A daily ritual to awaken and enliven
your body upon rising.
THE RITUAL – Part One
MEETING THE MORNING
When you wake, open your curtains and let in the natural light. Better yet, walk outside and turn your face towards the sun (or dawn light) while you take a few gentle, deep breaths.
This inhibits the production of melatonin (your sleep hormone) and stimulates the production of serotonin and cortisol, which signal to your entire being that it’s time to be alert and active. Greeting the morning light in this way also gives you a moment to recognise the blessing of a new day and all that awaits you.
Feeling tired all the time? Read more below about how to embrace circadian rhythms to establish beautiful sleep patterns.
THE RITUAL – Part Two
DRINKING WARM LEMON WATER
After meeting the morning, begin your day by sipping the juice of half of a lemon freshly squeezed into a cup of warm water. This simple ritual will rehydrate your body and support your digestive system, preparing it for the your most important meal of the day, breakfast.
Lemons helps your liver eliminate toxins, keeping your skin clearer and smoother. They are also high in vitamin C, a vital anti-oxidant and important nutrient for collagen, our anti-wrinkle fibre. Vitamin C is also an important antioxidant, capable of protecting cells from the damage caused by free radicals.
So, enjoy your cup of warm lemon water first thing each day of the cleanse and make every morning a beautiful new beginning.
Embrace Circadian Rhythms for Beautiful Sleep
Going to bed when it is dark and waking when it is light is part of a biological process called the circadian rhythm. The alternation of light and dark helps control our biological clocks and has an amazing influence on our bodies. It affects our sleep-wake cycle, hormone release, eating habits and digestion, body temperature and other bodily functions all of which can affect skin health.
Our bodies like to predict when we are going to wake and will start preparing for this at least a couple of hours prior to waking by releasing certain chemicals. This helps explain the mystery of why we can often wake five minutes before the alarm goes off. If you follow a diligent sleep routine your body will start to increase the levels of certain chemicals so you can wake more easily and with less stress at the regular time.
Unfortunately, the weekends can often throw this delicate balance out because we tend to sleep later. On Monday morning, our bodies aren’t expecting that early morning alarm and it can be quite stressful having to get up. To make waking a pleasurable, non-stressful experience, try to wake at the same approximate time every day, even in weekends.
If you feel sleep deprived, we would advise you to go to bed earlier rather than sleeping in later. Oversleeping in the morning only ends up making you feel tired and groggy.
Investing the effort to establish a beautiful sleeping/waking pattern is well worth it and you will be rewarded with improved health, energy and wellbeing.