I was the kind of person who was ready to sacrifice anything for those extra minutes of trance(or I still am). Morning and I never got along until recently when I realized  it was not the morning that I disliked , it was  the chaos that was created not because I was doing too much but because I was doing too less of what makes me feel alive , because I was not feeding my  soul( you feel me!?)

Mornings are a great time to do a ritual its because when you wake up from a deep sleep your brain is transitioning from Theta state i.e low frequency brain wave to Beta i.e high frequency brain wave.

Theta brain waves are the brain frequencies of the states just before sleeping and just after waking up. Theta is the door between the conscious and the subconscious worlds where subconscious is more susceptible to suggestions.

Now you'll notice that I am specifically calling it a ritual. The difference between a routine and a ritual is not necessarily the action, but the attitude behind the action. So routine is something that we probably do without conscious thinking and our full focus is on the completion of task.

On the other hand rituals are meaningful processes that we do with our full engagement (that doesn’t necessarily mean more effort) and focus is on process

Here is a list of my personal favourite rituals that you can do under 5 mins and there is no limit as to how many you should do, you can do as many as you feel like

1. Intention Setting

Setting intentions for the day is a way of listing down gentle goals for that day, now why I am saying gentle is because there is  no pressure to complete that goal . Setting an intention is like providing a GPS for your day, it gives you guiding principles to help you proceed in your day. Basically are just preparing your mind for what's coming ahead and how to go about it, more or less like a mental to do list but in a detailed manner.

You can write them down on paper, type them in your computer or just visualize them.

2. Gratitude List

Over the last few years there has been extensive research done on gratitude and it has been discovered that that gratitude is not merely a positive emotion; it also improves your physical and mental health. It creates a feeling of certainty that life works for you and so it does. I think we humans tend to take so many things for granted, we don't realize that even the most basic thing for you can be a luxury for someone.

This is so simple yet so mighty that doing this everyday starts to rewire your brain. You can simply start with 3-5 things everyday and try using different aspect of life around which you list will revolve. For example Health, Career, Money, Relationships, Family etc

3. Visualizing your dream life

From world class Athletes to CEO's , creative visualization is something that has been used by everyone, you are also probably using without even realizing. Whenever you focus on something good or bad , you attract it in your life. And if you are already using it might as well use it to attract what you really want. Start your day by visualizing your ideal life ; Waking up in a beautiful home, going to office in your matte black cabriolet, going on a vacation to exotic places, whatever is it that you really really want, visualize it and feel it because your emotions are the driving force behind your visualization.

4. Inspirational read/listen

Reading an inspirational book can infuse your morning with positive thoughts and uplifting messages. You get to see the world with someone else's lenses, It is like having a virtual mentor who is guiding you with their life's journey and telling you that you are not alone.

Reading not only improves but enhance your life . You can start by reading just one paragraph in the morning and notice the difference in your mindset

5. Guided Meditation

Well if you don’t live under a rock you have already heard countless benefits of meditation and if that is still not enough for you to start your practice then I will not bombard you with more benefits but probably tell you that just like many people you also have a misconception about meditation. Earlier when I heard the word meditation I would picture a monk sitting in a far away cave and that is not wrong but that is not right for the modern man. So broadly there are two main branches of meditation, one is a derivative of monastic practices meaning practices that are made for and followed by monks and other is made for people that live in a society yet so many people follow the practices that are made for monks and fail terribly and drop the idea of meditation all together . The trick is to find the practice which is right for you. Explore an try different styles of meditation to decide which is suiting you the best. Remember the trick is not to be better at meditation , it's to be better at life.

6. Journaling

Journaling is fantastic at any time, but is a particularly great way to start the day. Journaling is basically pouring your emotions and feelings into a piece of paper. It can be anything, how you are feeling at that very moment, what you dream of, what are you grateful for, list of things you love, things you find beautiful, random ideas, it can be anything there are really not any rules . Research shows that journaling reduce stress and improve health and wellbeing as we express and observe our emotions rather than ignoring them or running away from them.

And it doesn’t have to be an actual diary you can also maintain a digital journal , now all you have to do is open a new page in your physical journal, or a document in your digital journal, and start writing.

7. Mantra Chanting

Mantras are sound formulas that calm the body and have soothing effects on the nervous system. Particularly popular in east, Mantras are a kind of healing vibration for our minds. They help us heal through the power of vibration, or vibrational energy.

The physical body and the energy (astral) body are extremely sensitive to sound. Some sounds like ocean surf, a harp, or om chanting are soothing, while other sounds like blaring TV commercials or fire alarms are irritating or frightening, making the body cringe. Sanskrit mantras like om, a mantra for oneness and harmony, are prescribed in lieu of medications to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Similarly there are different mantras for different purposes. I particularly find om mani padme hum extremely soothing. Here also I would suggest you to explore and find something that is suited best for you and aligned with your purpose.

These practices can be an easy way to gear up for the day ahead. And if you find yourself not keeping a regular schedule with these rituals, it's a habit you can resume at any time. Feel free to tweak them into somethings which suits you more because the idea is to feel good and remember there's no wrong way to do it ! Happy practicing everyone :)