Guest author: Erin Dusek
September/October is a time for new beginnings. For me, it’s a nostalgic time that reminds me of the excitement of a new school/college year and it's the transition between Summer and Autumn. And as the leaves start to fall from the trees perhaps we can turn the attention to ourselves and notice if there is anything we can start to allow to fall away from us as we move into this new season?
Ask yourself is there anything that no longer serves you that you can let go of, and if the energy spent on that thing can be used more efficiently elsewhere. I know personally for me, as we move into a new season, I like to re-evaluate what is and isn’t working for me and how to move forward in my life with new intentions that serve me for my highest good.
Firstly an unhealthy habit that a lot of us have is looking at our phones as soon as we wake up! I heard someone say once, that looking at your notifications and messages on your phone as soon as you open your eyes in the morning is like inviting a whole group of people into your bedroom, all shouting different things at you and it stuck with me! So I started putting my iPhone on to the ’downtime’ mode so that there are no notifications to distract me when I turn my alarm off in the morning.
When we aren’t distracted by our phones it leaves space for us to create a morning routine to help set us up for our day in the best way. My morning routine consists of 10 minutes of breathwork, followed by 15 mins of meditation, 15 minutes of journaling and gratitude practice, and 20 minutes to move my body, whether that be yoga or another form of movement. That's 1 hour that I could have spent scrolling on Instagram etc. and getting distracted and not getting anything done! And if you think you don’t have that time in the morning then perhaps try to wind down and get into bed an hour earlier the night before! This routine allows me to feel clear, calm and grounded with a positive mindset (due to the gratitude practice) and able to cope with whatever is handed to me that day.
Now don’t get me wrong, no one is perfect and it will likely be hard to implement these new habits every single day straight away, but most importantly the intention for change is there and will help you find a new focus.
The next habit I find some of us (including me) have that doesn’t necessarily serve our health is an unhealthy diet. Maybe rushing around in the morning with no time for breakfast or grabbing something quick that maybe isn’t as nutritious as we would like. After I have moved my body in some way or done a full workout I like the have a protein shake. I am mostly plant-based so it is important for me to supplement my diet with protein shakes to help me get all I need nutritionally. I like to make a shake or a smoothie bowl usually consisting of Nuzest Vanilla Matcha Clean Lean Protein (I'm a matcha addict!), Pineapple, spinach, oats, Good Green Vitality, almond butter and coconut water (or something similar) And if you feel like you’re in a rush (like I usually am) in the morning, then prepping it the night before and putting in the fridge means you can grab and go and you’re starting your day again with a healthy mindset and intention to carry through the day.
Everything starts with an intention, so as long as we have clear intentions that serve us for our highest good we are moving in the right direction at least. This change of season is a perfect time to let go of those unhealthy habits that don’t make us feel as good as we could and cultivate new ones so we can move towards a more healthy life physically, emotionally and mentally. Only we ourselves know and have the power to do what is best for us and it is important we take the time to work out what this is.
If you want more information and guidance on cultivating a daily meditation and journalling practice for your morning routine, go to my website www.erindusekyoga.com and enquire about my 28 day online meditation retreat designed to help you cultivate these tools to help you feel the best you can.
Author: Erin Dusek (@erindusek), professional Dancer and yoga/meditation teacher, and founder of The Gratitude Retreat (@thegratituderetreat).
