Burn The Morning Oil

We eat food to nurture our body all day long. It’s non negotiable – we need nutrition. However, this blog is about energizing our body with morning rituals so that we can start our day in full swing!

Since it is my favorite time of the day, I make sure to honor my early morning hours with the rituals that make me feel ready for a fresh new day of adventure. If you’re an early riser like me and you’re ambitious to try all these wonderful rituals one by one, woohoo! But if you are limited with time in the morning and still want to include them all, you can easily do them in the shower – and I do encourage a morning shower. Time is holy!

Tongue Scraping

Use a tongue scraper. Tongue scraping will remove the yucky bacteria that can cause plaque accumulation on your teeth, resulting in bad breath.

Oil Pulling

After tongue scraping, fill a teaspoon or tablespoon (depending on how big your mouth is) with sesame or coconut oil and swish in your mouth until the end of your shower – the longer the better. Oil pulling (swishing these oils in your mouth) has been studied to fight plaque and reduce sulfur that causes bad breath. The longer you swish, the higher the efficacy of the oil as it turns into a soapy substance and acts as an antiseptic for your mouth. You can spit it out in the shower or in the garbage afterward.

Oil Massage

After washing your body give yourself an oil massage in the shower to calm your nervous system. There are great oils that relax your nervous system, stimulate your lymphatic system, and are wonderful for your skin, and you only need a small amount to see the benefits. A few companies to purchase massage oil from are LifeSpa and Banyan Botanicals – both these companies have a wonderful selection of ayurvedic massaging body oils. When oiling your body, use circular strokes over your joints and belly, and long strokes over your arms and legs. Spend extra time on your feet, but you MUST be extra careful to avoid slipping, and preferably sit on a bench. By the end of your spa shower, your skin will feel moisturized, smooth, and silky – no need for extra lotion.

Head Massage

The head is the cherry on top of your oil massage. Treat yourself to a vigorous head massage, which is known to increase brain lymphatic circulation. The brain drains a lot of toxic material and plaque into the lymphatic system, which is aided by massaging the head. Use the oils on your fingertips and massage them into your scalp, or if too oily, just use your fingertips to give yourself a vigorous scalp massage through your wet hair.

Genia’s Spoon Me Tips

These practices might seem overwhelming, but rest assured they are not. We are creatures of habit – change and new rituals take time and commitment to form. These aren’t fads – they’re tried and true methods going back thousands of years.

Copper is the only truly antiseptic metal for tongue scrapers. You can purchase them in certain health food stores and pharmacies or online.

FYI, I love using Rosemary Essential Oil on my hair - massaging it through my hair strands and follicles. A few drops in your shampoo is highly suggested for hair growth.

‘Morning Stretches’ before my shower - win win!

Much love to you and rituals,
Genia

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