The Dream Morning Routine
In an ideal world, all my mornings, everyday—as many days a week—in a month, in a year, will look like this.
I’d wake up every morning before or just at the break of dawn, naturally rising in sync with the sun. Without any alarms or rude awakenings, I transition smoothly and gently into my day, waking only when my body feels it’s the right time. Having enjoyed a restful slumber of at least seven to eight hours of blissful sleep, waking up feels pleasant and easy, free of grogginess or the urge to snooze.
With four to six cycles of deep sleep, my body feels fully recovered. The things I’ve learned from the day before are retained, while redundancies and irrelevancies are discarded, leaving my mind feeling light. My memory is replenished with only the most essential bits of the day, as my subconscious rejoices, ready to entertain the abundance of dreams that greet me in the last stage of sleep.
Ideally, I miss those critical last two hours before waking, when my reams intensify during longer periods of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Right after restful deep sleep, my eyes will move more rapidly, and my brain activity increases as dreams play through my mind like a continuous projector, helping me process the day’s emotions.
Slowly stretching my body longways and sideways, my eyes begin to blink awake. I feel rested, joyful, and content. I start my day by first reciting one thing I am grateful for and setting one positive intention for the day ahead. After enjoying a large glass of lemon water—about a pint at least—I brush my teeth, splash cold water on my face, take a cold shower and start fluffing the pillows.
I wish I owned an ice bath at home or lived in a cold climate, where frigid water temperatures was accessible daily. If I did, I’d happily submerge myself in the freezing cold every morning to start my day with fresh oxygen surging through my veins.
In a more realistic routine, I would take a moment to make the bed. It’s a discipline that signals productivity, starting with resetting the pillows with a few gentle squeezes and airy throws. After neatly piling them at the top, I’d spend a little time padding the duvet as well. With a few giant flicks and shakes, I’d restore its glorious plushness, with a dollop of a fold at the top—ready to be enjoyed on the next night of sleep, before I walk over to my desk.
While the sun is still barely risen, in the dark, quiet moments of the early morning, I sit at my hardwood desk to contemplate the dreams I can remember. Gathering the streams of thoughts and ambitions that flow, I sit for as long as it takes to write three to four pages of freehand thoughts.
As thoughts arise, I reflect, ponder, and write. I happily entertain every spontaneous and unexpected whim, with my Sarasa 0.7 black gel pen gliding valiantly and jubilantly across the silky smooth pages of my black leather gridded Moleskin.
Pausing to create a brief moment of novelty, I grab one of my scented roll-ons, conveniently within arm’s reach on my desk, to reignite my senses for a breath or two. I remind myself to ease my death grip on my pen, before diving back into the cascading emotions and tumbling opinions emerging from my restful night of sleep.
Ideally, by page three I am surprised by a new revelation for the day. But once three to four pages are filled to the brim, with every last word written—or squished—against the edges of the last blank spaces at the end of every page, I rise, shake out my legs, and walk to my meditation corner; a yoga block resting on the floor facing a wall with the brightening sky above.
With legs crossed, spine straight, and bums cushioned atop my black Alo yoga block, I wiggle to find a level of comfort that will help me to sustain the posture I look forward to enduring for the next minutes.
I set a time to twenty-two minutes, exact, then reach for another scented roll-on—the Transitions scent by Saje—and glide the welcoming aromas across my wrists. I rub my sweet-smelling wrists against each other first, before soothing my temples in circular motions. Taking deep breaths in between each motion, I start to notice the tingle of pleasure in my brain.
Taking a moment to realign my spine, I roll my shoulders back, puff my chest proud, to find that feeling of comfortable support, before I finally settle into the posture with my middle finger and thumb lightly kissing, as I rest my hands on my crossed knees, as I take in a deep breath in.
Closing my eyes, I set a single-word intention or a sentence— “grateful” or “I am thankful for this precious moment for myself today” —and flow into a state of relaxation with three cycles of box breathing, in through the nose, before cosying up to the chatter in my mind.
Expanding my awareness by recalling the vastness of the Earth, the planets, and the universe, I begin to fill my heart with gratitude and thoughts of loved ones. This warmth, this sensation of love is when I allow myself to gently drift into the slow waves of meditation.
When my wrists vibrate, at exactly twenty-two minutes, I pause as long as necessary to gather myself before appreciating this moment I was gifted. Once I am ready, I blink my eyes slowly open, ending the practice with a smile—to myself, and to the universe at large—by placing my hands in prayer and bowing to the greater unknown with grateful thanks.
Plopping onto the sofa beside me, I tune into my intuition to guide me to the right title for the day. I spend the next ten to twenty minutes reading, learning, and stimulating my brain with something new.
Then, like a crescendo, I top off the morning with a freshly whisked cup of matcha latte, made with ceremonial-grade leaves and the finest pour of unpasteurised raw cow’s milk from a nearby farm that lovingly cares for its cows—this is how I wish I could start my day every day.
Although I admit that my success rate barely hits any consistent streak, perhaps every few months or so at best, this daily ritual is an ideal I strive towards. I am open to keep dreaming until my reality aligns with my vision.
Three sayings are relevant to uphold here: “A girl can only dream,” “Ask and you shall receive,” and “First you must believe, then you can achieve”— Science confirms that neuroplasticity, a growth mindset, and manifestation are always on my side if I use it to my advantage.
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Thank you for spending some of your day with me.