I miss more than anything. And for many reasons, it’s always my favorite time of the year. There’s nothing better than snuggling up with a good book and a cup of hot tea on cold, gray winter days.

And self-care is even more important during winter. There were times in the past when I completely forgot about self-care and how important it is. I would prioritize other things over my well-being. But since I became involved more deeply with my healing journey, I’ve realized there are so many things I need to learn about self-love and self-care in particular.

I wasn’t always a morning person. I tried for years to become one and always failed. I love the quiet hours of late night when I could be alone, doing the things that I enjoy. But every morning after I woke up, I always suffered the consequences. Since I practiced self-love, I’ve tried my best to avoid staying up too late and train myself to rise with the sun. It’s not easy though.

Now I have some certain self-care rituals that I practice in the morning and somehow they become something that I always look forward to and something that motivate me to get up early. And of course, these self-care morning rituals don’t look the same everyday. They change with my mood, my energy and what my body is feeling like. They change when seasons change, the season of nature as well as the seasons of life.

Sometimes I love to sleep in more, especially during the wintertime and I wouldn’t practice any self-care rituals at all. Instead, I would just curl up with a good book and a warm blanket.

Anyway, here are some self-care rituals that I practice in the morning.

Prayer and meditation

I always try to find some quiet time in the early morning right after I get up to do prayer and meditation. Before meditating, I often burn sage to purify the mind, body and spirit. Sometimes I meditate with some crystals that I feel called to connect with.

As for meditation, I combine both silent meditation and guided meditation in my daily practice. I find myself much more relaxed and centered when I start my day with mediation.

Oil Pulling

I’ve been oil pulling for a few years now. This is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that doesn’t only help improve oral health but also your overall health by clearing toxins from the body. I used to use sesame oil for oil pulling but now I’ve switched to coconut oil because it just tastes better and is less expensive.

Dry-brushing

Another favorite act of self-care that I try to practice every morning is dry-brushing. To be honest, I just began dry brushing a few months ago even though I already knew about it when I read some books about Ayurveda back in university. And now I just love it. If it’s the weekend, or if I just want to feel pampered, I will give myself an oil massage after dry brushing while listening to some relaxing music or an audio book.

Drinking warm lemon water

Everyone in my family loves drinking warm water with honey or lime in the morning. It has somehow become our daily self-care ritual. Personally I prefer not to add honey to the water. I think it tastes better without honey but when the winter comes, honey is an absolutely amazing companion.

According to research, drinking a cup of warm lemon water every morning is one of the simplest, most affordable and natural ways to improve your health. It is thought to improve digestion, boost metabolism and helps in maintaining the Ph balance of the body. Lemon water can be actually beneficial for overall health by cleansing internal waste and removing toxins from the system.

Practicing Yoga

Yoga is one of my favorite parts of the day. I love how yoga helps to boost my energy to conquer the day.

My favorite yoga videos are taught by the one and only Yoga with Adriene because she is probably the most down to earth, relatable yoga teacher I’ve come across. I’ve been following Adriene’s videos for over 6 years and am still in love with her teachings.

I believe that having flexibility and grace with yourself is key to truly sustainable self-care. As opposed to something that feels strict or even punishing. So for example if I can’t do yoga in the morning, I’ll try to do it in the evening or simply take some moments during the day to stretch my body.

Mindful breakfast

There is nothing fancy about my breakfast. It’s quite simple, not to say boring. But when I eat, I try to stay present with my meal. I used to have a habit of eating while reading because I thought it would save my time, which is true but not really good for my mental health in the long-run.

Journaling

I now journal quite regularly and consistently but of course it was never always like this. Journaling is a habit that took me quite some time to develop. I love writing but there were times in the past when I didn’t feel like writing things down. I kept my feelings to myself and did not share them with anyone or even put them down on paper. In retrospect, I know it’s not a healthy way to deal with my emotions.

Not long ago, I started my dream journaling practice and it’s been really fun. It’s really difficult though to write down my dreams every single day though so I just do my best.

To be honest, I’m not actually a fan of to do lists and I’m terrible at planning. But I have to admit that having to do list helps me a lot in regard to time management and self-discipline which are some things that I’m still struggling with. Otherwise, I can get distracted easily by my daydreams :).

For me, self care isn’t just about taking care of my body. It’s also about nourishing my emotional, mental, and spiritual health. So I’ve found it’s important to listen to my body and do what I feel good instead of pushing myself too hard all the time.

I love all of my self-care rituals because they have the power to help me slow down and tune in to myself. I think the secret to a sustainable self-care morning routine is that it has to be something you enjoy and look forward to. So for me, my favorite part of my morning routine is savoring my little simple breakfast and playing with my cat while listening to some frequency music.

I let you in on what my self-care morning rituals look like in general and they’re not perfect. I don’t try to be productive. Of course we all have different self-care morning rituals, depending on our lifestyle, our preferences and our needs. Whatever your morning rituals may look like, I hope they bring you peace and joy and help your start your day with loving intention!

I wish you a wonderful day or night.

Sending my love,