What If 25,000 Mornings Is All You Get?
If 25,000 Mornings is all you get, what are you going to do with them?
My ears perked up when I heard it put that way by James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits” and #1 selling book in 2022. However, it’s true we only get so many trips around the sun.
Okay, if that's the case, 68 x 365 = 24,820 days in our adult life. So let's roll it up and say 25,000. That seems like a lot, right?
Depending on what age you're reading this, you may feel hopeful and invigorated to make the most of your days, or if you're a little further along the spectrum, you may feel a tad depressed by these numbers.
Frankly, I've never thought about it in these terms, and my first thought was, "Man, I've wasted more mornings than I can count."
Perhaps in my 20s and 30s, I burned the candle on both ends, waking up feeling exhausted, hungover, or overworked. In my 30s and 40s, I spent many sleepless nights and brain-fogged mornings with small kids when my sleep schedule wasn't my own.
LOOKING BACK…
When I was a kid, my Dad and I always woke up early to see the sunrise, get a jump on the day, and do chores. I had stables to muck, horses to feed, and sometimes even get my morning ride in—all of this before feeding myself and getting ready for school.
I remember those early Pacific Northwest mornings, dewy cedars, crisp air, sounds of the roosters and animals rustling about. These are memories I hold dear to my heart.
THE PRE-DAWN HOURS ARE THE MOST MAGICAL TIME OF DAY.
The yogis call this time "Brahma muhurta." In Ayurveda, the time between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. is known as VATA DOSHA. The energy/qualities are light, cold, subtle, clear, mobile, and flowing. If you're paying attention, you will notice that this time in the morning (before 6 a.m.) has a more ethereal feeling to it. This time is best for spiritual practices, meditation, creative writing, and journaling.
My father also wrote beautiful, spiritual poetry in the early mornings. The last text I received before he passed suddenly responded to an inquiry I had made and was waiting for his answer. It goes like this, "I have received your request and will respond during the "alpha hours" at 6 am when the mind is the clearest and most reliable. Wait for my response then. Pops." call it "Alpha Hours," call it "Brahma Muhurta," "Ambrosial" hours, call it whatever you like. If you've experienced it, and only after a good night's sleep- the energy at this time of day is magical.
A healthy person should get up (from bed) during Brahma muhurta to protect his life. (Astanga Hrdayam, Vol.I, 2:1)
“O, children of Light, awake! You are asleep. Being under the control of mind, your attention is diffused into the world and identified with it. You are awakened outside and are asleep from within. The God-Power is already within you, waiting for you. Your true home is the True Home of your Father, that is, of all-consciousness and all wisdom. Why are you stuck fast in this material world, in the outside things? These are only temporarily given to you. The body, being made of matter, is changing every moment of life. This is the golden opportunity that has been given to us to realize ourselves, to know ourselves, and to know the controlling power which is controlling us in the body and is controlling the entire universe.”
— KIRPAL SINGH JI MAHARAJ
How do you wake up every morning?
What's your state of mind—clear, focused, and inspired for a new day or groggy, negative, and ready to roll over and hit snooze?
How does your body feel- light, energetic, pain-free or heavy, sluggish, and achy?
How's your spirit - connected, aligned, and inspired?
As a yogi for over twenty years and now an Ayurvedic wellness mentor/coach, I've finally implemented this habit into my adult life daily. Waking up at five am six or seven mornings a week is my KEYSTONE HABIT.
What this means is if I don't do it- my day WILL NOT go the way I want it to go. I will not feel the way I want to feel. I will not think the thoughts I like to think. The interaction, attitude, and energy I put into the world will not be as elevated as when I do this habit.
For me now, it's just automated. My eyes open automatically every morning before 5 am. This daily ritual is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the day.
Here’s How I Start My Day.
Ayurveda teaches that your morning DINACHARYA (routines) is the body’s best medicine. An intentional morning routine reminds us of what is sacred as we align with the daily rhythms and prioritize our self-care before starting each day. I encourage you to start small. Implementing it all at once will leave you feeling overwhelmed, bad about yourself, and throwing in the towel. We do NOT want that. Adding one-morning routine at a time is key to your success: small WINS, my friend.
START YOUR MORNING THE NIGHT BEFORE!
It’s true; how I want to feel in the morning depends on how I ended my previous day. If I eat a later, heavier dinner, I will feel the food, the weight, and the inflammation in my body. In Ayurveda, it’s called “AMA” - this means toxins, or as I like to think of it, “junk in the trunk.” If we go to bed with undigested food in our stomachs, we do not have the best sleep as our gut is in digest mode; plus, we’re horizontal when we lie down, and it’s harder for the body to do its job without gravity to support it. This often results in acid reflux/ heartburn, restless sleep, waking up feeling low energy, dull and heavy, achy joints, and a negative attitude. On the other hand, if we go to bed having had time the night before to digest our last meal of the day, we’ll wake up feeling energized, light, and in a better headspace, ready for a new day.
Wake up at sunrise most days.
• TWO MINUTES TO VISUALIZE my day. How do I want it to go down? Get up.
• GO PEE - Empty your bladder
• SCRAPE TONGUE - I know it sounds weird, but Ayurveda teaches that the tongue mirrors your intestines and gives us tons of information about the health of our body. It’s a science. The purpose is to scrape off the covering (AMA or toxins) on your tongue that the body is trying to eliminate so that it is not reabsorbed. Tongue scraping also helps prevent oral cavity disease, improves our ability to taste, removes old food debris, and prevents bad breath. Even Western medicine recognizes this as a valid practice.
• HYDRATE - Drink warm water immediately upon rising. This is more of a “chugging” than “sipping” as the downward force acts as an inner tidal wave to clear the digestive tract and encourage a bowel movement.
• ELIMINATE - Have a bowel movement. Nobody wants to go through the day with feces in the digestive tract. Clear that s***out. Undigested food, foul odor, mucus, excessive dryness, or a pellet-like quality suggests a digestive imbalance. Pay attention to your poo; it has “loads” of information to share. :)
• WASH FACE, EYES, MOUTH & TEETH - Splash cool water on your face and spritz with rose water.
• NETI-POT—I love this habit, and my family does, too. Using a neti-pot daily helps to keep the sinuses clean and free of viruses and germs and improves vocal, visual, and mental clarity. Our nose is the door to our brain. It’s easy. Add 1/2 tsp. salt to warm water in the neti-pot and drain each nostril. Afterward, use your pinky fingers to run sesame oil in the nostrils for lubrication and keeping the nasal passages moist.
• OIL PULL - I find this micro-habit easy to do in the late morning when I’m checking emails or out for a walk. Holding coconut or sesame oil in the mouth for 5-15 minutes improves oral hygiene, prevents bad breath, increases circulation to the gums, and helps maintain healthy white teeth and a sparkling smile.
• MEDITATE - Greet the morning sun and tap into your vast and unlimited potential. One of the best ways to gain access to our soul and be truly happy is by practicing sitting in silence. This daily habit is most potent in the morning hours when we are quiet and can tap into our inner body and alter the deeper patterning of our minds. This spiritual practice is THE one that alters our consciousness and moves us closer to our true nature…who we truly are. Check out the link below for more.
• MOVE YOUR BODY - If moving first thing in the morning is unfamiliar, and you usually save your workout till later in the day, starting with five minutes of easy movement will do. This habit is regardless of any other daily exercise. We want to get out of our sleepy heads and into our bodies when we get up. We want to circulate blood and get our breath moving. Shake off sleep. Starting with twenty jumping jacks, a five-minute vinyasa, a quick walk up the driveway or around the block will suffice. Eventually, working up to twenty minutes is ideal. Morning movement is also a great way to counteract depression and boost the immune system. This habit is non-negotiable for me every morning.
• ABHYANGA (self-massage)—I love to carve out time every week for a more extended, more luxurious Abyanga practice. However, in the mornings, I don’t have time. So a quick version, yet still effective, is to apply oil (sesame oil in the winter and coconut in the summer) to my entire body before getting in the shower. I use long strokes on the long bones and circles on the joints.
• SHOWER—Use soap only on your privates. The oil you just massaged into your skin will also clean and hydrate. Most soap dehydrates and contains additives, scents, and even chemicals. Choose wisely.
• DRINK GREEN JUICE - Start your day with green juice and a hit of chlorophyll. Try to keep it simple with real veggies and fruits. Check out the article at the bottom of this page, “What’s the Deal with Smoothies Anyway?” for more.
• TAKE TIME TO PLAN YOUR DAY & WRITE DOWN YOUR GRATITUDES - When you’re grateful, you’re immediately put into your heart. I love taking two minutes to write down what I’m grateful for every morning. It starts my day off RIGHT.
Before the day gets going, take a few minutes to be very intentional about how you want your day to go. What are your goals, and what tasks do you need to do today to move the needle toward your bigger goals? Honestly, I find that if it doesn’t get scheduled, it won’t get done.
If this sounds daunting, do not fret, my friend. Choose 1-2 of these habits to add to your morning routine. Slowly add in more. Play with the order. Find what works for you.
Remember that most productive/unproductive or healthy/unhealthy behaviors result from slow, cumulative daily choices that add up to good or bad habits.
Your habits eventually create your life!
Feeling better, receiving your desired results, and experiencing the life you dream of are made up of small, consistent daily choices.
Your morning routines are KEY to your success and being in charge of your day vs. your day being in charge of you.
So... if you’ve only got 25,000 mornings to be alive…what will you do with each one?
XO,
Paula