InThin from Within: The Go with Your Gut Way to Lose Weight, Robyn Youkilis helps readers shed physical (and emotional) weight. The book serves both as a coaching guide and a cookbook, with easy to follow instructions to help readers get started on their weight loss journey, a meal plan to reset the gut, and 75 delicious recipes for every occasion and craving. The following excerpt is from Chapter 3, “Your Morning Routine.”
As I sat up in my bed and took a little stretch, the sunshine beamed in on my face and I could hear the birds chirping outside my window. I thought to myself, “Hello, beautiful day!” I made my way over to my meditation cushion and settled in for my Zen morning routine.
And then I woke up.
My morning reality actually looks more like this: My beautiful daughter is hungry and needs to be changed and fed immediately. My husband — the same. Just kidding! But he does have questions about our dinner plans that night, and my phone is pinging me with email and after email.
Morning “routine”? Most days, it’s a challenge just to find a moment to poop in peace.
Why You Might Not be Going Number 2
Maybe you have your own version of my morning reality. I find the reason most of us are not going is because we aren’t giving ourselves a moment to come into self at the beginning of the day. All the foods and recipes in this book will help you have nice, easy poops on the regular, but you also need to give your body the time and space to actually go.
When you anchor yourself in your body for a few minutes each morning, not only do you set yourself up for a good poop, but you set the tone for the rest of your day. You are in the driver’s seat of your life. Once you are present in your body, you are more likely to make choices that will support yourself all day.
If you’re like me and you have a young child or another circumstance that leaves you rolling your eyes at any type of morning routine, I’m not going to ask you to spend hours journaling or chanting on your yoga mat to reap the benefits of a little morning time. Even a smidge counts.
My Morning Minute
Here’s what I do most days: When I wake up, I place one hand on my heart and one hand on my belly and take a few deep breaths. I say some version of the following to myself (think Goodnight Moon, but the morning self-care edition)…
“Hi, I’m awake. How lovely is that? Good morning body, good morning heart. I’ve got you. I’m here, this is me. These are my arms, this is my skin, this is my chest, this is my face, I’ve got you.”
When I take that moment to check in with myself, to start the day with ease and calm, not only am I more likely to feel grounded and happy, I’m also much more likely to make positive choices throughout my day.
This minute of calm is what I call my Morning Minute. It’s a moment for me to connect with my mind and my body, to get my feet under me before the day gets ahead of me.
There’s no one “right” way to do your Morning Minute. Try out a few of the ideas below to figure out what feels best for you.
Yours may be:
- 1 minute of breathing deeply into your belly
- Listening to a short guided meditation
- Shaking your body out to your favorite song
- Writing in a journal
- Reading a snippet from an inspirational book
- Sipping a cup of tea alone
- Gently tapping on your body to increase blood flow (or any light movement)
More from Thin from Within:
Excerpted fromThin from Within, by Robyn Youkilis. Published by Kyle Books, © 2018.
