If your morning routine consists of grabbing a cup of joe as you run out the door, you're not giving your body or mind a chance to transition between dreamland and traffic jam. "Eventually your body will break down," says Christine Kuhlman, ND, a naturopath in Concord, New Hampshire. Here, Kuhlman offers three ways to improve your wake-up habits.
Do some early-morning yoga or meditation to help oxygenate your body and brain, making you more alert and energized throughout the day. Stretch gently for 15 minutes, focusing on your body's stiffest areas. Then, if you have a tendency to get anxious during your busy day, sit quietly for ten minutes, breathing deeply and bringing awareness into each body part. Pressed for time? Before getting out of bed, take just two minutes to curl your knees into your chest and stretch out your spine.
In the shower, try this quick scalp and facial massage.With thumbs placed on your temples, run the middle knuckle of each index finger on the eyebrows, across the eyelids, under the eyes, under the cheekbones. Then, release your thumbs and use your index fingers to circle your mouth while opening and closing it, and run fingers around the chin and jaw line. Press firmly and massage each area two or three times. Finally, massage from your hairline to the base of the scalp with firm strokes. This technique stimulates acupressure meridians that help invigorate your entire body.
Before eating breakfast, drink a cup of hot water mixed with the juice of half a lemon. This hydrates your body, improves morning digestion, and detoxifies and alkalinizes your blood and tissues, which helps prevent chronic illness.