Relaxing, calm and slow morning routine to start the day with

A peeking morning

I love mornings and I think mornings love me.

A fresh canvas to start on.

Whether I mean to or not, I leave the previous day behind, not entirely lived. I think we all do. Such is life- never enough. Such are humans- never satisfied. The chance of starting afresh feels like a risky joke God plays on us. Oh, I’ve kept you alive? How wonderful, go live now. I allow you today. Each morning is a silent deal with the universe for a fresh beginning, a fresh trust and slow living has taught me not to overlook this subtle deal.

My morning can make or break my day.

Although I’ve been trying to escape this habit, it has been tough. In an ideal world, I could wake up in the middle of the day, run to work without washing my face or grabbing a cup of coffee and not feel like my world has collapsed to dust around me. However, I am not that free spirited gamine goddess. I, in fact need a good two hours to myself between my rouser and my collision with the world outside. Lest the world be infected with a biohazard material that is my foul existence.

I do not wake up terribly early. Nor do I think waking up with the sun is the key to success. I believe that the best time to wake up is when the body naturally wakes itself up. Now, I understand how much of a risky slope that is. But I trust most of my bonny readers understand the responsibility that comes with age (kids in my society have called me aunty. TWICE). Over the years of practicing the art of slow living, I have begun finding a great deal of pleasure in sleeping at a reasonable hour. At the state I am in my life right now, that reasonable hour falls within the spectrum of 11 to 12 pm. The best part about this lifestyle is flexibility and accommodation. There are no hard and fast timings, no illogical 'one fits all' rules. I get to customise my life, my routine. All that the art of slow living has given me is a guideline. All I offer you is the same.

I need around 7 to 8 hours of sound sleep to function my best the next day. Most nights I sleep around 11 and wake up close to 7 in the morning. With or without an alarm. My body is now used to this pattern. The first thing I do when I wake up is check my phone. I wish I could tell you I do not look at my phone for the first hour of my arousal, but I do. I like shooting a good morning text to my partner as soon as I open my eyes. That is all I use my phone for during the first half hour. Most documents on wellness and slow living will tell you how it is unthinkable of to even touch your phone let alone use a social app, as soon as you wake up. But this is what I mean when I say that the true pursuit of a peaceful life is when you have awareness and control over your actions. I derive immense peace in connecting with my love as soon as I am alive again. So, bonny take whatever you want from this post but make sure you customise it to fit your life.

The very next thing I do is sip from the water bottle I keep by my bed. I make sure I drink enough that would amount to a whole glass. Studies suggest that the bacteria build up overnight inside the mouth could be good for the gut if ingested. I drink three glasses of water on an empty stomach in order to get my system flowing and ease the initial gut motility. It is difficult to consume such a large quantity of water at a go. So, I have intervals between each glass where I perform other tasks. After my first glass of water, I go around my house opening windows and doors to let the morning in. Some days it is unbelievably peaceful- right colous, right temperature, right sounds. I love a morning that is softly bright. You can see the sunrays distinctly enough without having to squint your eyes.

After the second glass of water, I soak puffed rice for a small meal before breakfast and spices for my morning drink I call “Spiced King” (Don’t worry, bonny bae I will be writing an entire blog about the recipe). I then proceed to light incense all around my house. Recently I have been enjoying some lovely dhoop cones from this amazing brand called ‘phool’. I have always felt a pull towards redefining everything to fit my individuality. The way I dress, the way I eat, the way I pray. But sometimes standing on a foundation of traditions is very comforting. As Asians, we have all drawn a close connection between burning incense of sandalwood or nargis with spirituality. Or candles and scented oils for that matter. Whatever your faith maybe, I bet you can recall a time when you entered a prayer hall and the first thing that hit your senses was the wafting aroma of calmness.

 After my third glass of water, I brush my teeth and switch on the oil diffuser. For the mornings I prefer to use Jasmine or Nagachampa essential oils for this part of my routine. The coalescence of all these different scents allows me to create an environment of weightlessness, where one cannot fixate over a single point but rather float around in a wave of abundance. It is only after brushing and cleaning my mouth off the previous nights gunk that I expose it to a glass of warm lemon water. There is still bacteria lingering on the enamel of the teeth before brushing, hence it is vulnerable to the exposure of citric acid and may corrode more easily. After I am done with my bathroom business (ahem ahem, embarrassing but unrealistic without), I sit in front of a window overlooking greens and sip Spiced king with a book in hand, usually poetry or about mindful living.

Once done with that, I perform a set of quick stretches right there on my bed just to get rid of the remining indolence in my bones and begin a short prayer. In continuation to my prayer, I meditate daily for around 10 to 15 minutes. Meditation has become a core part of my lifestyle and all I want to stress upon right now is that it doesn’t turn you into a hermit. All it does is what you want it to do for you. More on that on other posts. After meditation, I sometimes do a quick cycle of Surya namaskar to pump myself up. Still sweaty from the stretch, I head to the kitchen to prepare myself a nice cup of coffee along with some basic breakfast. I do not eat that right way though. Instead, I first have a bowl of curd and puffed rice then proceed to shower and get dressed. Ready and on the go, I then sit to break my fast while reading the news or rarely a magazine.

And I am off to go kill myself throughout the day which I know will probably not match up to the killer morning I just had.

This ritual- the elaborateness, the excessiveness might not be for everyone, and I understand that. This is exactly why people share their routines with others. So that there is somewhat of a base to start with. If you are someone who hates the morning, then be a smart bonny and realise that you can appreciate the sunset over a lake without actually getting drenched. As for the others, my blood brothers, my clan, if you love mornings and getting your day started with a set of rituals makes you feel peaceful and calm, please share them. I would love to hear from you. That's all for this week, see you on the next one.