What better time to establish a new rhythm in your life than the New Year than by starting your day with a well-planned, deliberate morning ritual that includes herbs?
The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma extols the virtues of developing a morning routine centered on one's "Mindset, Heartset, Healthset, and Soulset" (Sharma, 2018, p. 1258). He makes suggestions about how minor practices, like 20 minutes of exercise, meditation, and reflection in the morning, can help you have a fulfilling life throughout the entire book. Even though it might take some time for these changes to take, small adjustments made over time can lead to a healthier, happier, and more successful way of life.
Sharma's early morning practice includes regular exercise, meditation, and introspection, but the beauty of setting up a schedule like this is the option to customize it to your preferences.
Herbs can be a terrific addition to your morning routine because they can be used to assist both physical and emotional self-care in addition to a person's overall wellness.
Adding herbs to your morning routine might help you make incremental improvements in your life. A new routine must be established over time through consistent daily practice. You're setting yourself up for ease throughout the day by starting your day with a wholesome routine. It's simple to think of a new morning routine at the beginning of the year, but as it begins to become colder outdoors and the motivation of the new year has faded, routines can provide a sense of constancy. Ayurveda advises practitioners to work toward their objectives gradually rather than trying to accomplish everything at once. Instead, they should take baby steps toward a consistent practice.
Herbs can assist in this procedure. Herbs can stir feelings just by their aroma, flavor, and texture. They'll help you remember why you started in the first place by acting as a type of positive reinforcement and setting the tone for your morning. Herbs' natural beauty and meditation's ability to calm the mind and soothe the nervous system together make for a potent combination.
Three Simple Ways To Add Herbs To Your Morning Routine
With Tulsi, Dandelion, and Ginger, Practice Gratitude
A thankfulness practice that involves listing three things for which you are glad in a journal or notepad is one approach to start the day. A thankfulness practice can help you refuel each day, just like any regular self-care regimen in your life. Spending time in gratitude can make your life happier and give you the chance to consistently appreciate life's tiny pleasures, even when life gets difficult. This is similar to consciously spending time with loved ones to strengthen connections.
Making a tea with tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) root, and ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome and sipping it as you perform your morning gratitude practice is a wonderful way to incorporate herbs into your practice.
When under stress, tulsi's mild adaptogenic qualities provide the body with what it needs to regain balance (Cohen, 2014). Strong digestive assistance dandelion root can be consumed as a morning tonic to help the body detoxify (Easley & Horne, 2016). Another herb that is frequently used as a morning beverage and digestive bitter is chicory (Cichorium intybus) root; it is a terrific complement to any tea, especially in the morning. Because of its capacity to calm and stimulate digestion, boost circulation, and warm the body from the inside out, ginger is a warming plant that is advantageous to include in tea (Ravikumar, 2014). Ginger may awaken the body due to its energizing and warming qualities, making it the ideal catalyst for a thankfulness contemplation.
With this Grounding Gratitude Tea, think about incorporating these three herbs into your daily gratitude routine.
Grounding Gratitude Tea
Ingredients 1 cup of water 1 tsp dried tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf (or a handful of fresh tulsi leaves and flowers) 1 tsp dried dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) root ½ tsp dried ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome (or two thin slices of fresh ginger) Directions
Place the dried herbs into a tea ball or bag, and place it into a ceramic mug. If using fresh ginger, slice 2 thin pieces and place them directly in the mug.
Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over herbs. Allow the tea to steep, covered, for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the herbs from the cup and compost. Sweeten if desired, and enjoy with your morning routine.
Ashwagandha exercise in the morning
Morning routines can benefit from including physical activity. There are a variety of exercises you can choose from, such as a vibrant yoga flow, mild stretching, an HIIT workout, or another vigorous activity. Regular exercise, especially morning movement, has several advantages. Morning exercise can strengthen your immune system in addition to improving your cardiovascular health, energy levels, and capacity for detoxification (Kumar & Jhajharia, 2018). Actually, incorporating aerobic activity into your morning routine can aid in the production of more white blood cells, which improves immunity (Kumar & Jhajharia, 2018).
Did you know that the herb Withania somnifera, often known as ashwagandha, can support your activity routines?
Like tulsi, ashwagandha root can function as an adaptogen, assisting the body in overcoming the difficulties encountered during exercise. It's a fantastic herb to include in your daily routine because it also has anti-inflammatory effects and can help your immune system. Given that the recommended daily intake ranges from 3 to 9 g, ashwagandha is generally safe to use at relatively high doses (Dass, 2013).
Ashwagandha is best consumed as capsules or added to low-temperature foods since it is most frequently encountered in powdered form. Try adding a teaspoon of ashwagandha to your morning smoothie, to the Grounding Gratitude Tea described above, or sprinkle it on top of your oatmeal to start using it. After a yoga flow, I personally like ashwagandha in my morning green smoothie. Ashwagandha has also proven useful in my quest to get up at 5 a.m.
Red Clover, Calendula, and Turmeric Morning Skin Care
It's time for some topical self-care after you've thought about the things you are thankful for and worked up a sweat with some morning exercise. A happy attitude and feelings of self-worth can be fostered by intentionally devoting time in the morning to taking care of the physical body. Herbs can improve the experience of spending time on "YOU," especially when they are incorporated into self-care routines.
The largest organ of the body, the skin, serves as a barrier between ourselves and the outside world and shields us from toxins and pollution. When internal issues manifest as dryness, inflammation, or bacterial infections, the skin's appearance can also serve as a sign of general health. Taking care of our skin both on the inside and outside is self-care.
A slow lymph system brought on by a sedentary lifestyle or even spending hours at a desk in an office can result in weariness, edema, sinus infections, and more in addition to congestion on the skin.
(2017) Daneshmandi et al. On sometimes, a sluggish lymphatic system might cause skin congestion. Before taking a bath or shower in the morning, brushing the skin can help get the lymph flowing beneath the skin's surface, promoting healthy physiological purification, fluid movement, and edema reduction—as well as more radiant skin. Use a body brush with natural bristles to engage in this age-old Ayurveda ritual known as garshana. Brush the skin in the direction of the heart to promote proper lymphatic drainage.
Consider using herbs like red clover (Trifolium pratense) flower, which improves the body's capacity to drain fluid, to enhance lymph drainage even more. It can aid the body's natural detoxification processes and has potent anti-inflammatory qualities (Groves, 2016). Red clover flowers can be plucked and steeped in hot water to form a tea; however, a daily tincture will maximize this herb's lymph-draining effects. To experience the skin-clearing and lymph-draining properties of red clover, add 25 to 50 drops of tincture to some water three times a day (Groves, 2016). It can be difficult to consume tinctures throughout the day (to increase absorption), which is another reason to be proactive about including herbs in your morning routine.
Consider using calendula oil to the skin after receiving garshana to prepare for taking a shower. The flower of the calendula plant, Calendula officinalis, has anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and astringent properties. Burns, cuts, scratches, and itchy skin can all be relieved with its aid. Before getting into the shower, apply some calendula oil to your skin to help it resist water and avoid drying out.
Take a dose of turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome to reduce inflammation. For hundreds of years, this golden spice has been traditionally used in India to treat a variety of conditions, including bursitis, arthritis, back pain, and generalized body inflammation (Rathaur et al., 2012). Turmeric decreases inflammation by decreasing histamine levels, increasing the production of natural cortisone, and suppressing cytokine, a gene that causes inflammation (Rathaur et al., 2012).
You can apply turmeric topically as well. Turmeric has been found in studies to have protective qualities since it lowers inflammation and aids the skin's natural healing process (Akbik et al., 2014). Psoriasis and acne sufferers can benefit greatly from turmeric. Mix one tablespoon of raw honey, preferably manuka honey, with one teaspoon of turmeric powder once or twice a week before showering in the morning. As you are practicing meditation, apply this combination to the face as a mask and leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. Use a dark face towel or the shower to remove the mask. Because turmeric stains, exercise caution.
Create a Personalized Morning Routine
By combining herbs for joyful self-care and wellbeing into your morning routine, you can make it uniquely yours. Maybe you already incorporate thankfulness into your daily routine; if so, it might be time to add a special tea or tonic to that routine. You don't have to start your ideal morning routine right away; take your time and figure out what suits you the best. You will quickly develop a second nature for the practice of rising early, using medicines, exercising, and becoming conscious if you ground yourself in it. As a daily reminder of what the world has to offer and what you may contribute to it, developing a morning routine is a practice.
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