In Respect of Daily Rituals

For years I got up early because I had to.    I would start the day at 5:00 or 5:30, shower, walk the dog and get ready for work.     Often, I’d get up even earlier than that if I had an early morning flight or train to catch—which, as a road warrior,  was more often than not.   I’d either work on the flight or train or try to catch some ZZZ’s….which was never quality sleep if I did manage to nod off and usually resulted in some major neck pain.       I didn’t appreciate the value of taking time in the morning to ground myself or set my intentions for the day, let alone the opportunity to feel into my dreams and start the day off on the right foot!      I was on the rollercoaster of living day to day to recuperate on the weekends.  That WAS my ritual!

 Today my daily ritual looks very different.:

•  I still wake up around 5:00 but rarely to an alarm.     I’ve learned to set intentions the night before for what time I’d like to wake up at and I always hit it within 15 minutes!     I awake with this feeling of peace and calm instead of hustle and bustle.  
•  I spend some time envisioning my day that I’m about to have….the way I want it to be…the way I intend it to be.     I allow myself to settle in to the energy of what that feels like. 
• I take a few minutes to sink into the pictures on my vision board.      That board is front and center for me!     As I take it in, I ask myself:      Who do I need to be today?     What do I need to do?     What resources do I need?      What (or Who) do I need to let go of?     Sometimes some answers will pop into my head right away.     Other times it’ll be on my walk or when I’m in the shower.
• I refuse to look at email before 8 am and usually not before 9am.     Same thing for facebook or social media.  
• Warm water with lemon and oil pulling are a must—to get the system alkaline!      After that it’s water throughout the day –and always with drops of my favorite flower essences from Lotus Wei.
• Some nature time—at least 30 minutes—I’ll usually walk over to the water at the Seaport.      Water is very grounding yet also energizing for me.     I used to do this with my dog--he’s still with me in spirit!
• Energy breaks throughout the day—just 3-5 minutes every hour or so of breathing or stretching makes a huge difference!      I also take this time to check with myself on my intentions.     Am I being and doing what I intended?     How can I shift into alignment if not
• Gratitude practice every single night before bed.     There is not better way to drift off to sleep than in a state of gratitude and it flows the energy into your sleep, which carries forward to the next day.     THAT creates amazing momentum!     I choose to be grateful for the little things as well as the big things and I always look for gratitude for the things that I intended showing up.  

 It’s a flow that I’ve worked my way into over the past couple of years and while these are rituals they aren’t regimens and they definitely aren’t regimented.     They are habits that have evolved as my own energy rises.     On the rare days that I don’t follow this flow, I definitely feel off and I see the effects in physical form—in my body, in my relationships, in my business.     It reminds me of just how powerful my energy is and why it’s important to me to nurture it.       The rituals don’t limit me, they free me, and they guide me but they do not dictate the choices that I make.      If I need to travel for business or a trip, I choose to go the night before.     I choose to find places with healthy foods and I look ahead to see what the options are for fresh air.     I intend for these things and they always just happen…I don’t have to force it.

 The most important shift I’ve made, however, is the mindset shift itself.     These are all things that I could have been doing all those years—they take almost no time at all and the return is so worth it.       And, I appreciate the journey that I needed to take to get to this place.  I know it helps me better relate to what some of my clients are going through when they are on a similar path.  

 I think it’s time to stretch and grab some fresh airJ

 Beth Larsen is a former retail executive, a Certified High Performance Coach™,  Happy for No Reason® trainer, and founder of  Flourish!, her signature coaching program for women who want MORE in their lives:  more joy, more energy, more passion and more meaning in their lives.  

Are you ready for MORE?  Schedule a complimentary consultation today and let's map out YOUR Flourish plan:  www.ConnectwithBeth.com

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