Welcome to My Morning Routine, where Elena Brower and other good-life experts share their personal (frequently surprising, often healthy) morning rituals—to help you make your a.m.’s more awesome.

Elena BrowerYoga and meditation instructor; co-author of Art of Attention (which was recently updated); founder of Teach.yoga.  

Before I go to bed at night, I take magnesium oxide, buffered C, and probiotics. Magnesium helps me sleep and aids digestion, as does the probiotic. Since I’ve been doing this, I feel so much better in the mornings.

I wake with the sunrise, between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m., depending on the time of year. I don’t use an alarm; I like to respect the natural rhythms of things. That inky-blue time before the sun actually comes up, when the sky starts to lighten just a touch, is a very potent time to sit and meditate. Some days I move as well, depending on how early it is—just a few yoga postures, held for a few minutes each. It’s either Dona Holleman‘s Practice Manual, my notes from classes at Katonah Yoga, or from studies with Yogarupa Rod Stryker.

After I sit, I’ll write in my notebooks for one of my books or upcoming speaking projects. Then I’ll do my post for the day; my social media is a form of artwork for me, so I look forward to creating vignettes, readings, and thoughts each day for it.

From there, I’ll set up the tea. I love August Tea, WayGood Tea, and Silver Needle Tea Co. Then, I’ll wake up the boys—I have a nine-year-old boy and a 49-year-old boy—and slowly, they will peel themselves out of bed. The big one gets in the tub, and the little one plays the piano.

I make breakfast for my boy; usually avocado toast or bruschetta on gluten-free bread, and we’ll sit at our table on beautiful Chattra zafu cushions on the floor. I drop him off at school, and then my man makes breakfast for the two of us (I cook dinner, he cooks breakfast). Sometimes it’s egg and avocado toast, sometimes it’s steamed veggies with eggs, depending on the day.

And then I start working. I do most of my work from my house—I run a fun business with DoTerra Essential Oils, plan retreats and mini-trainings, write books, and coach for the Handel Group. Before I start the day, I’ll rearrange flowers or water the plants, organize my little office space, and turn the diffuser on. I’m loving DoTerra’s Elevation blend lately—lavender, Hawaiian sandalwood, tangerine, melissa, ylang ylang, osmanthus, and lemon myrtle—which clears the air and makes it feel great to start my work day.

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