I recently had the honor of leading a beautiful morning meditation for a group of New York City editors as part of an event to launch a new product from KIND Snacks. When I got on stage in this gorgeous, sun-drenched penthouse overlooking the Hudson River, I spoke about how important my morning ritual is to hold the space for all the wonderful opportunities that come as well as an incredibly powerful tool to help me bust through the challenges that sometimes get thrown my way. My morning ritual, which consists of anywhere from 11 to 60 minutes of kundalini meditation, journaling and sipping on tea before I head off to the kitchen to lovingly put together my first meal of the day, is my sacred time. It’s how I’d say that I harness my “superpowers” in the crazy world we live in. As I asked for a show of hands from the ladies before me of who had a daily practice or even had meditated before, a sparse amount of hands flew up. But for the most part I was met with big, inquisitive eyes. I realized how important it was for me to not only talk to more people about meditation in the morning but also about mindfulness practices that are available to those of you who may still be a little intimidated by the long “m-word.” Here are three easy ways you can start your morning more mindfully. I’ve picked these three for their ability to seamlessly integrate into your post-wake up routine and for the centering shift they will have on how you go about the rest of the day. Pick one that resonates with you and commit to it for 40 days to fully establish it in your mind, body and soul. After 40 days, you may want to continue with it or you can also experiment with a different form of meditation or perhaps add another practice on to your initial ritual. Start by designating a special place in your bedroom or living space as your “sacred spot.” 1. VISUALIZATION FOR YOUR BEST DAY Take some time to create a clear vision for your best day. This can be done by sitting up in bed after your alarm clock goes off, in the shower, sitting in your favorite chair with a cup of tea or sitting in a meditation in your sacred spot. Close your eyes, start long deep breaths and once you feel calm and centered start visualizing the best version of your day. How do you feel after breakfast and getting dressed as you’re walking out of the house? How does your day at work go? What do the different interactions feel like? How does that meeting go? What does it feel like to send that email or complete that project? Get clear on each part of your day all the way until you tuck yourself into bed at night and hold the space for the highest vision of your day. If you find it easier to listen to a guided version of this, you can find my “inner rock star mediation” at cassandrabodzak.com/guidedmeditation for-your-best-self and I invite you to walk through the whole process with me. 2. LET-GO MANTRA FOR RELEASE + SURRENDER Are you someone who wakes up and instantly has a rush of anxiety as your entire to-do list floats to the forefront of your mind? Then this practice is for you! Do you dread Monday mornings? Perfect, let’s shift that! This simple mantra allows us to surrender our negative thoughts and feelings and release to a deeper place of peacefulness. You simply repeat “LET” in your mind as you take each inhale and repeat “GO” on each exhale. With every repetition breathe deep- er and release farther. Eyes closed, palms up to the sky placed on your knees and either sitting in easy cross-legged pose or in a chair with your legs uncrossed. You can walk through it with me at cassandrabodzak.com/guided-meditation-beginners. This a great meditation that you can take with you anywhere from the subway to your office to your in-laws house. 3. CONNECT WITH YOUR INNER LIGHT Connecting to a source, remembering who you are, tapping into your true potential, whatever you call it, your life can expand exponentially when you start taking the time in the morning to connect to your limitlessness. For this process, I suggest selecting a powerful “theme song,” it can be anything you want as long as it’s a song that makes you glow from the inside out and awakes you to your greatness. My personal song is India Arie’s “I am light.” It’s a soft, soulful song that makes me feel like a giant firework. Pick yours and play it while sitting in your new sacred spot, eyes closed, palms up, legs crossed. Imagine a giant ball of light at your heart’s center, watch it grow with each breath until the golden light expands throughout your entire being. Let the light pour out of each cell and surround you in a giant cloud of golden light. When your song comes to a close, take a deep breath in and hold it, soaking in all the light in and around you. After a ten count exhale and slowly bring yourself back into the room. You can also use this song throughout the day as a positive trigger to take you back to that place inside of you. Cassandra Bodzak is the happy, healthy living guru featured on ABC’s “The Taste.” She started GoSweetandSkinny.com, where she shares her healthy recipes and tips for living your happiest life, and is the proud author of “Juicespiration,” her no-nonsense guide to do-it-yourself juice cleansing. She works with clients all over the U.S. to help them stop dieting, start eating right and achieve the body and life they love!
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