Routines: Good or bad?
I have never considered myself the rebellious type, but I have always bucked against routines. I found them to be restricted and tedious.
As I have gotten older, and now know I am a vata (what is my dosha—my bio-chemistry), I have found a certain peace and simplicity with them. However, I have a hard time maintaining my discipline and often feel frustrated or find I am giving myself a mental swift kick in the butt when I do fall off the routine “bandwagon”.
I believe routines are healthy and help keep life in order and balance!
However, often routines become habitual and we must be careful of becoming too attached to our habits or we freak out when life throws a proverbial wrench into our lives and cause the chaos that we so desperately try to avoid. Setting an affirmation or a daily intention,…kind of like the daily word calendars, can help us keep the structure of our routines and adjust easily to unexpected change arising in the universe around us.
My Morning Routine:
(1) Wake up early
(2) Morning basic stretch
(3) Make bed
(4) Splash face with cold water
(5) (Lots of fluids) Hot water and lemon—to hydrate and flush out the toxins in the internal organs and skin, then 6oz of water with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
(6) Tongue scrapping and oil pulling to rid the mouth and throat of bacteria (spit in the trash, not in any drains!)
(7) Meditate
(8) Green drink
(9) Dry brush skin before showering
(10) I use a coffee ground and natural soap scrub in the shower to wake up the senses. Coconut oil/avocado oil on the skin for moisture afterwards
(11) Rebound(bounce on an imaginary trampoline) for 60 seconds
(12) Good breakfast (oatmeal with berries, or peanut butter on toast)
(13) Check my “top 3”—list of things to accomplish that day