My morning rituals start with a short morning jog. This small ritual is seriously a game changer! I put on my sweats and go for a jog around the block- usually, begrudgingly. It is both the worst and the best part of my day because it is soo hard for me to wake up and just get started. Even though I freakin' love staying in a warm and cozy bed, I know how important it is to "wake up on the right side" so I put on my headphones and set my intention for the day and when it's over, I'm always grateful and happy that I made it out of the door. After my jog, I stretch for a bit and take a nice warm shower.

My post-run showers are really just a quick rinse. I prefer to shower properly in the evening when I do my abhyanga ritual which is a HUGE stress reliever for me. One thing I never forget to do is to MOISTURIZE my skin right after I get out of the shower. I do this when my skin is still feeling damp. Then, I'll wrap my hair in a microfiber turbie-twist towel, to let it towel-dry as I move through the rest of my morning. I will literally wear this towel on my head all morning to help tame my frizz prone hair.

I usually light a candle. I have a collection of candles so I'll light whatever one I am in the mood for at that moment. I'm really sensitive to smells so the morning candles are for their aroma-therapeutic effects. To create my space, I'll put some vinyl on the record player, usually some Hendrix or Zeppelin to listen to while I heat up some water so I can sip a mug of lemon water for a cleansing effect. Often times, I will add either mint (energizing) or lavender (relaxing) to my water, depending on how I feel at the moment. I like mint to soothe my stomach or lavender if I am anticipating a stressful day... And then it's on to making some breakfast!

I really really enjoy preparing my own food. I like the empowering feeling of taking responsibility for how I choose to fuel my body. Right now, I am favoring dense, cooling, grounding foods because I feel a bit of a pitta imbalance. 

I love making fresh juices, nut milks and smoothies. Today, I'm all about the mango turmeric smoothie, toast (obsessed with Eureka! Sweet Baby Grains Organic Bread) spread with tahini paste (I use hummus sometimes, too), topped with avocado and sprinkled with a pinch of cumin, coriander, salt + pepper on top, and a handful of blackberries on the side. I'll flip through magazines or coffee table books as I eat, or prep a to-do list so I stay on track of my goals, which are extremely important to me. I work from home most days, so my morning rituals are a way to positively set the tone of my day.

I went on my jog, I stretched and fueled my body... I already feel productive and actually excited to make more of the day. I'm ready to do this, let's go!!